Prepare for the move to a big kid bed: How to make the transition easier for both of you

0 Flares Filament.io 0 Flares ×

Note to readers: I received a book to review; this post contains affiliate links. The opinions shared here are 100% mine.

Transition to a Big Kid Bed - savingsinseconds.com

Childhood milestones might be fun for mom to mark, but it can sure be stressful for the little ones. When it’s time to move to a big kid bed you might encounter a bit of anxiety from either your kids or your sanity. I have friends who kept their children in the crib until the “baby” was 3 years old — or older. In the end, you have to do what you feel is right for your children. As for my husband and me, we felt that the crib mattress didn’t seem comfortable. We were excited for each of our kids when they were able to move to a big kid bed.  Our daughter started in a toddler bed (her crib was convertible) but we put our son directly in a regular bed when he was 2 years old.  Here’s what we did to prepare for the move to a big kid bed – I hope it makes your transition a bit easier, too.

We tried to make the experience FUN.  We weren’t buying the bed out of necessity; we did it to make our kids sleep more comfortably. It might seem practical to wait until the crib is needed for a new baby. However, if you see it from your child’s perspective, you might realize that your child perceives the new bed as yet another change. Or on the other hand, the crib is something that your new baby is taking away from the older sibling! That’s just not cool for a kid. Instead, consider taking your child shopping for mattresses. Let your little one lay on the beds and test them out. Ask for your child’s opinion. While you certainly don’t have to buy the one your child likes best (after all, she’ll never know!) she’ll feel like a big kid for having her voice heard.  Find adorable bedding that will make the new bed look fabulous and inviting.  Your child will think of the new bed as a special gift instead of a forced change!

We planned for the bed we wanted to buy.  Get the biggest bed that will comfortably fit in your child’s room.  We bought a full-size bed for both of our kids and it’s been a royal pain in the rear.  In hindsight, we should have purchased queen sized beds.  For one thing, my daughter is almost as tall as I am (at 9 years old). She completely fills up the bed and sometimes I can hear her leg slam against the wall as she tosses around in her sleep.  A bigger bed would certainly give her more space, and we’ll probably be upsizing in the near future.  Since a full-size mattress isn’t the standard size, we had to special order both kids’ furniture.  Why, why, why?  I should have just gone with the queen and made life easier for myself.

We bought the best mattress we could afford.  I cannot stress this enough.  It might be tempting to purchase a cheaper mattress, thinking that your child doesn’t need a lot of support, but remember that this bed is a long-term investment.  Your child will not be 3 years old forever.  Some of my 6th grade students are hovering at 5′ 10″ and weigh as much as an adult man — and they’re still growing!  With your child’s comfort and sleep at stake, it’s totally worth it to spend the extra money on the best you can afford.  We couldn’t pay $700 for a mattress without prior planning, so we started socking away cash as soon as we knew we’d be moving our kids to “real” beds.  After just a couple of months, we had saved enough to make a high-quality mattress purchase possible for both of our kids.

We prepared our kids for the day the crib would leave and the new bed would arrive.  I received a review copy of A Bed for Fred and instantly thought that it would be a perfect way to break the ice about moving into the new bed.  This might make the experience more like a story that your child can tell.  Talk about the fears that Fred experiences when he finds his old bed gone, and how exciting it must have been for him to get a brand new comfy bed.  The story has snappy rhymes and a broad vocabulary that most children will enjoy. The story is a bit long, especially for little ones; you might want to spread it out over a day or two.  The cute illustrations, my favorite part of this book, allow children to make predictions about the animals that Fred will encounter.  The main character, Fred, is based on author Lori Zoss’s real rescue dog.  When I read this book with my son, I made up funny voices for each animal and it made my son cackle with laughter.  Knowing that everything works out in the end for Fred might just help your child to settle down in a soft new bed, too.

Now, how to get your kids to stay in the big bed once they get in it?  Well, I haven’t figured out that part yet.

What suggestions do you have for helping your big boy or big girl transition to a new bed? 

 

Check this out….




Comments

  1. Potty training and night terrors aside, it is logical to upgrade to the largest bed practical for the space, great tip!

  2. I think the bed at my parents’ house is STILL the one that was my first “big girl bed,” lol. It’s old but it works for when I need to sleep over :).

  3. My daughter was so excited to move to a “big girl bed.” She was even more excited when she grew out of that bed and had to get a twin size 🙂

  4. It can be a hard transition but it’s something that needs to be done.

  5. Oh, I wish I knew this a few years back – I was terrified, because I had a toddler and was pregnant with my #2.

  6. Great tips. My son really didn’t want to transition so we ended up getting a used crib when my daughter came along. I suppose we didn’t mind having them both “secure” for a bit more time.

  7. Sherry Compton says

    A Bed for Fred…I can see this happening with a dog. Searching for their bed or comfy spot. My little girl makes herself at home lots of places, but they instantly become hers. A cute way to teach about change and good things.

Trackbacks

  1. […] might remember that I shared A Bed For Fred as a book to read when your little one is ready to transition to a “big kid” bed. […]

Speak Your Mind

*

CommentLuv badge

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

0 Flares Twitter 0 Facebook 0 StumbleUpon 0 Pin It Share 0 Google+ 0 Filament.io 0 Flares ×
badge