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Sometime around 1 1/2 to 2 years of age, your toddler will be trying to climb out of his crib. This is the time you are going to have to make a decision to transition him from a crib to a bed. What you don’t want to do is to put him in a regular full size bed. He definitely will not be ready for that just yet. The best way to transition him to a bed is to use a toddler bed. You might ask, “what is a toddler bed?” and that is what I will explain to you here and I will give you some ideas to meet that need. So, here goes!
The signs of readiness for a bed
The signs that your little guy or gal is ready for the transition to a “big boy or big girl bed” are as follows:
- Attempting to climb out of the crib (the biggest sign)
- Your little one is potty training
- The crib is too small (your toddler has outgrown it)
Making the move to a toddler bed
Before starting the transition you want to consider the bed. A toddler bed should be low to the ground and have a bedside rail. When you set it up, make a big deal out of it to your little one. Get him or her excited about this new “big girl/big boy” bed.
For the bedding, it’s a great idea to pick their favorite cartoon characters or movie characters for the sheets, pillow cases and comforter. They will love it!
Keep your bed times consistent as well as all other routines like bath time or story time. The only change should be their new bed.
Also, make sure your little one has his favorite teddy bear or other favorite stuffed animal with him at bed time.
The floor around the bed
If the floor is a wood floor, put something down to provide cushion in case your toddler falls out of bed. You can use something like a comforter or a couple of blankets folded up and placed beside the bed.
Guard rails
Guard rails are a very good idea even if you have carpeting or padded the floor. Children of this age can be very restless sleepers and so it is a good idea to have these guard rails. If your bed does not have them, you can purchase them and install yourself.
Safety during the night
Before you start using the toddler bed, go around your house as you did when your little first began to be mobile. Look at everything to see if it is “toddler proof.”
Are there any book shelves that can be tipped over? What about the dressers, are they secured against the wall? Bathrooms pose a safety hazard because of all the obvious – shaving razors, shampoo, soap, mouth wash etc. Put all these items out of reach or secure with a cabinet lock. I have an article I posted called “A Baby Gate and Babyproofing Your Home” and I have some recommendations on what to buy to babyproof your house.
Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008
When you purchase a toddler bed you want to make sure it meets all of the safety standards set forth by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA). These standards are as follows:
- The surface coat of paint on the bed must not contain more than 90 ppm (0.009 percent) lead.
- The lead content limit must not contain greater than 100 ppm (0.01 percent) of total lead content in any accessible part of the bed.
- There are 8 phthalates (substances added to plastics to increase their flexibility, transparency, durability, and longevity) that the CPSIA has set limits to not contain more than 0.1 percent .
- Testing and certification – toddler beds must be tested by an accredited third party laboratory accepted by the CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) for compliance with the toddler beds standard and all other applicable children’s product safety rules, including the lead paint, lead content, and phthalate content limits.
- Product and outer package labeling requirements – toddler beds must be marked with specific labeling information. This includes a tracking label, product registration card.
Dream On Me Austin Toddler Day Bed
The Dream On Me Austin Toddler Day Bed is a toddler bed that meets all of the safety standards as mentioned above and is a perfect choice for that transition bed.
It is made of pinewood and the paint used meets and exceeds the CPSC standards. Only eco-friendly, child-safe water-based paints are used on this bed.
The Austin is low to the floor and comes with a guard rail so you won’t have to purchase it separately.
This bed has a wooden support mattress rail so you will not need a box spring mattress.
The toddler bed uses a crib-sized mattress and I recommend the Dream On Me non-toxic, Greenguard certified standard crib mattress.
Five different colors to choose from
The Austin comes in 5 different colors/finishes and they are:
- Pebble grey (pictured above)
- Blush pink
- Espresso
- Black
- White
The Austin specifications
54 L x 30 W x 29 H inches.
The dimensions of the safety rail are 22 1/4 x 8 3/4 inches.
Purchase your Dream On Me Austin Toddler Day Bed here!
Dream On Me Austin Toddler Day Bed
Purchase your mattress here!!
Additional note for the mattress above. This mattress comes with a mattress cover so there is no need to purchase a cover separately.
Additional information
If your child is not quite ready for a toddler bed, I have written about a 3-in-1 convertible crib in a prior post. This convertible crib can be used as a crib, then to a toddler bed and then to a day bed. If you would like to read more about it and take a look at it, click here and you can check it out.
My final thoughts
I hope you found this article to be of good help to you in making your decision to transfer your toddler to a bed. It can be a very exciting time for your little one and yet a bittersweet experience for you as the parent. Your little guy or gal is growing up! It is hard to let go of each stage and I totally get it! We all want to keep our babies little, but yet we are proud of each step/milestone they make in their lives.
Questions or comments?
If you have any questions or comments, please leave them for me in the comment section below. I would love to hear from you!
Yours in searching the best for our babes,
Evelyn