The right time for the toddler-bed switch

I get this question a lot: When do we switch our child from crib to toddler bed?

Thankfully, there is a pretty easy answer.

There are three basic steps to follow when seeing your child make the milestone leap from crib to the big-girl/big-boy bed.

First, solve existing sleep problems first!

A lot of parents who are struggling with their toddler’s sleep try to solve the issue by ditching the crib and buying a cool new bed. The problem with this approach is, our kids are smarter than that! It takes about a nanosecond for most kids to figure out that when they’re struggling to fall asleep at bedtime or waking up during the night, they can just hop right out and toddle into your room! So the bottom line is, take action to help your child develop great sleep habits and a healthy association with sleep before making the switch.

Secondly, wait! The older a child is when they switch to a toddler bed, the more able they are to cognitively understand the idea of an artificial boundary. Before they are two-and-a-half, “stay in bed” means, well, zilch to most kids. (My “ideal” age to make the switch is older than 3.) You can still sleep train a child in a toddler bed, but the older they are, the easier it goes. And if they’re not climbing out of their cribs and endangering themselves, it is easier to go through a sleep-training program when your child is in a crib.

Once your child is sleeping well in his or her crib, keep them in it for a while. before making the switch. If your child is still struggling to fall asleep and stay asleep, it may look like they hate their crib, but once they learn the ever-important skill of how to sleep well, kids learn to love and feel safe and secure in their place of sleep. And that is always so beautiful to see.

And third, when your child is sleeping great and old enough to keep those great sleep skills in their big-girl/big-boy bed, celebrate it! Have a little bedtime party, buy them a new toddler pillow or special blanket, or something like one of those bed-tent canopies that IKEA sells for $19. https://www.ikea.com/ca/en/p/sufflett-bed-tent-green-30332475/

And when the honeymoon period is over on the awesome new toddler bed, and your little one starts testing the waters with their new-found freedom, relax; getting out of their new bed at bedtime or during the night is a normal part of their boundary-pushing and development. When they do, you can gently lead them back to bed, remind them that everyone stays in their bed until morning, and know that it will pass.