How To Transition From A Crib To A Toddler Bed

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young girl sitting up in a toddler-sized bed, looking happy and well rested

Moving from crib to bed is yet another milestone in your toddler’s life. There’s no set time for when it’s best to switch your child from a crib to a toddler bed. However, little ones generally make the switch from crib to toddler bed any time between 18 months and 3 1/2 years old, ideally as close to age 3 as possible, according to guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

There are a few factors to consider before you make the transition – most important, making sure your child is developmentally ready for the move. If you notice your toddler doing any of the following, it’s likely time to make the switch.

Signs your child is ready to transition to a toddler bed

  • The AAP recommends transitioning a child out of a crib and into a toddler bed once the crib railing is lower than their chest. At that height, children are more easily able to climb out of the crib, which can lead to injury.
  • After they’re fully potty-trained at night. For many kids, potty training overnight comes after daytime potty training. But once they’re no longer wearing diapers or training paints to sleep, they’ll need easy access to a bathroom.
  • Once they’ve expressed interest in a big kid bed, that’s a good sign they’re cognitively and emotionally ready for the transition.
  • Make sure the transition to the toddler bed doesn’t coincide with any other big lifestyle changes, such as moving or bringing home a new baby.

In short, you will follow your toddler’s lead to determine when it’s time. For example, if your child hasn’t mastered the art of self-control and doesn’t understand the importance of staying in their bed or room at night, they may not be ready. When they are ready, here’s some advice to make the transition as smooth and positive as possible.

Tips for easing the transition to a toddler bed

  • Put the new bed in the same place your toddler’s crib used to be. Make sure your toddler’s bed is positioned away from any potential hazards that could lead to injury. Place the bed at least 2 feet from any windows, heating vents, radiators, wall lamps or window blind cords. It’s best to either avoid having blind cords in your child’s bedroom if possible or tack them high up and out of reach.
  • Get the right size bed and mattress. If you’re moving from a nonconvertible crib to a bed, you might be tempted to buy a twin bed that will last your child for years to come, but a toddler-specific bed is a better choice. It’s lower to the ground and the mattress is smaller, both of which make it easier for very young children ages 15 months and up to climb in and hop out without getting hurt. Toddler beds are also designed to be used with a full-sized crib mattress (so feel free to use the full-sized mattress from your child’s crib, if it’s still in good condition). The crib mattress should fit snugly — if you’re not sure whether it’s right, use the two-finger test. The mattress isn’t a good fit if you’re able to fit more than two fingers in between it and the bed. You can explore the Colgate Mattress® new CuddleSnooze® Crib Mattress Collection designed to gently lull baby into a cozy, sound and restful sleep throughout the infant and toddler years.
  • Make sure the toddler bed comes equipped with safety rails. Safety rails serve the purpose of stopping your child from rolling out of bed. Convertible cribs and toddler beds are required to have side rails at least 5 inches taller than the top of the mattress. If you’re using a bed without a built-in rail, be sure to install separate guardrails that are at least that tall.
  • Check that the hardware is firmly secured. Whether you’re converting your crib or buying something new, a thorough safety inspection is always a good idea. Confirm that hardware like bolts and screws are firmly secured and that the sides and slats have tight, sturdy joints.
  • Set physical boundaries. Late-night visits from your child might be inevitable at the beginning, but tell them that they need to stay in bed once the lights go out. If they try to escape a few times and call for you in the middle of the night, simply tell them everything’s okay, give them a kiss, and walk them back to bed. It might take a few tries, but they’ll catch on eventually.
  • Maintain your routine. The bed may change, but the bedtime routine doesn’t have to. Keep your nighttime routine consistent with how it was in the crib – bath, teeth brushing, books – so your child has a sense of familiarity and knows when they’re expected to settle in for the night.
  • Reward good behavior. If your child stays in their bed all night, tell them how proud you are of them so they’re inclined to do it again. It’s up to you whether you want to use prizes or other incentives to encourage good listening.

Now that your child has free reign of the house – don’t panic! But, you will need to review important home childproofing. Here are some more tips:

  • Make sure your child is comfortable. This might mean buying a new nightlight or leaving a light on in the hallway if they’re newly afraid of the dark or letting them sleep with a comfort object such a lovey or stuffed animal during the night.
  • Steer clear of electrical outlets. If you have to put the bed near an outlet, make sure nothing is plugged in and that the outlets have child-protected plugs in them to protect curious little fingers.
  • Install safety gates at the top and bottom of the stairs, lock all doors and windows, and anchor furniture that could topple over.
  • Keep unsafe items out of reach. This includes latching all drawers with cleaning products, medicine, and electrical items.

As with many aspects of parenting, there’s no way to predict how this transition to the bed will go. Once in a while it’s okay to bend the rules and let your child cuddle up in your bed. But it’s best to develop a plan and stick with it as often as possible. Your child will thrive on the consistency of a routine just as much as you will.

