Well - Jess asked this question in the last post, so I'll tackle it and get your opinions on this one too...
Will we transition Finnegan into his big boy bed before the baby comes or after?
Um... I don't really know. We'd talked about doing it before and then we talk about doing it after. Since we've never done this before, I don't really know what to do. We had a friend who tried to transition their son at 15 months and he just wasn't ready. Finnegan is 18 months, and my inital thought is that we'd try around 20 months or so... that would be 4 whole months before the baby was to arrive, and enough time, I hope, before the big transition. So he'd be fully into a routine in his big boy bed, before the sibling comes.
Like I said, that was my inital thought. Then, I thought I'd let him stay in his crib and chill until after the baby comes and then try to attempt when the baby was 3 months old or so.
We have a "conversion" bed or an all-in-one bed. It transitions from a crib to a toddler bed (like a day bed) and then into a twin bed (you just add the mattress). But the thing with that bed, is that once it's a toddler bed, its a pain to make a crib again. Everything that I've read says that its best if you can do the toddler bed during the day and then the crib at night during the transition. How did you families do it?
Any other thoughts or suggestions on how to do it?? What worked for you guys??
Appeal, For Love’s Sake
7 years ago
8 comments:
We waited till 3 with Matthew. I know some people can't wait that long because they need the crib for new babies or their kids are climbing out of the cribs so they have to switch them for safety reasons. Waiting that long for us made it so easy. Matthew was old enough to understand to stay in bed and in his room. He has never once left his room in the night. Some kids do well switching early but I personally just feel the older you can wait to switch the easier it will be in many cases.
Ah, this is one I can totally relate to, since we just transitioned Ava over to her big girl bed a couple of nights ago...We have always made the move BEFORE the new baby comes, because we never wanted to have more than one crib when we could just buy beds that last longer. And because the new baby uses the crib, we want to make sure there is enough time to transition before the baby comes - especially so the big kid doesn't feel like the baby "stole" their bed. So, what we have done is buy a bunk bed that can be two separate twin beds, and we just set up one of the beds with the rails on it. We put the short rail against the wall and the full-length rail on the outside. So, in essence, it's like a big crib (with shorter sides). That makes for a smooth transition, because they can't get out by themselves and get used to staying in their bed and sleeping. Also, we switch cold turkey. In my opinion, it would be confusing to the child to put them in the crib part of the time and then in the big bed the other part of the time. And as far as age goes, for us it's almost better earlier. Grace was about 14 months, I think Caleb was 15 months, and Ava is 17 months. You've done Babywise, right? Personally, I think once you've trained your child to sleep well, it isn't a huge deal to switch them to a different bed. They're already used to sleeping when they're supposed to. If for some reason, Finn was to get out of his big boy bed at sleeptime, I'd be very consistent about disciplining him for it, so he knows that it's not allowed. You don't want to have to deal with a child who gets out of bed all the time!
About yesterday's post...I think I agree with most of the comments. I would not push his bedtime later. Maybe I'd push his naptime earlier, though? For us, we found that our kids get up about the same time every morning, no matter how early/late they go to bed. So, we go for earlier! :-)
You're a great mommy, Erin! Whatever you decide to do with big boy beds and bedtimes, it'll all work out!
We are honestly in the SAME EXACT BOAT as you! M.E. is 20 months, does great in her crib, but we really don't want to buy another crib for new baby (if or when new baby comes). What we had "planned" to do was to put M.E. in a toddler bed before the new baby came getting her used to new bedtime, BUT she does so well in her crib. All of our other children were scaling the crib by 18 months so we are in uncharted territory. Here's my advice (for what it's worth): I'd keep him in his crib as long as he will stay in it. If that's 20 months great, if that's 3...even better. They can get up and wander when they are in a toddler bed which M.E. currently can't do in the crib. She is content, sleeps well in it, so my thought process is why fix something when it isn't broken. We used a bassinet in our room for the first few weeks with M.E. anyway. It comes down to being worth the expense of another crib if it means not disturbing her awesome sleep schedule...I'll buy the crib.
Also, on the bedtime. I'd stick with 8pm. Is he still taking two naps a day? Maybe it's time to drop a nap in the morning?
Snug went to a big boy bed (read: toddler bed that looks like a fire engine) at 18 or 19 months and never looked back. He is now allowed to get up and out when he wakes up, which works best for us. I don't want him in there singing and waking up Baby J. However, just like with anything else, if you don't want them getting out of bed without you, tell him that and enforce it. We did have a problem with him getting out of bed after he had been put to bed around his second birthday. One or two spankings took care of that because he was directly disobeying us.
He was out for a year before Baby J was born, so that wasn't an issue for us. However, when we put the crib back up, he got to put his bear 'to bed' during the day in the crib...it kinda got him ready to have "something" else sleeping in there. We are very clear now though that only 1 bear may be in the crib, and NOTHING else because we don't want him thinking he can just throw stuff in there with Baby J. Most of the time he doesn't even want his bear in there, but if he is feeling especially 'motherly' he will.
Were you planning on getting another crib or buying another toddler bed? (you had said his current bed transitions) If I were you I'd go for another toddler bed...cheaper plus he might get to be in on the choosing and really make it HIS bed. You will probably want to take his mattress and make sure he gets it, and the new baby gets a new mattress...he is familiar with how it feels and it might help.
Switching to a toddler bed is best before the baby is born that way there is no jealousy. One big downfall is the freedom it will give him. Especially since you say he is awake for a while after you put him in bed. He will figure out that he can wander around (but that is the beauty of a gate at the door of his room) You may want to start the transtion now when you have the energy to keep putting him back in the bed until falls asleep. Make it a big party -go to the store and let him pick out new bedding for the bed (just be warned if you go with a true toddler bed the bedding is more expensive and more limited as to what you get). Also, let him pick out a blanket for the baby to use in the crib. With my middle son I just got a twin bed and put on the floor with a bed rail that way when he fell he didn't hurt himself and there were no monsters that could get under the bed.
Switching to a toddler bed is best before the baby is born that way there is no jealousy. One big downfall is the freedom it will give him. Especially since you say he is awake for a while after you put him in bed. He will figure out that he can wander around (but that is the beauty of a gate at the door of his room) You may want to start the transtion now when you have the energy to keep putting him back in the bed until falls asleep. Make it a big party -go to the store and let him pick out new bedding for the bed (just be warned if you go with a true toddler bed the bedding is more expensive and more limited as to what you get). Also, let him pick out a blanket for the baby to use in the crib. With my middle son I just got a twin bed and put on the floor with a bed rail that way when he fell he didn't hurt himself and there were no monsters that could get under the bed.
Lacey's story is my story, all they way down to the bunk-beds, cold turkey and age 14 mo.
My advice is to start before you get too uncomfortable, it took Brie three nights of the Super Nanny "Get Back in Bed" approach and a few stray nights of getting out, but now she goes to bed like a champ.
We waited until after Grayson was born. I was afraid that Jayce would want to revert back to being a "baby" again after Grayson arrived, so I chose to wait. It worked out for us. We were able to explain that he was a "big boy" in comparison to Grayson, the baby. He got to sleep in a "big boy" bed. We actually got a different bed too. I was thinking that the transition would be too difficult to understand when he was sleeping in the same exact bed. Also, we weren't planning on getting another crib, and I wanted Grayson to be able to use it (although he still currently sleeps in our closet in a pack n' play. Seriously, the poor kid is 7 months old, and he's still sleeping in a pack n' play). Which ever you decide to do, I'm sure that your wonderful little man will do splendidly!!
Melissa
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