thomas tank engine toddler bedOur two-year-old grandson, Luke, is now sleeping in hiw own toddler bed! Now his parents (and grandparents) don’t have to worry about his climbing out of his crib which could result in serious injury. Using a toddler bed is a wonderful way to transition your toddler into sleeping in a big bed. I’ve always liked the idea of a toddler bed rather than a full sized twin bed for my three children when they were toddlers for several reasons.

Benefits of Toddler Beds

One reason a toddler bed is better is that the young child does not have to get used to a new mattress – the crib mattress fits right in! This also cuts down on the expense of having to buy a new mattress and sheets, too. Another important reason is that the toddler bed is lower and safer if the child should fall off. Rails can be added to prevent this which even give the child a sense of still being in his crib. Also, when the child is ready for potty training, he may come to you in the night to let you know he’s wet or has to use his potty. It will be confusing if you tell him to use the potty but he can’t get to it at night.

Switching from Crib to Toddler Bed

For many parents of toddlers, the decision of switching their child from a crib to a bed can be stressful. Just when is the right time to switch a toddler from his (or her) crib to a “big boy” bed? The best answer to that is to let the toddler decide. The first sign may be his continuing to climb out of his crib during the night. What I did when my children started climbing out of their crib was to place pillows on the floor to soften the impact should they fall. But, I didn’t want to take the chance of injury. We talked about sleeping in a big bed and then went shopping for a toddler bed over a couple of weeks. Now with the Internet, shopping is a lot easier to do with a toddler! He’ll have fun looking at all the pictures of toddler beds such as on ToddlerBeds.comtop rated toddler beds where you can find 5-star consumer rated beds. This way the child can feel that it is his decision and can help decide which bed will be his to sleep in. Once the bed was delivered, we made it a father-child activity of putting it together. The toddler bed was truly the child’s since he was involved from the beginning.

Advice from Nana

One important bit of advice I have for parents is to place the toddler bed in the same place as where the crib had been. If your child gets up during the night, their path to you will be the same which will lessen confusion for the little one.

Since the crib bedding fits the toddler bed, we started out with the familiar sheets and blankets. The next step was to buy themed sheets chosen by the child to make it even more enjoyable such as baseball bedding or princess bedding.

Another piece of advice from Nana, if you are expecting another child, transition the child at least two months before the baby arrives so you child won’t think he had to give his bed to the baby. It may prevent sibling jealousy.

If you feel your child just isn’t ready for a toddler bed, then there is no reason you can’t wait. Borrow a crib or buy one from a consignment shop until he is ready.

Nana’s Gift Ideas

Giving a toddler bed to a grandson or granddaughter can make this milestone even more special. We gave our oldest grandchild her toddler bed when she was ready to switch from her crib to a bed. The toddler bed was also used for her sister 5 years later, and now her two-year-old brother is happily sleeping in it. A toddler bed is a gift that lasts many, many years and one they never forget!

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