Enter the Toddler Bed

A few weeks ago, Mac and I decided we didn't have quite enough stress in our lives so why not switch our Little Man from his crib to toddler bed! Now was as good a time as any. I'd actually been wanting to switch him a few months ago but then I got the stomach flu then the kiddo got it so I kinda chickened out. But finally one weekend we bit the bullet, stocked the fridge with wine, and prepared for the worst. Most people switch when the kid climbs out or they need the crib for a new baby. I just felt like he was ready. He's been sleeping on a cot at daycare for over a year and has never tried to climb out of his crib at home. Most of my friends with kids thought I was insane. The horror stories we heard were very impressive but still we charged onward.

Do you remember when we ditched the swaddle and although I anticipated the worst, Sullivan just rocked it like a boss? Well he did the same damn thing this time. Mac and I crouched around the video monitor the first night, just waiting for him to scream his cry of freedom and go roll around in his foam blocks. But he just crashed. Surely, we thought, nap time tomorrow will be the true test. During the day he'd be able to see his toys. There is no way he'd be able to resist! Well he surprised us again. And again. And again. Last week we upgraded his modern Olli & Lime bedding with his beloved Cars.



What's the secret, I've been asked. I honestly don't know. We switched him before he had any desire to climb out so it may have not yet crossed his mind. We also make a big show of cleaning up his toys before bedtime. We try to limit things he could actually play with. Sullivan takes a few of his favorite books to bed so, along with his Cars sheets, he talks to himself when he wakes up early. On the weekends when I'm trying to squeeze out every minute I can in bed, we hear him saying "red car, blue car, fast car, dirty car, etc". We've always given him stuff to entertain himself while he was in his crib so just continued that pattern. The biggest factor that helped is that his toddler bed is just his crib with one side gone. The comfort factor was still there. I'm sure this will definitely not be the case when he finally gets into a real bed but we'll tackle that when we get there.