Wife is in love with Young America Crib$. HELP!!!!!

[boolady]

Well, we didn't end up buying a Young America crib, but looked at them, and they were not priced anywhere near $1000. You asked if the convertible aspect is worth it or if it really works, and if you want it to be your child's bed from now until they go away to college and beyond, then yes, it works. We got a convertible for DD, not because I loved the look of them, but because we needed to buy other furniture for her bedroom anyway. We've been very pleased with how it functioned as her crib, toddler bed, and now her double bed. It's pretty rock solid as a double bed.

ETA: I think the bottom line is, whether a "nicer" convertible crib is worth the $ (and I don't mean $1000) depends on what you seek to get out of it.

[vonfirmath]

Thank you everyone for your feedback. All this is really helpful.

So in regards to these convertible 3-1 cribs. Are they really worth it? Do they really last? Do you really end up wanting that same peice of furniture until the kids are grown up and out of the house?

Would you buy your kid a full size bed after they outgrew their crib (and toddler bed if you were going to use them?)

We only had twin beds growing up and I can not imagine making space for a full size bed everywhere. It cuts into playing space!

[Canna]

Would you buy your kid a full size bed after they outgrew their crib (and toddler bed if you were going to use them?)

We only had twin beds growing up and I can not imagine making space for a full size bed everywhere. It cuts into playing space!

We live in a 1,500 sq ft. 1920s New England-type home, and we have a full sized bed in our 6 year-old's not-big room. It's all the way against one wall, so while it does take up a few square feet of play space, there is still enough room for her to play on the floor. It is SO functional to have it. It can double as a guest bed more easily because of its size, when my mom has visited she actually sleeps in it WITH DD#1 (which they both love), it is easier for us to read bedtime stories with both DD's in that bed, and lately DD#1 and DD#2 have BOTH started sleeping in it because they like the company (with the result that our 3 year-old sleeps through the night much more often!). Have to say, that full-sized bed is awesome! It's not that much bigger.

[crl]

On the convertible point. We did convert ds' crib to a toddler bed. But we never converted it to full. We have moved several times and never realky had a room big enough for a full bed, which is what it converted to--a headboard for a full bed. Plus by the time we were doing a regular bed, ds had some thoughts of his own about his room and as part of a move we let him get bunk beds. So, I think a conversion to toddler is reasonably likely to get used, but beyond that. . . . it depends.

And my ~$120 Ikea crib converts to toddler. So I guess I have ~$880 left to spend on a headboard for my youngest.

Catherine

[creativelightbulb]

Would you buy your kid a full size bed after they outgrew their crib (and toddler bed if you were going to use them?)

We only had twin beds growing up and I can not imagine making space for a full size bed everywhere. It cuts into playing space!

>>><<<

I slept in a twin sized bed until I came home from college and purchased my own queen mattress...

the notion of a child needing anything larger than a twin doesn't register with me...our DD will go from her crib to one of the twin beds currently in her room...her future sibling will then go in the crib and later occupy the other twin...

I will remove the crib at that time and replace it with a desk..

[twowhat?]

LOL, I love that this is a first post too.

My feeling about cribs is that if you really want it and can afford it (with room to spare of course), then why not? Especially for a first baby - everything about having your first child is so magical and why not live up that moment? Unless it upsets your DH, of course In retrospect it will always be a waste of money - but is it worth the excitement, the dreaminess, of setting up your child's first nursery? Maybe yes for some people and maybe no for others.

But yes, it's most definitely not a practical necessity. We didn't want to spend a lot of money on cribs (or most anything else for that matter!) So we got the IKEA gullivers which we are more than happy with. We splurged on new car (minivan) and car seats (radians).

As for the 3-in-1 aspect, for me it's not worth it. I imagine that when kids get older they're going to have opinions on how they want their bedroom to look and I'd hate the full-sized headboard to be something that can't be changed because we paid good money up front for it. I grew up on twin beds too and unless you have good-sized kids bedrooms, a full bed is going to take away space that might be better used for a desk, etc.

Converting into a toddler bed (by removing one side) is useful though, esp for those who end up with kids who learn how to climb out of the crib before it's outgrown. Most cribs do this though, even the most inexpensive ones.

eta: for those who say that the full can double as a guest bed - I think this will work for 1 guest, of course. But it's not a comfortable size for 2 (like if a set of grandparents comes to visit frequently) - for that you need a queen.

[boolady]

We live in a 1,500 sq ft. 1920s New England-type home, and we have a full sized bed in our 6 year-old's not-big room. It's all the way against one wall, so while it does take up a few square feet of play space, there is still enough room for her to play on the floor. It is SO functional to have it. It can double as a guest bed more easily because of its size, when my mom has visited she actually sleeps in it WITH DD#1 (which they both love), it is easier for us to read bedtime stories with both DD's in that bed, and lately DD#1 and DD#2 have BOTH started sleeping in it because they like the company (with the result that our 3 year-old sleeps through the night much more often!). Have to say, that full-sized bed is awesome! It's not that much bigger.

This is how ours is set up in DD's room. Did she need it to be a full-sized bed? No, but it has already been useful when we've had company, and although her room is not large, she has plenty of floor space to play. She has her bed, a tall bookcase, a lower longer dresser, a floor lamp, and her FP Loving Family dollhouse in there and is just fine.

[mom2binsd]

Here is a link:

http://www.furniturelandsouth.com/Pa...ib-DZ6423.aspx

She likes the decorative side of it and that fact that it doesn't have slats.

I will say, one episode of baby throwing up and having to clean ALL of those spindles/nooks and cranies of puke and you'll be cursing that 1K crib!

I agree with others, if money is no object buy it, otherwise keep looking.

But I also have had two solid back cribs with my children, one cost 250 and the other 100, both looked like Pottery Barn cribs, one was a Jardine (never recalled) and the other- gasp- Kmart. The Kmart crib is now being used as a double bed, the solid back is a headboard and is very nice. We used it as a crib for 3 years, then a toddler bed for 6 months and now a bed.

[arivecchi]

Both of my cribs convert to toddler and full size beds. I definitely like that feature, but it is not a must. You can easily get an affordable bed down the line. And yes, I have to purchase the conversion kit, but that is still way below $1000. If she really loves the brand, I would try to find a deal and perhaps get another style. Cribs seem like such a huge deal at first and it is definitely important that you find a safe and sturdy one, but you can do so at pretty low price points.

I agree with the PP who said send her over to the stroller forum. We'll get her hooked and you can resell nice strollers for good $!

ETA: I sent you a private message OP.

[babywhatbaby]

WOW! I've been on a lot of different forums but this has definitly been the most active and helpful. THANK YOU!

So with that, can someone please tell me what all these abbreviations mean? I know they are referring to the kids and husbands, but what is it spelled out? DD? DH?

Thanks again!