When To Move Your Toddler From Crib To Bed

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Some parents sleep with their baby in bed with them, but this has many pros and cons. Instead, the better method is letting your child sleep alone in a crib. Cribs are specially designed for babies, keeping them safe and ensuring they don't fall out of bed while they sleep. However, as your baby becomes a toddler, you start to realise they can't sleep in a crib forever. When is the right time to move them to a bed? 

Technically, there's not a set time when you need to do this. Much depends on your baby's development, as long as your own personal feelings towards making the switch. Still, there are a few words of wisdom we can give on this topic that should help you understand when the time is right. 

How old is your child?

Most experts and parents will agree that moving your child out of their crib makes sense between the ages of 1 and a half and 3 and a half. The exact time you do it doesn't really matter, but it should be somewhere between these two ages. At 1 and a half, some babies are developed enough to be toddlers, meaning they don't require the added safety of a crib. In fact, toddler beds can be safer for them as it's easier to get out and wander around the room. Toddlers love exploring, so you can bet they'll try to climb out of the crib the moment they learn how. 

There's also less risk of your child falling out of bed and hurting themselves at this age. Obviously, the older your toddler gets, the more need they'll have for a sleeping space that isn't a crib. 

How big is your child?

One factor that can bypass age is the size of your child. All babies are born differently and can grow at various rates. This is partially why there is a large age range in when you should move your baby from a crib to a bed. If your child is close to 1, but they've already outgrown a crib, you need to move them to a toddler bed or something larger. 

The same goes for when they become even bigger - if you see them outgrow their toddler bed, they need a proper child's bed instead. Of course, the bigger your child gets, the less risk there is of them hurting themselves in bed as well. 

How to make the transition

Effectively, knowing when you move your baby is all about understanding their age and size. The transition itself is easier to make than most people think. Firstly, it should begin by moving from a crib to a small toddler bed. This is a bed that's appropriately sized for toddlers and is very low to the ground, keeping them safe. As they start to approach the age of 4, you can consider upgrading to a larger child-friendly bed. 

It's genuinely that simple, so there's not a lot to worry about here. Most parents are scared of the lack of safety beds provide compared to cribs, but you underestimate how quickly a baby develops and learns to sleep properly.