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The Big Move...To the Big Bed

We were moving to a new home and I was pregnant with our second daughter when we starting pondering the move from the crib to the big bed. My first two children are 22 months apart so Mary Ellen was not even 2 when we needed to make the move. As a first-time parent, the big move to the big bed was a serious parenting dilemma. “Do we go ahead and put her in the big bed as soon as we move?” we questioned. “Do we wait until about a month before her sister was to arrive?” 

A good friend of mine had a great idea—move her into her new “big girl” room complete with her crib AND big girl bed. She slept in the crib for a while, in the new room she helped decorate, until about a month before the baby arrived. Then, we moved the crib into the nursery set up for her baby sibling and put her to sleep in the big bed. It took us about a week to get her to stay in the bed (and it was a long week), but she eventually came around.

The Right Time to Transition

“Most children are ready to transition to the toddler bed around 2 years old,” says Dr. Beth Becton, pediatrician at Pediatric Partners of Augusta. This is the age when most children begin trying to climb out of the crib. “Once a child can get a leg up over the sides of the crib, it is time for a big bed,” she adds. “This is primarily a safety issue.”

Carter Welsh, mother of Katie, 4, Thomas, 3, and Molly, 1, found a unique way to make the transition to the big bed part of their second birthday ritual. “Katie and Thomas each spent their first night in the big kid bed on their second birthdays,” she says.

For Alison Andrews, an Augusta mother of three, involving the child in the move helped ease the transition. Andrews enlists the help of the child in planning their new room and adds some of their artwork to the décor to help make the move smoother. “We have had success moving the child about two months before the next baby would arrive,” says Andrews, who is expecting baby number four.

Transition Challenges

Even if children are physically ready to make the move to the regular bed, there are many obstacles that can get in the way of a stress-free transition. Dr. Becton has a few suggestions to help you overcome these challenges including carefully picking the time to make the move. You don’t want to make the transition to the big bed when there are a lot of other changes or turmoil in the life of the toddler or family., she says.

Dr. Becton also recommends talking about it a few weeks leading up to the move. “Look for a children’s book that illustrates the journey from the crib to the bed and read and discuss it with your child,” she says. 

The Welshes began talking up the big bed about a month before their children’s second birthdays, combining giving up the pacifier with getting the new bed. “In fact, Mickey Mouse (the children’s uncle dressed in a costume) came to their birthday parties and they each gladly handed over their pacifiers to Mickey,” she says. “He gave them a gift in exchange.” That night the birthday kids slept in their big beds.

After the Transition

Once the transition is made, Dr. Becton says it is important to maintain the child’s bedtime routine. It’s advice Andrews follows with her children. “Do the same dinner, bath, put pajamas on, read stories, say prayers, turn on the night light and say ‘see you in the morning,’” advises Andrews.

Some children have a hard time resisting the temptation to climb out of their new bed.
Once in the bed, Dr. Becton says parents should encourage the child to remain in the bed. Tell the child to call the parent rather than get out of the bed to look for them.

Andrews agrees. “I think the child needs to feel safe and know you are serious about them staying in the big-girl bed.”
“If a child is having trouble transitioning to a big bed, be patient and stick to the ground rules that have been established—calmly but firmly,” says Dr. Becton. The rules may need to be explained  again and again, and the child should be taken back to the bed each time he gets out.

Big Bed Safety

Once situated in the big bed, there are some safety issues that need to be addressed. Bed rails will prevent the child from falling out of the bed, and even some extra cushions on the floor might be a good idea the first few weeks, says Dr. Becton. If the child keeps getting out of bed, consider placing a bell on the bedroom door to alert the parent that the child is out of his room. Also, take extra safety precautions by looking around the room for electrical outlets, excess cords and objects that can fall or be knocked over.

Moving from the crib to the big bed should be viewed as a celebration. “It’s a milestone to be proud of and not something that should be seen as intimidating or scary,” says Dr. Becton. Make it a positive, exciting goal for the child as part of the process of growing up and, hopefully, the “big move” will not be a “big ordeal.”