Did you skip the toddler bed or not?

[Radosti]

I have no idea what to do. DS LOVES his crib. Adores it. But the past couple of days, he's asked DH to push it against the big bed in his room and climbed right out of the crib onto the big bed. He knows he can climb out, but doesn't want to fall, so hasn't climbed out yet onto the floor. I figure it's just a matter of time.

I have a big bed in there (full size), and I have the kiddie rails. He is all over the place when he sleeps. And there is no rug/carpet in his room, so if he were to take a header in the middle of the night, he'd land on hardwood. He could fall off the bottom of the bed. The bed is pushed into a corner, so two sides are safe. The bottom is hard to put a rail onto as it has a footboard. The footboard won't stop him from falling though.

I need to decide whether I should get a toddler bed or not. What did you do?

[bubbaray]

We skipped the toddler bed and went straight to a twin bed. We got the Ikea Hemnes twin bed and rails. Its been great, highly recommend. Can't beat the price either.

[SnuggleBuggles]

We took the rails off of his crib but we let him choose between that or a twin sized bed. he chose the bed and he never fell off. The first few nights I put pillows all around his bed though, just in case. :)

Beth

[KpbS]

My DS also loves his crib. We recently converted his to a toddler bed --replacing 1 rail. He is excited about a future bunk bed but we are waiting-- anticipating an upcoming move. If your crib doesn't convert you could remove one rail and try a product like this one--
http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/601-2777902-8532124?ASIN=B000KYJ2EQ&AFID=Froogle&LNM=B000KYJ2EQ|BedBugz_Inflatable_Bedrail_Green&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=B000KYJ2EQ&ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001

It's also handy for travel as it fits up to a full size mattress.

hth

[HIU8]

We skipped the toddler bed and went right to a twin bed. It's a captains bed with a headboard and footboard that we have pushed against a wall. One side has a guard rail. DS loves it. he has never fallen out (even before we put the rail up).

[brittone2]

DS went from cosleeping to sleeping in a Queen sized bed in his own room right at age 3. No problems (his bed is rather high but roomy enough to minimize falling out ;) )

[lilycat88]

DD did end up in a toddler bed but we didn't really plan on that happening. I got one off of Craigslist for $20 and she moved into it just a few weeks before she was 3. She was happy as a clam in her crib and had never tried to get out. Even now she doesn't get out of her toddler bed EVER until we come in and get her. She'd probably still be there but I was tired of lifting her out! She happily slept in her crib at Grandma and Grandpa's house until just a couple of months ago. We're getting ready to move her into a twin bed in a little over a month when her bedroom furniture arrives.

[Twoboos]

Straight to twin with both girls. DD1 had a little more "transition" time, with the matress/box spring on the floor for a bit first. They onto the bedframe/head & footboards.

DD2 just went stright into the bed, yesterday in fact! We used a rail for both girls. DD1 definitely had a tendancy to fall out, and even now I keep some pillows on the floor. (The day I move them you KNOW she will fall out that night!)

[ThreeofUs]

We skipped the toddler bed, too. But for about a year, we had his crib in the "daybed" conversion connected to a full-size in his room. Of course, we also co-sleep, so the switch would be less of an issue for us.

[wencit]

DS climbed (and fell) out of his crib a couple weeks ago, so we've been putting the mattress on the floor as a temporary solution. I just got back from Costco with a twin size mattress for $135 and plan to use it as soon as we get his big boy furniture in. I'm definitely going to hit BRU tomorrow during their sale to see if bed rails are discounted, since he's a crazy active sleeper (he frequently falls off the crib mattress that's currently on the floor -- fortunately, we have carpet). Another option you might want to consider is the Snug Tuck Pillow (snugtuckpillow.com).

[WatchingThemGrow]

I was in the EXACT same situation as you a couple months ago. The day she climbed out of the crib onto the bed (jumping of course) NINE times, I about went berserk. How am I supposed to read posts with all that commotion???

I made my own SnugTuck pillows - not too hard - and put one against the wall, one about 1/3 the way into the bed, so that it has a foot or so of space on the outside. That's enough for me to sit there for if I need to.

