How helpful is a toddler bed?

[tarheelmom]

My dh and I are considering getting a Little Tikes toddler bed for our little "baby" boy that turns 2 next week. I am expecting our next baby, also a boy, in October. We have been talking about buying Ryan the bed that looks like a fire truck (similar to the one that looks like a race car).

We've considered 2 other options. One is to keep Ryan in his crib, and buy the new baby his own crib. But Ryan will be almost 2 1/2 by the time the new baby is out of the bassinet, which we think is old enough for the transition to a new bed. Another is to just put him in the ADORABLE twin bed we bought for his room at an antique store before I ever even got pg with him. It's a maple bed and the headboard and footboard look like airplanes. Ryan is crazy for planes, and my dh is a pilot...so we obviously love the bed.

Money is not really an issue - we could afford the LT fire truck bed and extra crib mattress, and of course we could use it for the new baby eventually. We just don't want to worry constantly that he'll fall out of the twin bed - the toddler bed is much closer to the floor. Are rails with the twin bed a good option?

Thanks for any opinions!!!

[Momof3Labs]

Or you could just put the twin mattress on the floor for a while, until you feel comfortable putting him in the bed with rails.

Personally, I think that toddler beds are a waste of money and space (gotta store it somewhere when you are done with it) but I'm not quite at that stage yet, either!

[sbaker]

I have a similar problem. DS will only be 23 months when Baby #2 arrives.
You've made me curious. DH is also a pilot and DS also is crazy for airplanes. We even live on an airport. I would be interested in seeing the headboard and footboard that you have. DS would love an airplane bed. One of the guys on our airport is really good with wood and could probably make me something like it if I had pictures to show him.

Just my two cents...
:) :+ :)
Sara
Mom to Rayce 02/09/02
Baby #2 due 01/05/04

[luvbeinmama]

I say, forget the toddler bed! ESPECIALLY since you already have the twin. Either use a bedrail or put the mattress on the floor until he gets used to it and isn't falling out of bed. DS has a toddler bed, but ONLY because someone gave it to us. I put him in it at just over 2 1/2 yrs, a month before DD was born, and it is really too small for him already (he is average height/weight). In about 5-6 weeks he's getting our full size bed and we're getting a king. For DD I may just skip the toddler bed altogether, I'm not sure I want to save it for her. I will probably go right to a twin for her.

HTH!