We took our older son out of the crib at 16 months! Why? He started climbing, and climbed out and fell, and we didn't want a repeat of my husband's experience (he shattered his collar bone at 17 months, doing the same thing) or mine (concussion at 18 months, same reason). We gave him a low twin bed on a futon platform and completely child-proofed the room so he could just crawl out and play.

Our younger son stayed in the crib until about 2.5 years, when he asked for a regular bed. I converted it by pulling one set of rails off for a time and then got bunks for the two of them (with our old enough child up above).

Being poked in the middle of the night is part of begin a parent. I feel sorry for you child if she/he doesn't feel comfortable enough to come to you at any time of the day/night.

I'm surprised that Barbara suggests waiting until age 3 to move to a bed. Both my boys moved to beds (regular twin beds with guard rails) at age 2 and were totally fine. We just used a fitted sheet and their regular baby blankets until they were old enough for top sheets. But, as we know, every kid is different!

One of my boys didn't get out of bed by himself for months afterwards, he would just call to us when he wanted to get up. The other did have a tendency to get out of bed by himself but since he couldn't open his own door, he would just get back in bed. Never saw the necessity for so-called toddler beds, either.

My child transitioned to a big bed at 2 1/2 out of necessity (we needed the crib for a younger sibling). She is a very active child so we were very nervous about her getting out of bed and walking around. So far she's been great. She even asks if she can get out in the mornings! Have some faith and give it a shot, you may be pleasantly surprised!

Skip the toddler bed altogether. If you're worried that the real bed is too high, just put the mattress on the floor, or push it against a wall and use a bed rail (although they do not entirely prevent falls - my son was actually better off without the rail). Toddler beds are a waste of money. Also, make a big deal about the bed itself, but not the transition.

My kids were both very excited to move to big-kid beds, although they were younger than your daughter. We moved DS at age 2 because we were about to need the crib for his sister, and we moved DD out at 18 months when she figured out how to somersault out of the crib. Neither of them has ever wandered at night.

Just a little comment. At 3 1/2 the toddler bed will last a year at most and therefore is impractical. Better transition her straight to a big bed. You might wanna invest in waterproof sheet and a rail, but that would still be cheaper than a toddler bed

Oh dear, I had no idea the experts were saying to keep kids in the crib until they're 3 or 4! My daugher started sleeping in a regular twin bed (with a safety rail) when she was a year and a half. It happened naturally; the twin has always been in her room. We used to snuggle on it each night before bedtime to read stories. She started looking really comfortable on there, so one night we just left her there to sleep. She did fine. If your kid's sleeping through the night anyway, he/she is not going to get up and run around. You'd hear something anyway. I'd try it.

Both my kids were in twin size beds by the age of 2. They didn't/don't try to get out and walk around, they call for me before attempting anything. Yet they always tried to climb in and out of their crib. Every kid is different and it's all relative, but age 4 seems kind of old to be in a crib, with Kindergardent around the corner, I think they are ready to be a kid and not a baby.

This is great, I have a 1 year old and already I'm wondering when we should make the transition. Thanks :)

we moved our older son from a crib to a real twin bed (with rails) at just over 2 yrs old. We needed it for a new baby. We're now at 2 yrs old with our younger child and are thinking about him now... the difference is that our older son was a significantly more "mature" 2 year old, than our younger son. Our older could speak much better at 2 yrs old, which made it easier to communicate his needs to us, and us to him. I think we'll be moving our younger son well into 3 yrs old, depending on how his communication skills evolve.

my little one transitioned around 3 years old but he was in and out of his crib on his own for awhile. when we first tried the move to the bed, he wanted NOTHING to do with the bed while the crib was in the room. i moved the crib to the attic where he couldn't see it and he never flinched about sleeping in the bed after that.

i'd try asking her if she's interested in a 'big girl' bed - at this age they really do have their own thoughts about things and you can at least introduce the idea even if she isn't quite ready yet.

Gee, I think I had a real toddler bed by the time I was 2 or 3 . . . .

Wow, I was only a little over 1 year when I started climbing out of the crib! My brother was born right before my 3rd birthday and so I guess that is why I was moved to a bed. I remember falling out of the bed many times at that age though and I remember it was frightening to me. My mom attached some bars to the side of the bed and that kept me from falling out. I must have used them for a while since I still remember them.

wow are you lucky! my son and daughter starting climbing out of their cribs at 18 months and now they have toddler beds at 22 months and we spend all night putting them back in over and over and over. and, they often end up in our bed at 3 a.m. yikes

I have 2 kids and both were out of the crib at 2. There was no need to keep them in longer....... It sounds like you don't want to do it because you don't want to be woken up. It's time to move your child into a bed. Defintely make a big deal out of shopping for bedding. Your child will be very exicted...

