We’re a few weeks into the transition for Everly and I don’t want to jinx anything, but it’s going great! I’m sharing some tips to ::hopefully:: make the transition smooth for you too!
1. Don’t Make the Transition to Soon
This is my number 1 for a reason – most children are not ready to switch to a toddler bed or twin size bed. It is not a step in their development like potty training or starting solids. A crib is the best place for a child to sleep because it keeps them the safest. As soon as the crib is no longer safe, then you have to switch to a different bed.
Everly first climbed out of her crib when she was 18 months old. We were shocked and scared and came up with a plan to keep her in the crib safely for another 16 months! Firstly, we lowered the mattress all the way to the floor. Then we turned her toddler sleep sack around so the zipper was in the back. These two steps helped get us past her third birthday which was the goal!
2. Talk About Your Plan with Your Toddler
Children thrive off of a consistent plan and routine. Any wrench in the plan as they know it can rear an ugly head (early wake ups, fighting bedtime, etc.) As soon as we knew we were going to switch Everly to a “big girl bed” we started talking about it with her — A LOT. We were showing her pictures of beds online, reading her books about beds, pointing out that her favorite tv show character slept in a bed and so many other things!
3. Baby Proof the Bedroom
Before you switch the bed you should be thinking about making the bedroom safe. They will now have access to their room in the middle of the night! This was the scariest part for my husband and I. Everly is able to unlock our front door, turn on the sink, and so many other things all by herself. We needed to safely keep her in her room and make the room safe. You can hire a professional to baby proof rooms in your house or you can do some research online. We decided that the best option was to put a tall baby gate on the front of her room, so she’s unable to get out. We also needed to be able to watch her in the whole room (not just the crib). We purchased a new baby monitor and mounted it in the corner of her bedroom like a surveillance camera. We are able to talk to her through it and watch her every step. You will also want to remove anything dangerous that they could get into – toys with small pieces, heavy books, cords to her nightlight etc. The last step that we should of had all along was to mount Everly’s dresser to the wall.
Not exactly a part of baby proofing, but we decided to add a safety rail to her bed, so she couldn’t roll out. It’s easy to install in about 2 minutes!
4. Let Them Have a Say in the Decor (Bed, Sheets, and Pillows)
This was the hardest part for me! If I gave Everly free reign to pick out her bed it would probably be one of those princess toddler beds with dinosaur sheets. Nothing wrong with that if that’s what your kids have haha! I narrowed my picks down to three and then let her choose which one she liked the best. We were deciding between a bed that looked like a house, a rattan day bed or the bed she ended up choosing. She also picked out the sheets she wanted and loves them. This helped get her into her brand new scary bed. She likes the sheets a lot and as soon as she saw them she was more comfortable. I think the biggest adjustment for her is the pillow and the sheets. In her crib she didn’t ever have a pillow or a blanket, so now she’s still learning how to use them.
5. Set the Boundaries and Rewards Early
My husband and I have always agreed that we did not want Everly to sleep in our bed with us. Mainly because she doesn’t sleep when she’s in our bed – she just kicks and sings and annoys us haha!
Before we transitioned her we talked about our boundaries. Is it okay if we lay in her bed with her to get her to fall asleep? What will we do in the middle of the night if she wakes up? Can she have her stuffed animals/toys in bed with her for naps and bedtime? We talked about the possible scenarios in advance and this helped when we would wake up in the middle of the night to her crying.
We also are big on rewards as positive reinforcement. We picked out a new toy for her first successful night in her bed until her ok-to-wake clock was blue. She really enjoyed that and then saw that it was a positive thing to stay in her bed. Other parents have recommended sticker reward charts too!
A few things that made the transition easier are linked here:
Everly’s Mattress is from Naturepedic – you can shop their site here: Shop Naturepedic.
I hope these tips are helpful – please leave any additional tips in the comments!
xo,
Jacci
