So many aspects of parenting little children are about transitions. From the hospital to home and every day forward it’s all about the next transition to help your child complete. The crib to the “big kid” bed is another one of those transitions which we all pray will go smoothly. Unfortunately for some, it can be challenging. So today we will talk a little bit about a few steps to make the process a little more fun and a little less scary for everyone involved.
Step one is knowing if your child is developmentally ready to no longer be in a crib. From potty training to crib transitions we never want to move to a new way of life just because the child has hit a certain age. Children don’t actually develop this kind of self-control to stay in their room until 3.5 to 4 years of age, and even then they still need a lot of help managing their emotions and impulses. So if your child is 3, but still is happy as a clam snoozing away in his crib please don’t rush to change this! Also if you need to sleep train or you are having any other bedtime resistance issues you should always address those concerns prior to the switch because that could really make the transition particularly difficult.
So how do you know if your child is ready for the switch? A few things to consider are:
- Are they starting to climb out of the crib making it unsafe? If they aren’t climbing, but are active, then you can try a sleep sack to decrease the temptation and this can be a good tool to get a few more months of sleep in the crib until they are developmentally ready to understand to stay in their room. Can your child follow simple commands in the rest of their routine? If yes then you may be getting close.
- Are they potty trained during the day and you would like to night train as well? First make sure your child is mostly dry overnight before pushing this (since it’s developmentally normal to have bedwetting through elementary for many kids). When that is the case most of the time you can still night train in the crib and they can go potty before bed and when they wake in the morning. If they have to go overnight they can simply call for you to come help!
- If you need the crib for a new sibling on the way then this also may be a time to switch- although if that is the only reason then waiting is often helpful. There is already so much change when adding a new baby to the mix that transitioning to bed as well can cause a lot of undue stress. If you do need the crib then try to do it well in advance or wait until a few months after the baby is born.
When you are finally ready then make it fun for the child! While I can’t bear to have an entire room of paw patrol (sorry I only have a few more years of bedroom design before there will be pizza and sports gear everywhere haha), having a few things he/she picks out can be very helpful. A rail is often helpful for some kids as a sense of security, but remember that in general children should not be falling out of bed often. If a child is very restless then there may be something else going on interrupting their sleep and worth talking it over with their provider.
Finally, and probably most importantly, your child needs to learn to stay in their bed and room. If your child is used to falling asleep independently then usually this is not a hard process, but any toddler will try to test boundaries with frequent “curtain calls”. Have a standard sentence such as “I love you and it’s time to go back to your bed for a good night’s sleep” then walk them back. They need to know that this is bedtime and not playtime. Sometimes a gate can be helpful depending on the child’s age. Another tool that can help if you are a sound sleeper like me is a door handle alarm which will let you know when your escape artist has exited his/her room. This can be very important so your toddler isn’t roaming the house in the middle of the night.
If bedtime or night concerns continue to be a struggle for you and your toddler/preschooler please know you are not alone! Please reach out today if you need any help or guidance. I am here for all of the sleep transitions in your little one’s life.
Book a free 15 minute discovery call here to chat through this transition together!