If your child is upset and doesn’t want to sleep in the new bed, don’t give up right away. Encourage your child to try out the bed. If they’re still distraught after a few days, bring the crib back without treating it like it’s a punishment, and try again in a few months.

Designing Your Dream Baby Nursery

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As you prepare for your little one to arrive, creating a comfortable, adorable and safe nursery for baby is at the top of your to-do list. As you begin to imagine a room for its sweet future occupant, remember to keep yourself in mind.

Although Colgate Mattress® is America’s Crib Mattress Specialist, we pride ourselves in ensuring that all of your bases are covered – not just when it comes to sleeping! Take a look at some of these tips from whattoexpect.com that will assist in not only meeting your baby’s comfort needs, but yours as well.

 

Nursery Baby Must-Haves: 

  1. Color: Choose colors that promote a calm, tranquil, and relaxing environment for your baby. Instead of picking traditional pink or blue, more parents are looking for colors that add a splash of style and serenity to baby’s room. With a little color insight and a can of paint, you can easily transform a bland nursery into a soothing sleep sanctuary. Try one of these five calming nursery colors and let a state of Zen wash over you and your baby.
  2. Music: Classical music is a great tool to assist in calming your little one down after a heavy cry.  On the other hand, up-beat nursery rhymes and tunes are perfect for playtime.
  3. Avoid clutter: Ensure your nursery has all of the essentials, but make sure there is enough floor space for crawling!

 

Nursery Parent Must-Haves: 

  1. Storage-Friendly Furniture: Invest in dressers that offer generous proportions, perfect for stashing excess wipes and diapers and more, like the pieces of furniture from our friends at Milk Street Baby, which include modern nursery features oversized drawers and a changer tray. The top drawer comes standard with LED drawer light that is motion sensitive and turns on automatically when you open the drawer and turns off after the drawer has been closed for 15 seconds to save power. 
  2. An Easy Changing Station: Milk Street Baby’s Changer Tray and Colgate Mattress’ 2-Sided Contour Changing Pad paired with a dresser offers the ideal place to change your baby. Their oversized tray has an underside covered with velvet so it will never scratch or mar the top of your dresser. The tray offers a convenient accessory compartment to keep needed items at arms-reach. If you have a combo changing table-dresser, use drawer dividers to organize smaller items like socks. 
  3. A Mom Station: You’ve probably already been eyeing a glider – after all, that is probably one of the most useful pieces of nursery furniture. While you continue to research possible gliders, don’t forget to consider these mom-station musts: 
    • Side table with small lamp
    • A burping cloth
    • Snack and drink for you
    • Your telephone that is bound to ring
  4. Back-Friendly Features: As you check out various models, ask yourself these back focused questions:
    • Is the glider contoured for back support?
    • Is the crib the right height for you?
    • Does the changing table hit between your hips and waist (it should)?
  5. Location, Location, Location: Once you have settled with furniture and accessories, make sure you have the right set up. 
    • The crib should be away from the door and the changing table should be close to the closet or dresser. 
    • The mom station? Set it up near the crib!

 

Designing a nursery can be a daunting task, but just remember nothing is permanent and you can always switch up the layout once you figure out what works best for you and your little one.

Top 3 Tips when Shopping for Baby Products

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By Lauren Mulenos, Colgate Mattress Brand Advocate & Guest Blogger

 

 

So you’ve already made the great decision to go with Colgate for your baby’s crib mattress. If you haven’t taken the plunge yet, here are 4 things to consider when buying a crib mattress and why to go with Colgate. Now what? You still need crib sheets, a crib, and more so, where to begin? You likely picked Colgate for its quality and standards, so it makes sense you’d desire similarly crafted products for everything else. But where to begin? Researching and acquiring baby necessities is like a full-time job; plus, words like “natural” and “nontoxic” aren’t regulated, making it hard to discern what to buy. 

 

First of all, go ahead and buy a couple Eco Cover-Organic Cotton Fitted Crib Mattress Covers to go with your Colgate bed. These are great to put on top of your mattress, before you put on your fitted sheet. Have at least one backup per mattress (I grabbed four total for my twins). This way you can change the sheets immediately without downtime, while the soiled one goes in the wash. After that, let’s get the rest of the nursery outfitted. Here are 3 tips to keep in mind when shopping for baby products, be it anything from cribs to clothes.

 

  • Read the label. I can’t stress this enough. Go to listed materials or fiber contents and see what it says. This will tell you exactly what is used in the product. If it is confusing or doesn’t list them, try reaching out to customer service. Typically if it isn’t listed, that is a red flag and means they don’t actually want you to know. Why not list it otherwise? They have nothing to lose if there isn’t an issue regarding materials! While it is a requirement to list fiber contents on clothing tags, this isn’t the case for all products and even sometimes websites don’t list the details.


