We are military, and me and my son are about to move to el paso to meet my husband there when he gets back from Iraq. My son will be 22 months at the time of the move (march), and I plan on getting pregnant around June. He has a conversion crib, but we are not converting it because the new baby will need it so I figured he’ll just go straight to a regular bed. He and our new baby will probably have to share a room. Anyways, I have never done this before, and honestly it is kind of a big deal for me! When should I move my son into his big boy bed? I plan on getting twin bunk beds. Is there going to be a problem with a little boy trying to climb the ladder? Any advice would be great!
toddler beds are out of the question.

since a big move is coming up I would wait until he seems ready, or until after the move…when he is settles.
If he is happy in his crib- not climbing out. leave him… getting pregnant in June means you have until like next feb to adjust him to a bed.

And yes now or when the baby comes (at two and a half ) is too young to climb to the top of a bunk bed and never mind falling off. But by time the youngest would be out of the crib the oldest will be like 3 and half and might be able climb to the top (but get him bed rails). Join a freecycle community in el paso and ask for a toddler bed. Or instead of a toddler bed put him (when he is ready) on a box spring and mattress on the floor. so you are not wasting money!

8 Responses to “I need help figuring out when I should move my son to a regular bed. (19months)?”

  • eloquent says:

    when he starts climbing out of the crib, it’s a good time to move a bed into the room. lower the crib rails & let him decide where he will sleep. with two weeks, he’ll choose & bed time will become just a bit more difficult.
    References :

  • mary says:

    A toddler bed would be a better option than a regular adult bed. You won’t have to worry about him falling out. They are not expensive and will last him for several years, by the time he is ready to graduate to a regular bed the baby will be ready to graduate out of the crib. And the toddler beds do not take up as much space as a regular bed and if the kids need to share a room this is a big plus. Good luck and thank you and your family for your service in the Military, we appreciate your sacrifice! God Bless!
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  • Sunshine says:

    It is hard to tell not knowing the maturity of your son. However, you’re not even pregnant yet !!!!
    Let him go into a new bed when you think he is ready. I would always take Baby #1 out of the crib 3 or 4 mo. before Baby #2 arrives. As for being in a top bunk, that is another story. Some kids seem to fall out of their beds a lot and some never do. I would certainly have sturdy side rails on it.
    You know that everyone does not become pregnant at the exact time that they plan to do so, even if it happened easily the 1st time, so I wish good luck to you next June.
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  • lisa mommy says:

    since a big move is coming up I would wait until he seems ready, or until after the move…when he is settles.
    If he is happy in his crib- not climbing out. leave him… getting pregnant in June means you have until like next feb to adjust him to a bed.

    And yes now or when the baby comes (at two and a half ) is too young to climb to the top of a bunk bed and never mind falling off. But by time the youngest would be out of the crib the oldest will be like 3 and half and might be able climb to the top (but get him bed rails). Join a freecycle community in el paso and ask for a toddler bed. Or instead of a toddler bed put him (when he is ready) on a box spring and mattress on the floor. so you are not wasting money!
    References :

  • Sammie says:

    Your son should be fine moving into a big boy bed now. Typically you want to as soon as they start trying to climb out. Seeing how your child is almost two, he should be able to handle it. I would start now if I were you, get him used to it before you get pregnant, that way he will be able to let his younger sibling have his old crib with no issues. I would get him a toddler bed first though. Since he is used to the crib, he might fall off a regular bed. A toddler bed has sides on it so he wont roll off. When his sibling needs the toddler bed, then I would get him the bunk bed. Only I would get the kind that can separate into two different beds so in case you move again and get a bigger place so they don’t necessarily have to share a room. Also, this way your child can have his own bigger bed, and you can put the other half in storage until the younger child can use it.
    References :

  • two_rings_one_heart says:

    I wouldn’t move him to a "big boy" bed until he can climb on and off things (like a low couch or chair for instance) by himself. Even then, I would start with just a twin mattress on the floor so if he does roll off, he has a short fall. Your biggest problem will probably be keeping him in bed! You’ll need to be sure his room is really safe for him to be in, and that you either keep the door closed, or if he can open it himself by then, you gate the doorway so he doesn’t wander the house while your sleeping. As far as the ladder goes, it’ll be a while before your son will be able to climb it I’d imagine. Some varieties of bunk beds have removable ladders. That would be handy so that you can just put it up whenever he’s ready. And I’m glad you’re getting twin bunks instead of wasting your money on a toddler bed. They’re in them for too short a time.
    References :
    mother of a 21 (nearly 22) month old boy

  • Bangs says:

    when to switch from crib to bed

    "There’s no set time when you have to replace your child’s crib with a regular or toddler bed, although most children make the switch sometime between ages 1 1/2 and 3 1/2. It’s best to wait until your child is closer to 3, since many little ones just aren’t ready to make the transition. Of course, you’ll need to move your toddler to a bed when he’s simply too big or too active to sleep in a crib anymore. And once he’s potty-trained, he’ll need to be able to get out of bed to use the toilet.

