Hellobee Boards

DS is 3.5 and still happily in a crib. New baby will come a little after he turns 4, but she will be getting a new crib anyway as his is trashed. My parents keep bugging me to move him to a real bed but he loves the crib! We actually stayed in a hotel Sat and he refused the pack and play they had, so he slept on the couch in a pillow nest and it went fine. I might switch him in early Fall, once we get back from the beach, (don’t want him in a bed possibly wandering in a non childproofed house) but will need to contain him in his room.

@pachamama: 20 months. His sleep had gone to crap and he could climb out of the crib, too.

My 4 big tips are:
1. Convert the crib OR move the big bed into the room NOW and start doing bedtime routine there, to ease the transition. We had his bed in there from day 1, so when he moved over, it was a familiar place.

2. Be ready to sleep train again.
, after a period of adjustment.

3. Put a doorknob cover on the inside doorhandle at least temporarily!!

4. If your monitor allows you to speak to LO, do it!! Reassure him that you love him and you're watching and he needs to *back up in bed.* sing lullabies etc.

LO1 had just turned 3. I would have kept him longer and he would have been fine. But I was pregnant and he’s heavy and it got so hard to get him in and out of the crib.
No regrets and unless LO2 climbs out, I’ll keep him in at least as long.
I found at 3 that he had the maturity to stay in bed and we could explain/reason/bribe him. He understood the OK to Wake clock at that age which also made things significantly easier.
He’s been in a bed for almost a year now and he’s gotten out of bed TWICE! That’s it.