When your child moves from crib to bed it’s a milestone in his life as well as yours. There is no precise time for making this move, though typically it’s between the first and third birthday. The key to success is to be patient and allow your child time to adjust to the change.

Why move a child from crib to bed?
If a child sleeps well in his crib, don’t rush the change. Switching to a bed gives a child freedom and brings new issues for parents, such as the yo-yo syndrome or early morning wanderings. The most common reasons to switch:

• Your child learns how to climb.
  — Move your child out of the crib when the rail is up to the level of his nipples, since climbing out is more possible.
• Your child outgrows the crib.
  — Don’t assume it’s time! You may think that he’s uncomfortable, but he may be content in his little nest.
• Your child asks for a bed.
  — If she’s old enough, then go ahead and take the leap.
• Your child is learning how to use the toilet.
  — Even if your child uses the toilet during the day, it’s often a long while before bedtime dryness happens.
• A new sibling is on the way.
  — If your little one loves his crib, then ousting him to make room for the newcomer may add stress. If you feel that the time is right then make the change two months or more before your newborn arrives.

What kind of bed should my child move to?
There are a number of options for a child’s first bed:

• Toddler bed
  These are small, low and child-sized. They have guard rails on all sides, and come in playful designs.
• Regular bed
  A common choice is a mattress, box springs and bed frame (with all sides protected from fall-outs). Consider a double or bigger size to accommodate the night-reading ritual.
• Mattress on the floor
  A popular choice is a mattress or futon on the floor. This provides your little one with a big-kid bed, but one that prevents any painful falls.
• Bunk bed
  Hold off on a bunk bed until your child is 6 years old, when it is considered safe.

How do we make the change?
Which approach is best for you will depend on your reasons for making the change, your child’s personality, and the size of his room. Here are a few options:

• Big-kid bed hoopla
  Some children enjoy having an official Big Kid Day party. Set up the bed, decorate the room and add a few sleep-related gifts like books and stuffed animals.
• One-step-at-a-time
  Take the mattress out of the crib and place it on the floor in the place as the crib was. This gives your child the same sleeping surface and view of the room as he’s accustomed to. Place guard rails around the sides to create a crib-like enclosure. Keep the same bedding and crib toys. This is a mid-step between the crib and a real bed.
• The gradual introduction
  Set up the new bed in the same room with the crib. Allow your child to play on the bed and nap there. Do your bedtime reading in the new bed. This will help your child get used to the bed gradually.

Patience and encouragement
No matter which path you choose – be patient. Big steps toward growth often happen in spurts, and your child may be excited to welcome the change one day, but wary of it the next. Maintain your nightly bedtime routine and help your child develop a positive association with his new bed, since he’ll be sleeping there for many years to come.

Copyright Elizabeth Pantley. (McGraw-Hill, 2003)

About the author:
Elizabeth Pantley is the author of several books, including Gentle Baby Care : No-cry, No-fuss, No-worry — Essential Tips for Raising Your Baby, The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night, Kid Cooperation (with an introduction by William Sears, MD), Perfect Parenting, as well as her latest The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers and is also president of Better Beginnings, Inc. She is a popular speaker on family issues, and her newsletter, Parent Tips, is seen in schools nationwide. She appears as a regular radio show guest, and has been quoted in Parents, Parenting, Redbook, Good Housekeeping, American Baby, Working Mother, and Woman’s Day magazines. Visit Elizabeth’s web site http://www.pantley.com/elizabeth.

Dear Mr. Dad: My year-old child has begun to climb out of the crib at night. How do I keep her safe?

Start by thinking about her environment in larger and larger circles, from the crib to the door. First, the crib. There get rid of all those bumpers (those oh-so-cute fabric pads that used to protect your baby from banging her head against the inside of the crib). Bumpers make great stepping stones for climbers. Also, take all those big stuffed animals, pillows, and heavy comforters out of the crib. These items were dangerous as suffocation hazards when your baby was small. Now that she’s bigger, they’re tickets to freedom.

Start by explaining to your child that this is her very own, safe, special bed, and that she can sleep there all night, just like Mommy and Daddy do in their bed. Then, if you haven’t done it already, adjust the crib’s mattress so it’s at the setting closest to the floor. If the lower mattress and lack of climbing materials still don’t prevent escape, you have a few options.

