Name: TopGirl
From: Mt. Pleasant, SC
Number of kid: 1- 16 months old
Problem: I have a 16 month old son. I was wondering when to put him in a "big boy" bed. He currently sleeps in a playpen because he got too big for his crib (which I might add he climbed out of the other morning). I have a toddler bed for him but I am afraid he will not stay in the bed. And since he now knows how to open doors he will not stay in his room... and maybe even venture to the stairs (which now has a gate because of him falling down the stairs :/ ) How do you keep them in the bed? He is a very active boy and does not stay still for one second.
Solution posted by "Meg": Hi! Our family has found that by moving our boys from the crib to a twin bed in stages makes a smoother transition. Less stressful for them and for us. We took the crib mattress and laid it directly on the floor for several weeks. This mattress was replaced by a twin mattress. (No box spring was needed because the children are so light.) When our sons could sleep on the twin mattress without falling off, we added the frame and boxspring.
Another Solution posted by "Cactus": My oldest son was the same way. No matter what we did with him we could not keep him in a bed. At the time we lived in a house with the bedrooms upstairs. He was very active and did not need alot of sleep {we found out later he was ADHD } well i went four days without sleep and got the hives. He would stay laid down till the house was quite and then go down stairs to play. There were no toys down stairs, this was scary.
Well anyway he got a big boy bed, and it help to the point that I could sleep with him. This lasted only till he got to sleep and I knew it. I would stroke his hair he still loves this and when he is upset about something now he will ask for me to lay with him.
At 8 we can get up at 3 or 4 in the morning and find him reading a book in his room. I don't know how we made it threw those times, but they do grow up fast. My second did not have a problem with the bed. With both kids they had lots of stuff animals to talk to and hug all night. I guess all I can say is do it. Get the bed and child proof your house...Good luck.
Please submit any more solutions.