Moving Your Child from Crib to Bed

by T. Berry Brazelton, M.D., author of Sleep: The Brazelton Way

A very common question that I hear from parents is: "When do I move my 2-year-old into a bed? I'm going to have a new baby in a month, and I'd like to give the baby his crib. Isn't he old enough for a grown-up bed?"

The answer depends on the age, size, and maturity of the child. A crib says, "This is where you sleep. You stay here through the night." When you move your child to a bed, you can no longer limit his ability to get up and explore. Don't move a child out of his crib until you have no choice—not until 3 or 4 years, if possible. But be sure to follow crib manufacturers' instructions on maximum weight limit. When your child weighs more than the crib can safely withstand, there is little choice but to make the move. Some children are just too active and will climb over the sides. Once a child can climb out of his crib, it is time to move him to a bed. Then you will be faced with how to make his room the limit—either a safety gate across the door or a bell on the door, so he can call out, but not come out. At first, you will need to go to him more often at night so he won't feel shut in.

I'd never move an older child out of a crib "just for the new baby." That's a sure way to create resentment. Either move him far enough in advance so that he's made the adjustment to the new bed, or wait—if safely possible—until afterward when he feels ready to be "grown-up" and in a "big boy's bed."

Excerpted from:

Excerpted from Sleep: The Brazelton Way © 2003 by T. Berry Brazelton, M.D., and Joshua D. Sparrow, M.D. All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. Used by arrangement with Perseus.

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