Transitioning to a Toddler Bed

When my big boy was climbing out of his crib with a bit too much ease, we knew it was finally time to convert it to a toddler bed.  We talked it up, and he was very excited about it.  But when it came time to actually sleep in it, he was very hesitant.  We actually caught him sneaking out to sleep on his bean bag, and after we took that away, he built a Pillow Pet bed.

To get him comfortable in his bed, we kept it in the same place as his crib.  It also helped that it was a convertible crib, so it wasn't completely new- just his crib with one wall missing.  He loved his new blankets and big boy pillow, and we gave a lot of praise each time he spent time in it. We spent a lot of time in the bed reading, singing, and telling stories.  Most importantly, we kept the same bedtime routine.

Within a week, he was sleeping through the night in his bed.  The only challenge we faced after that was what to do with him when we traveled.  He definitely would not stay in a Pack 'n Play, but he wasn't ready for a big, high hotel bed by himself.  There are multiple products out there, like toddler-size air mattresses and inflatable bed rails, but we decided to try the KidCo PeaPod and are so happy with it!

*Note- We did install a lock on the outside of his door because although he was big enough to climb out of his crib, he was not ready to have the run of the house while we slept.  We learned that quickly after we woke to find him sitting on the kitchen counter one morning.

by Kimberly Huber

As a dancer turned teacher turned stay-at-home mom and blogger, Kim has a keen interest in how moms develop their own businesses and use social media to connect with other women. Kim spotlights inspiring mompreneurs and favorite products as a contributor at NY Mom's World, the go to destination for busy New York moms, and tells her family's story at Try It, Mom!