By Kate Curry
Is it time for the toddler bed?
In theory, it sounds like such a nice step in the development process. They are growing up. New sheets! Maybe even a whole new mattress! What a big boy/girl they are now!
In reality, they now have access to the whole room and potentially the whole house. Imagine your toddler just being given free reign of your whole house unsupervised? The thought is so crazy and terrifying. You may now be considering just building a fort around the crib until they are 8-years-old.
Well an 8-year-old in a crib is a bit ridiculous, but you should be aiming for at least 3-years-old if you can do so safely. At age 3, a child has a much better understanding of sleep rules, boundaries, and parental expectations. Developmentally, they are more ready to handle the responsibilities that come along with being in a bed.
With all that being said, SAFETY is the most important.
If your child is doing something that is dangerous and you do not feel as though you can make this a safe situation, choose the safer option.
For those that are still undecided or those who will do anything to savor these last few months of crib living, I have 5 hacks for you to extend that time!
1. The Sleepsack. The sleep sack is a lovely little blanket that your child can wear at night. It’s safe, it stays on, and it prevents them from getting that leg up high enough to climb over the crib rail!
I’m not sure why sometimes sleepsacks get the reputation of something just for little babies or something to be transitioned away from as soon as possible. Developmentally, a sleepsack is more appropriate than a blanket at this under 3 age.
Children at this age are not able to keep a blanket on top of them/replace a moved blanket on their own. Sometimes this will even become something that causes night wakings because the blanket needs to be replaced. Whereas a sleepsack just stays in place.
Of course, you need to find the right size for your child so that they have enough room in the sack (they do make them XXL these days!). Also, keep in mind the temperature of the room and dress them appropriately.
Overall this sleepsack can prevent them from climbing out and it’s a nice little blanket for them, too.
#2. The Sleepsack Remix. Now this one is for all of you thinking, “Nice try but we’ve already done the sleepsack and it doesn’t work for us. She can get out!”
Kids this age are very good about learning what they need to to get what they want – zippers, for example. So if your child has begun to escape the sleepsack, don’t fear.
There is a hack for this – turn the sleepsack backwards! So now they can’t reach the zipper, and they remain in the sack. They would have to be super skilled at zippers and extra flexible to succeed at the backwards zipper.
For most kids when they get out of the sleepsack, it’s not about wanting to be out of it. It’s about wanting to do something independently and feeling triumph when they’re out. So most are fine with staying in it.
#3. Turn the crib around. For those with a crib that has one side that is lower than the other (usually the side facing out), you can turn the whole crib around.
This only works if the crib can be positioned against a wall so that the low side can now be facing the wall and the high side facing out. This adds a few extra inches onto the crib, buying you some more time.
#4. Get rid of stepping stones. This involves moving anything in and around the crib that can be used as a step to get out.
If there is furniture near the crib, such as a changing station or end table that they can use to step onto while climbing out, you can move those away.
If there is a large pillow or stuffed animal in the crib that can be used as a stepstool inside to help them get over the rail, that can also be moved out of the crib.
Kids are very clever. If you’re not sure how they are climbing out, watch the monitor or a replay to see what they are using. Then you can decide if this is something that could be moved to a different place.
#5. Special pajamas (the sleepsack remix remixed). I feel like this is equivalent to every “new” song I hear on the radio these days. Its very similar to all those old songs I used to know, but just a tad bit different. And the kids love it, and so do I. Win win.
You can search on Etsy for special jammies that have an extra piece of cloth in the legs that will prevent your child from being able to lift their leg high enough to climb over.
(I will say that I have not personally used these with my daughter so I cannot give my 100% backing on it, but I have heard good things! The brand I see referred to most often is Naughty Monkey).
I will just make a note here that I do not recommend placing the mattress from the crib on the floor but still within the crib rails. This is not how the crib is supposed to be used and can cause a safety hazard. There may be openings on the sides that a child can get trapped in, and it is not worth the risk. If you’re considering this, goto the toddler bed.
And there you have it: 5 ways to keep that crib life for a little bit longer. Use some, try them all, and make it work for you.
Comment below on which one worked best for you!