Let's talk cribs ... realistically how long does DS need to be in one?

[aggieamy]

Right now we are in a rental house because we couldn't find a house we liked when our house sold FAST.  We'll be here probably another year to finish up the lease and then start looking for a new house.  Right now with the layout we have three bedrooms - DH and myself, DD, and DS/guest room.  We have guests about 6 times a year and they stay anywhere from a long weekend to a month so we don't really want to give up the guest bed.  DS is almost 3 months and just moved into a mini crib in his room, since it's also the guest room it also has a full sized bed.  It's a bit cramped and we were thinking "can DS just use the guest bed as his own bed when he outgrows the crib?"  Is this feasible?  Can we put up rails so he doesn't fall off and then when we have company bring a cot into our room for him?  We'd rather have him on a cot in our room than my parents or DH's best friend from college.   :)

 

Anyone put their baby into a bed at a year?

Thoughts?

 

As you can tell by the age differences it's been a long time since DH and I had a baby.  I also was an amateur that first time around.  Disney books and Baby Einstein videos and cheap plastic toys that made noise.  

 

[Tmhearn]

I really don't mean this to sound snarky, but did you know that some people don't use cribs at all? If I was going to put a one year old in a bed by themselves, I would consider putting the mattress directly on the floor, if that's a possibility for you.

[justasque]

One of those toddler beds that uses a crib mattress can be handy, but is not at all necessary.  A regular twin bed is fine; use a bed rail if you like, and put the bed in a corner of the room so the wall is on the other side of it.  If the bed is very tall, put the mattress on the floor until you are comfortable with the height.  Teach the child how to safely get into and out of the bed.

[MomtoCandJ]

Dd started sleeping in a twin bed with safety rails at 15 months. We tried just the mattress on the floor and what not but she wasn't going for it. Prior to that was a pack and play then our bed.

[Pamela H in Texas]

By mini crib do you mean pack-n-play? Did you know you can buy a mattress for it? Did you know that except for kids in the 96+%ile, kids can easily stay in it the same amt of time as a crib? Did you know there is a "repurpose" to make it a toddler bed? I've seen pics with four year olds in them!

 

If you mean a PnP, I wouldn't fret at all :)

 

Btw, I moved my big kids to beds as young toddlers and thought nothing of it. I wouldn't dream of moving any toddler we have had though. I have been so thankful for bars! So as a young mom, I definitely would have moved him to the bed. As an old mom, I'd find a way to keep him contained at least until two :)

[indigomama]

Our oldest never slept in a crib. Slept with us until about 17 months then slept in a twin bed. Never had a problem. 

[Mommyof4ks]

My kids moved to toddler beds at a year, but a twin bed would have been annoying for them, because they liked getting in and out by themselves. A mattress on the floor would have worked too I suppose.

[Wilma]

You really don't really even have to put a baby in a crib - a mattress on the floor, or some such thing really is fine. If you make the environment he'd be waking up to safe for him, there's no harm in letting him explore a little when he wakes.

 

And my people totally switched from a crib to a floor bed very shortly after the year mark. I probably would not have been comfy putting them in a regular bed with a frame and whatever, but the mattress on the floor was super.

[aggieamy]

Loving the idea of the mattress on the floor.  We could easily do that and it would keep the room multi-functional.  

 

A mini-crib isn't a pack and play ... it's a regular crib that's about 60% the size of a normal crib.  Good for smallish spaces which was what our last house was.  

[amo_mea_filiis.]

My ds slept in a pack and play until 8 months and then moved to a crib mattress on the floor until about 2.

[Carrie12345]

My 4th and 5th kids didn't get cribs. They went from our bed (and bassinet sometimes) to short stints in pack-n-plays to toddler beds to twin beds. We picked up our toddler beds cheap on local FB pages.

[Heather in Neverland]

Our kids didn't sleep in cribs either. They went from a bassinet to our bed to their own bed.

[Susan C.]

Mine stayed in cribs as long as I could get away with it because I didn't want them wandering the house while I was asleep.... if you have a way of knowing they will stay put, then a mattress on the floor is great, we did that after cribs.

[Tap]

I just wouldn't put a child on the floor in a room with a regular bed also.  They can roll under the bed panic and get trapped, try to climb on the bed and fall or get trapped between the mattress and wall if it is against the wall.

[IfIOnly]

Just make sure there are no safety hazards for your toddler.  I just read this story of a child killed by her unsecured dresser falling on her.  This story is very sad, but the mom asks that it be shared to possible save a life: http://www.meghanshope.org/

 

Here's a pic of the dresser

. 

[Freckles]

My dd went from her crib to her full size bed at 14 months. She's still sleeping in it at 15 years. We pushed it up against the wall and put rails on the side. She loved it, and I loved it because I could crawl in bed next to her and read, etc....

[EKS]

I think it depends on the personality of the child.  My older son would have been a terror out of a crib.  Seriously, he probably would have killed himself, even in a babyproofed room (because of this, he was in a crib with a tent until he was 3yo).  My younger one would have been fine out of the crib at a year, except that he was attached to the crib so we kept him in it.

[Dory]

My oldest slept on a mattress on the floor by 10 months. I would have to sit beside it until he fell asleep. At 15 months he was in a normal bed with a rail that was easy to take off if we needed to for company. My youngest was out of the crib by 10 months as well. My dd was the only one that was in it longer than that and that was because she liked her crib and was happy there.

 

My youngest did take a few weeks of being consistent and firm about putting him back into bed before he learned to stay put. He also needed music and a bunch of toys in the crib with him. He still sleeps like that though.

[NicAnn]

I never used a crib. Dd slept in our bed and ds sleeps on a mattress on the floor, or in our bed.

[VeganCupcake]

DD and I shared a full-sized floor bed from the time she was maybe 6 or 7 months old and was too wiggly to sleep in the bed with DH and I. The room was babyproofed, with furniture secured to the walls. We moved her into a low twin in a different room (also with furniture secured) when she was nearly 2.5. It worked pretty well for us!

[MeaganS]

My youngest dd was moved from crib to bed at about 14 or 15 months.  All three of my girls share a room and up until yesterday we had a twin bed set up and a twin mattress on the floor but that is it (now we have 2 twin beds).  No dresser, no toys, nothing.  They sleep on whatever bed they want and that leaves 2 sharing every night.  She did great and loved being able to play with her sisters.

 

After we set up the other bed yesterday, the girls were so excited that they stayed up an hour later than usual after bedtime playing Goldilocks.  The 1 year old was Goldilocks.  It was adorable to listen to.  I love that my girls share a room and beds! :)

[SKL]

My kids were 2-ish when I converted their cribs, but I think they were on the older side. 

 

My kid brother refused to stay in his crib once he had the ability to climb out (no later than 9 mos).  So he had a mattress on the floor, but every night he would go climb into bed with whichever sibling he felt like sleeping with.  Good thing he was cute and cuddly.  :P  On the other hand, my kid sister could not sleep anywhere except in her crib, so taking down her crib early would have been a problem.  (She was in KG before she moved to a regular bed.)  So, this may depend on the kid.