  • Go for Natural Materials.* Man-made fibers may be great and are often cheaper, but look for natural fabrics like 100% cotton, 100% hemp, 100% wool. Common man made fibers are rayon, spandex, polyester, etc. There’s nothing inherently wrong with these, but natural fibers tend to be more breathable, have less chemicals, and cause less irritations. Baby skin is so sensitive, anything you can do to help, you should. This also applies to hard goods too. When you’re buying furniture looking for contents like  100% wood without any chemical finishes is best. Avoid plastic where you can.

 

*Once you choose natural fibers, some “nice to have” features are organic (GOTS Certified) and made in the U.S.A. Organic means there are less (harsh) chemicals on the products. Made in America products not only support local companies, but also ensure the highest standards in production since it can be more easily monitored versus overseas. Another call-out that is nice is “no flame retardants”. This has become increasingly important in mattresses (Colgate doesn’t use them!) and car seats.

 

  • Find Greenguard Gold Certified. This is a certification put on by UL, a company that has been around for over 100 years in the safety and security space. When something is Greenguard Gold Certified, it means that it has low chemical emissions, making your home (or wherever the product lives) better to be in. All products have Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), which often cause the air in your home to be worse than even the most polluted air outdoors. This is great to look for in all of your nursery furniture! Children’s lungs are so sensitive, and they often put things in their mouth that don’t go there, so these certifications offer a better sense of security and safety. For the record, Colgate is Greenguard Gold Certified AND CertiPUR Us certified safe.

 

Once you know these things, it is a lot easier to find products for your sweet babies. Well, maybe not easier, but at least you know what to rule out! Seek out companies (like Colgate) that implement the standards you desire. Whether they are a brand or retail store, you can often find companies that choose items within your quality level, which take out the guesswork and searching. Some of our favorites are Milk Street Baby, The Tot, and Maisonette. While some places may not carry items based solely on my recommendations above, they often have organic or more nontoxic collections within their product lines. Just look for it and you’ll likely find something in your style and budget. The more you know… Happy shopping!!

 

Lauren Mulenos is an expectant twin mom located in Los Angeles, California with a background in apparel merchandising and production. She runs the lifestyle blog LMents of Style where she discusses everything from fashion to travel, and now baby! You can keep with her and her twins on her Blog, Instagram, and YouTube channel.

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If you are a blogger, photographer, nursery designer or simply a mom who loves to show off her little ones, please complete this form to be considered for a collaboration.

5 Calming Nursery Colors That Soothe Baby

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What color should I put in the nursery? Will it be too bright or bold? When preparing your new baby’s nursery, one of the big decisions to make is the paint color. Instead of picking traditional pink or blue, more parents are looking for colors that add a splash of style and serenity to baby’s room.

With a little color insight and a can of paint, you can easily transform a bland nursery into a soothing sleep sanctuary. Try one of these five calming nursery colors and let a state of Zen wash over you and your baby.

Soft Greens

Green provides us with an instinctual sense of security that baby will grow and thrive in its presence. Associated with health, healing and well-being, green reduces anxiety. Bonus: Research shows that exposure to the color green may increase concentration and reading ability!

Surround your baby with the nurturing power of mother nature by choosing a light or medium green color such as sage or moss. Blue greens, like mint or seafoam, are also an excellent choice and promote peace and health.

Pale Purples

Associated with wisdom and spirituality, purple combines the calming properties of blue with the nurturing femininity of pink. Lighter shades like lavender and lilac provide the soothing strength of purple without the visual overstimulation that can come from richer options.

Since purple often appears darker than expected, interior painting experts suggest going one shade lighter than the one you’ve got your eye on. Here are 10 purple nursery shades to consider.

Earthy Neutrals

Neutral shades can be great for creating a warm, grounding atmosphere. Gentle, earthy neutrals like light beige, light tan and taupe will ensure your little one feels safe and cozy. Neutrals are easy on baby’s developing eyes, so these shades also help your little dreamer to wind down and sleep.

Complete the earthy theme with nature-inspired nursery essentials. A neutral tone works especially well if you are planning to have more children.

Creamy Whites

To create a soothing, white haven that will instil feelings of serenity and peace, avoid blue whites. Instead, choose creamier shades like soft ivory, vanilla and antique white. Think shabby chic! Add warmth and variation by incorporating rustic, earthy textures like wicker and wood.

Light Grays

As a reflective, calming hue, gray is an excellent backdrop that promotes thought and emotion. It’s a calming color, but be sure to keep things looking cheery by avoiding dark and stormy grays and instead select a light, blue-gray. To add softness, pair with crisp white trim and pretty pastel accents.

A Few More Tips!

Many people choose a paint color based on the colors that are prevalent in the bedding or accessories they have chosen. Whether you select a paint color based on a themed room or decide to keep it simple, select colors that you like too. You will be spending a lot of time here!

Having a hard time deciding on a color? ProjectNursery.com suggests that you visit online paint and hardware stores that offer interactive programs allowing you to upload a photo of your nursery to select different paint colors on the virtual walls.

Choosing the perfect color scheme for a soothing room can be an exciting experience! Relax and enjoy this time in your life and most importantly, have some fun with it.