You might consider buying one of the commercially available safety nets that fit over the top of the crib like a large dome. These nets always seem a little like you’re imprisoning your child, but they’re a temporary solution (they’re also excellent for keeping roaming pets out of the crib).

If safety nets aren’t your style, consider installing a gate across her doorway or using a doorknob safety cover that your child won’t be able to open. If you go this route, though, be absolutely sure that your child’s room is completely childproofed.

As your child approaches two, she’ll begin associating climbing and jumping with the possibility of falling, and may become more cautious on her own. You can help the process along by reminding her—“Remember how you fell down and bumped your head and cried?”

Whatever you do, don’t just give up and put pillows around the crib, as some people do. Because pillows can shift around and expose the bare floor, this is not a good long-term solution.

The next step is a “big girl bed,” which can be a mattress on the floor or a twin bed. The twin bed should be pushed against the wall, with a bed rail on the outside. This all applies until it is time for potty learning, when the world gets even bigger!

About the Author:
Armin Brott, hailed by Time as “the superdad’s superdad,” has written or co-written six critically acclaimed books on fatherhood, including the newly released second edition of Fathering Your Toddler: A Dad’s Guide to the Second and Third Years. His articles have appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Newsweek, American Baby, Parenting, Child, Men’s Health, The Washington Post among others. Armin is an experienced radio and TV guest, and has appeared on Today, CBS Overnight, Fox News, and Politically Incorrect. He’s the host of “Positive Parenting,” a weekly radio program in the San Francisco Bay Area. Visit Armin at www.mrdad.com.

Most pack-n-plays come with a bassinet option and several come with a changing table, making the pack-n-play a good multi-functional piece of baby gear to go in mom and dad’s room before a baby is moved to his crib in his room that might have a changing table in it. It is nice because at night diapers, wipes and a place to change baby is right there and at hand at 3am. However, the use of pack-n-plays for naps and bedtime doesn’t have to end with your baby outgrowing the bassinet or learning how to sit up.

Many people have chosen to skip over the whole idea of a crib, and use a pack-n-play as their child’s bed for the first year and beyond. This is an idea with many benefits included.

Firm/Small Sleep Area
Pack-n-play’s have a smaller sleeping area than a crib. For some babies who may be over stimulated easily, being more confined may actually be a comfort to them. The pad in a pack-n-play is also very firm and there are no “bumpers” to it that a baby could get pressed up against. There are also no bars that a baby can get their foot, arm or head through, possibly leading to injury like a crib has.

Pack Up and Go
Cribs can not be taken with you when you go to a friends’ for the afternoon or out of town for a weekend. Pack-n-plays however can be easily broken down and put back up, fitting into a small bag that can be put in the trunk or on a plane with no problem. This allows parents to literally take their baby’s bed with them if they are going to be gone for an extended amount of time. This is helpful for some babies who get used to “their space” and may have a hard time falling asleep in strange surroundings. If you have your baby’s bed with you, when he gets over stimulated, needs a nap, or it is bedtime, you can put him in his bed and let him feel safe and comfortable.

Doubles as a Play Pen
Many times while at home or on the road you need a safe place to put your baby for a few minutes while you have to do something that puts you in a position where you can not keep your eyes on him. The pack-n-play can easily double as a play pen for your baby or a time-out area for you. Your baby can’t get out and can easily be entertained for a while with a few of his favorite toys.

Cost
If you buy a crib new, including the mattress and bedding you are likely to spend $300-$400 or more on this place for your baby to sleep. You can buy a pack-n-play for as little as $59.00 or up to $170.00. You can find sheets for pack-n-plays for about $11.00 or three packs of sheets at an even better savings of $27.00.

Con: Will Out Grow Faster
One of the main cons in the debate of a pack-n-play vs. a crib is that because of the size of a pack-n-play your baby will probably outgrow the pack-n-play faster than he will his crib, or be able to crawl out of it faster. Some people will leave their babies in a crib till they are three years old, or can climb out of the crib on their own. Depending on the size of your baby and his curiosity you may only get a year or two of use from your pack-n-play when using it as a permanent sleep area for your baby. The plus side of this is when your baby does try to climb out of his crib, he has a shorter distance to fall and less chance to get hurt.

In a situation where there is no right or wrong choice regarding what your baby sleeps in, the choice is really a personal one that you need to make dependent upon what is best for your family. Look at the pros and cons, your budget and all your options before you make a decision that will be with you for the first few years of your new baby’s life.