Back to THAT DAY when she kept climbing out... We moved the crib away from the bed for a couple more weeks until we got sick of walking around it in the middle of her room. We took the crib apart and told her she was going to sleep in her new bed. We had extra pillowcases for the trundle and a little boudoir pillow that all matched the fitted sheet. We put a regular pillow and the travel-size by the footboard, 2 more in the regular spots, and did the same ol' bedtime routine. Worked like a charm. We did emphasize that she should stay in the bed and call for us when she wakes up. By that time we'd ordered a video monitor for both bedrooms, so we could see there was NO action in there at all. It is working out beautifully with the full size bed. We crack up at the transverse sleeping positions she chooses.

[almostmom]

We skipped the toddler bed and went straight to a twin with no rails.

My son was great, and at 2 years, 3 months he never fell out or got out of bed without us. My DD moved a tad later, and she gets out all the time before falling asleep (once asleep, she is almost always there until the morning)! She is an active sleeper, and has fallen out once (though she didn't even wake up!), but I don't think she will again. A rail might help her stay in bed though... What I love about the beds is that when they wake up in the morning, they come into my bed, instead of waking me up from sleep wanting me to go get them! Now we just cuddle until we have to get out of bed, or they are thirsty. It does make me late for work most mornings though...

[infocrazy]

No advice really but DS1 just turned 3 and is happily in his crib. He went through a stage about 6 months ago where he wanted to climb in and out but only wanted to do it when we were watching. Then he stopped. His bed does convert into a toddler bed and he sleeps in one at his sitter's with no issue. He even waits until she gets him to get out.

FWIW, we got a crib/toddler bed from IKEA for DS1 when DS2 needed the crib. It is basically a crib without legs. That way when he does climb out, he isn't dropping down as far.

DS2 is part monkey and is already trying to get his leg up the side of his crib. DH and I joke that DS2 (14 months) will be ready for the toddler bed before DS1. God help us since DS2 will not be a kid who waits... :-) He is also the only morning person in the house... bad combination!

[KBecks]

We skipped it and went right to a twin. I think toddler beds are fine but we didn't feel we needed one.

[scoop22]

we skipped the toddler bed as well. ds would crawl into bed. he only crawled out once.. he cried for his crib for two days and then he was over it. he gave it to his little brother.. he still moves around in his twin bed. the railings are a great!

[pb&j]

No toddler bed here, right to a full bed. We have rails b/c DS likes them, but the first couple of times in his big bed, he slept without them just fine.

We had a full bed and didn't feel it was necessary to spend any money on a toddler bed that would only see a little use.

[AngelaS]

I went straight to a twin w/all three of mine.

A pool noodle under the sheet works GREAT as a barrier to keep them from falling out of bed. :)

[StantonHyde]

Straight to twin with a detour--we put the mattress on the floor for a week and then to the bed. With DD, she slept at grandpa's house on a Coleman twin air mattress and LOOOOVED it. So she slept on that for a month till her big bed came. And now she is on the air mattress on the bed because I still have to go get a matress!

[hez]

Moved from the crib to a twin (no rails, no nothing) at 3 1/3. I think he might have fallen out of the twin once-- he got up and got back in on his own.

He climbed out of the crib once at 2, and I put him right back in and told him not to do it again. At that point he still thought I made sense :p so he didn't climb out again. I think the transition to the twin was pretty easy because he coslept with us for part of the night many nights (DH would go get him if he called for us). I also think it was easy because we took him to pick it out-- he was really looking forward to sleeping in it.

I'll find him all over the bed still today (found him head down a week or two ago), but he doesn't fall out-- at least not that I know of.

[Radosti]

Thanks! I guess we'll just put up the rails and see if he wants to sleep on the big bed.

[lil_acorn]

We skipped the toddler bed & went straight to a twin bed. We didn't buy crib rails though and put just the mattress on the floor. Once he got used to that we put the boxspringdown and then eventually the bed frame.

Could you just put the full mattress on the floor?

[kijip]

We only got a toddler bed for T out of space considerations. I'd skip it in your situation. For this upcoming baby, their first bed outside our room will be the lower twin bunk (with rails) in the room T will share with the new baby once baby moves out of our room (likely not for a couple of years after birth).