I had an awful time when we had both the bed and crib set up in the room. It was much better when we put the crib away for good. My daughter would be in the bed and I was about to leave the room and she would decide she didnt want the bed and she wanted to sleep in the crib. I'd move her to the crib and then she'd cry for the bed. She was 2 at the time, we needed the crib for a younger sibling. Once we took the crib away she was stuck with the bed and couldnt change her mind about where she wanted to sleep.

If your child is being potty trained through the night they need to be in a bed so they can get to a toilet quickly!

I agree it is necessity that drives that decision. But you forgot to mention bathroom needs. Unless they are still in diapers when they are 3 or 4 (which - thanks to disposable diapers and pull-ups - is increasingly more common now) sleeping in their own bed makes going to the bedroom a lot easier, even when they call you for help to do it!

I agree it is necessity that drives that decision. But you forgot to mention bathroom needs. Unless they are still in diapers when they are 3 or 4 (which - thanks to disposable diapers and pull-ups - is increasingly more common now) sleeping in their own bed makes going to the bedroom a lot easier, even when they call you for help to do it!

Age four seems big for a crib, I would check the weight guidelines for your crib before you leave your four year old in one.
Also, my understanding is that once a toddler is tall enough that the crib railing is below their chest, they can easily flip over the side.

When we put our daughter in a toddler bed at 2.5, we told her that the rule was she had to stay in bed and go to sleep or else we would put a gate up in her door. The threat was enough--we've never had to do it! At 3.5, I'm sure your daughter can understand a rule like staying in the bed at night (if that's the rule you want to make). If she needs you, tell her she can still call you (our room is on a different floor from our daughters, so we still keep a monitor on at night). I'm sure she'll make the transition easily at her age and will probably be thrilled to pick out her "big girl bed" and sheets. Good luck!

jane #2 get a life we all know it is part of being a parent now be an adult

my son had his first birthday and his godmother bought him a toddler bed he like most kids didnt want to be in his crib any more and i realized that when one night I was in my room down the hall adn all of a sudden I heard cryin and my bedroom door which stays open a crack open some more with my boyfriend on the side of me i realized it wasnt him it was my lil man it took him a lot of gettin use to to not get off the bed but now at 21 months he has adjusted well

I agree with Barbara's suggestion to keep a toddler in the crib until age 3. Use a crib tent (ToysRUs) if the toddler climbs out. A frequent visitor to our clinic is a toddler with head laceration or injury from falling out of parent's bed and hitting bedside tables. A toddler roaming unsupervised around the house is a preventable potential accident.

With all due respect to Dr. Forrest, it seems to me that falling out of parent's bed, hitting bedside tables, or roaming around unsupervised are issues that could be addressed in ways other than keeping a toddler in their crib. For example, out of crib does not equal in mom & dad's bed it means in your own bed with a guard rail; do not have bedside tables next to a toddler's bed; baby proof the toddler's room; and finally, make sure it's not possible for the toddler to "roam around the house" by closing the door or putting a baby gate.

We transitioned by son to a toddler bed when he was 2, because he stopped sleeping well in the crib. He would toss and turn. He slept great in the toddler bed, but within a couple of months we had to invest in a twin bed because the toddler bed is really no bigger than a crib. He would also ask to get up for the longest time.

I was concerned that he would be getting up at all hours too. Face it, after you've had a baby and been getting up at all hours, when you finally get your normal sleep pattern back, you aren't exactly thrilled at the prospect of losing it. I don't think that makes anyone a bad parent. I would get up anytime my child needed me, but that doesn't mean I want night time visits, just because.

That said, I never had that problem. My son knew what was expected him and still to this day, only gets out of bed if he is sick, needs to use the bathroom, has a nightmare, or something similar.

He is 6 yo now and just a couple of months ago he did manage to roll out of bed. Since then he sleeps next to the wall and has a pillow and pile of stuffed friends stacked on the open side to remind him not to roll that way. It's been fine ever since.

I know I got taken from my crib when my sister needed it and was put into a full sized bed, probably around 2 1/2-3. I never rolled out and I never had trouble sleeping. I think toddler beds are a waste of money. Put the bed against the wall and put up a bar if you really are worried about your child falling out of bed. Or put the crib mattress on the floor.

Another idea, if you have a child that likes to wander and you are afraid they will get hurt.....baby proof the room and then put up a baby gate and leave the door open, at least until potty training comes around. But I would use this as a last-ditch effort. It is better to teach your child the rules than to have to resort to gates and doors to keep them in line.

Odd one here I guess... We never used a crib. She slept with us. Worked out great. We were careful and watched her constantly. Never had any injuries or falls.

Transitioned to her own bed right around 2. We made a big deal wbout painting her room and getting her bed and sheets and everything and she adores it.

Though on colder nights she will crawl into our bed in the wee hours. :)