    Many parents make the switch because they’re worried that their active toddler might climb or jump out of his crib — and this is a real safety concern. But it’s best not to react to climbing out of the crib or any other sudden sleep problem with a sense of alarm. Don’t rush right out and buy a new bed the day your toddler first climbs out of the crib. He may not be ready to move to a bed, and it may not be safe for him to be up and about during the night when everyone else is asleep.

    Buy yourself some time by lowering the crib mattress as far as possible, so the side rails are higher and more difficult to climb over. And always remove padded bumpers as soon as your toddler starts to climb. In addition, consider installing a crib tent, which is mesh and attaches to the crib rails with Velcro, to keep your little one safe and snug in his crib.

    Another reason parents make the switch to a bed is the impending arrival of another baby. If this is your situation, make the switch at least six to eight weeks before you’re due. You want your toddler well settled in his new bed before he sees the baby taking over "his" crib. Depending on your toddler’s age, you could also consider delaying the switch until the new baby is 3 or 4 months old. Your newborn will probably spend those months sleeping in a bassinet anyway, and your toddler will have time to adjust to the new baby, making the transition to a bed easier when it does happen.

    Be sure to base the timing of the switch on your child’s readiness rather than on the need to free up the crib, however. Many parents find out too late that it would have been easier to borrow or buy another crib rather than move their older child to a bed before he was ready.

    Some children adjust readily to this change, while others have a hard time with it. Every child is different. It’s not unusual, though, for firstborn children to resist the transition. He may be very attached to his crib and all of his associations with it. The move to sleeping in a bed is just one of many changes at this stage in a toddler’s life — it may coincide with toilet-training, starting preschool and other pressures to "grow up." If a new baby’s on the way, your child may feel possessive of his baby things, including his crib. Later-born children often have an easier time making the switch to a bed because they want to be just like their older brother or sister. They’re eager to move from the crib, which is "for babies," into a "big-kid bed." However some toddlers, whether first- or later-born, are just plain ready and relish this change in their status.

    To ease the transition, put your toddler’s new bed in the same place his crib used to be. If you’re using a twin bed, you may not want to make an immediate switch to grown-up sheets and blankets that are tucked in. Your child may find it soothing to continue to sleep with his old crib blanket, even if it’s too small. Don’t forget to put up a guardrail to prevent your newly liberated toddler from falling out of bed.

    Get your toddler excited about having a "big-kid bed" by taking him with you to pick it out, if you’re buying it new, or by emphasizing its previous owner if that person is someone your child knows. For example: "This was Cousin Petey’s bed and now it’s yours! You’re almost as big as him now!" Let your toddler shop with you for new sheets featuring his favorite characters, and encourage him to show his "big-kid bed" to visiting friends and family.

    Another tactic, although it requires a little more work, is to throw a "big-kid bed" party. Choose a date to unveil the new bed, and talk up the event a week in advance. On the big day, have a party and invite friends and grandparents.

    Another strategy is the use of specific "toddler beds". They use a crib mattress, but look more like a regular bed. Many come with built-in guardrails, and some are made in very appealing themes and shapes, such as cars, trains and pink four-poster beds.

    If you find that you’ve made the switch too soon and your toddler is upset, don’t give up right away. Encourage your child to try out the bed. If he’s still distraught after a few days, bring the crib back.

    Some toddlers simply aren’t ready for a bed. It takes a certain amount of cognitive development for your child to understand that a bed has imaginary boundaries that he must stay within. If you find that your great sleeper all of a sudden takes a long time to fall as
    References :
    http://www.babycenter.com/404_how-and-when-should-i-move-my-toddler-from-a-crib-to-a-bed_4598.bc

  • Jennifer says:

    Keep him in the crib until you have the baby. If you do get pregnant in June your son will be 28 months when the baby is born. At 28 months he can go from a crib to a twin bed. This will save you the cost of an extra bed. That way when your baby moves out of the crib he/she can go to the twin bed at about age 3 and your son will be about 6 and can go onto the next bed. Just a thought. This was you will eliminate buying so many beds.
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