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Bedtime Transition
Is Your Baby Ready for a Big Bed? By Carol Sjostrom Miller
Before you're ready to make the switch, start talking about beds. Mention older friends or cousins who sleep in a bed. When you're out shopping with your child, point out "Blue's Clues" or "Sesame Street" sheets. Tell your child how big and grown up he is getting, and talk about some other "big kid" milestones he has reached, such as potty training, giving up a pacifier or dressing himself.
When it's time for your child to make the move, says Mindell, keep in mind that "families go about making the transition in different ways. There is no definite 'right' way." For example, some parents take the child shopping for the bed and new linens, while others buy them as a surprise.
There are also differences in the types of beds parents choose. "We tried one of those whimsical toddler beds shaped like a Volkswagen Beetle," says Pearson. "[My son] thought it was wonderful, and we thought it would make the transition easier."
Sanders chose a regular twin-size bed for her daughter, but started out by putting the mattress directly on the floor. "It eliminated the need for bed rails and, if she fell out, she was closer to the floor," she says. "When our daughter got used to sleeping on the mattress, we put it on the bed frame." Other parents fully assemble a twin bed and use guardrails to keep the child from falling out.
Perhaps one of the biggest questions parents have is whether to remove the crib when the bed arrives or to leave it up for a while. Once again, according to Mindell, there is no right or wrong answer. In this case, you need to consider your child's personality and his tolerance for change.
For some toddlers, out of sight means out of mind, and a "cold turkey" approach will work well. Susan Brannigan-Rampp of Belleville, Ontario used this method for her daughter. "Katie was out with my husband when I brought [the bed] home, so it gave me time to make the switch," she says. "I thought a 'fait accompli' would be the best approach, so I had the crib totally dismantled and put away, with the beautiful big girl's bed sitting in her room, glistening and awaiting her arrival. I also continued to use her crib blanket so she still had some items of familiarity. It worked like a charm!"