Moving to a big-kid bed
Making the transition from crib to bed
iStock
Some kids move from cribs to beds when they are two, but for others the transition to a big-kid bed may not happen until later. That’s especially true for those sharing a family bed, it seems.
Melissa Wilkinson’s first child, Kyla, now seven, started climbing out of her crib when she was 18 months old, so they moved her into the family bed. A few months later, she moved to a toddler bed, but she didn’t want to stay there either. So Kyla’s father, Chris Wilkinson, would lie down with her at night until she fell asleep. If he tried to sneak back to his own bed, Kyla would wake and follow him there. “By that time, we had new baby Nathaniel in the family bed, so it was too crowded,” Melissa says. Most nights, Chris stayed until morning in Kyla’s toddler bed even though it wasn’t comfortable.
Sometimes the move to a big-kid bed is a simple one, but for many preschoolers, it can be challenging. Whether you are moving your child from a crib or a family bed, “finding a plan that works for the whole family is key,” says Dana Obleman. She’s the founder of Sleep Sense in Vancouver, an organization that assists parents who are struggling with sleep issues. Some of her ideas:
When your toddler gets lost
When toddlers refuse to chew
6 discipline fallbacks… and how to fix them!
Party of Five's Scott Wolf is expecting baby #2
When did people first start to notice your baby bump?
Seasonal preparation checklist
Common miscarriage questions
Tween and teen issues
What do you think?