Well, Clara has officially made the full transition from crib to bed. We never expected her to sleep in her crib for so long (we’ve been “at the ready” with a big girl bed for over a year now, since many of her friends started making the switch back then), but this girl just loves to surprise us and truly adored her crib. And we adored that she was sleeping soundly all night long (even after being potty trained, she was able to hold it ’til the morning). So we didn’t want to rock the boat for all of our sakes, and decided to trust our doc when he said “let sleeping kids lie – she’ll let you know when she’s ready.”
When she started taking “play naps” in her big girl bed, we took it as a sign that she was showing some interest. And then a few real naps followed the play naps, and then she wanted to try her big girl bed out during the night as well, and thus the transition began. Now she’s 100% in her big girl bed (and has been for the last month or so, which is why we’re finally confident enough to make mathematical statements like 100%).
Our biggest fear about the transition was that she’d use it as an opportunity to get up and play at night, or wake us up crazy early in the morning – but she has surprised us once again and has made the switch really smoothly. Except for a couple getting-up-to-put-another-stuffed-animal-in-her-bed incidents, she has slept through the night and through naps without issue. We’re thrilled and extremely relieved.
Half of me can’t believe that she was so happy to sleep in a crib for so long, and the other half of me can’t believe she’s now sleeping on a big twin sized mattress every night. How is she not still a tiny infant in my arms? You blink and they’re all grown up. No I’m not crying, there’s just dust in my eye.
The most exciting thing about this development is that we could finally move the crib out of her room. We waited about a month to do this since we didn’t want her to feel like it got ripped away from her the moment she was finished using it. And as we were moving it out, we told her how now it would make more room for fun things.
So here’s the blank in-between look that the wall was sporting…
… and here’s what it’s looking like now.
I know, I know – we said “make more room for fun” and then we put a dresser there. But the wall where the dresser used to live… well, we’re working on a complete wall o’ fun for her there. Plus Clara was so excited for us to hang the birdcages from her playroom up above her dresser in its new spot (between the striped toy baskets, the moose lamp, the play table and chairs, the daybed, and the pile of art that we’re planning to hang, this room is turning into a nice mix of stuff from her nursery and her playroom).
It still feels a little sparse though, so I think we might layer in some more art or put something in the birdcages (piles of ribbons? Clara is obsessed with ribbons lately…) so this wall isn’t finished, but I think it’s inching in the right direction.
As for how we hung the birdcages, we just used white plant hooks in the ceiling screwed into anchors to hold them nice and firmly up there. And when it comes to their placement, John just held them up and I stood back and said “there – no there! – ok, right there!” and we marked the spots on the ceiling, hung the hooks, and then adjusted the ribbon length on each one until we liked their hanging height.
Of course, during the whole get-the-hooks-in-the-ceiling part of the objective, our little assistant was happy to play with the birdcages. At one point she even picked both of them up and breathlessly said “I love carrying birdcages around.” I’d have a picture of that for you, but we were both laughing so hard that we couldn’t see straight. But I did get this one slightly before that moment…
Oh and this can be filed under “small details” but that bowl on the dresser full of blocks always bugged me because while the top of it was all glossy and red (it was originally just a white bowl from Ikea that I spray painted for a book project), the bottom was all splotchy and half-sprayed… which NEVER would have bothered me if it wasn’t visible, but since it has curved sides, you could clearly see the messy underbelly (scroll two pics up to see what I mean). So I finally did something I’ve been meaning to do forever, and painted the bottom a contrasting color.
It only took me twenty minutes, and I have no idea why I waited so long. As for how I got ‘er done, I rubbed the bottom of the bowl with liquid deglosser, just to get it paint-ready. Then I used a small brush and a test pot of paint that we’ve had around forever (Embellished Blue by Behr) to coat the bottom of the bowl. The small brush and thin application got me through it without any drips onto the front, and after two coats and some drying time, it was ready to rock out on the dresser again.
Here’s that side of the room from the doorway now. Oh and see those hooks on the side of the dresser? Those used to hold the wet bags for our cloth diapers, but I strung up two ribbons to hold hair clips for Clara. She likes snapping them off and on, so it’s sort of like a fun new activity for her. Such a funny gal.
Speaking of funny, it’s funny how you can get so used to turning the corner and seeing this…
… and suddenly it’s not there anymore.
But the most exciting wall of the room is still in progress (you can see the corners of a few items that we’ve added to the mix on the right of this room shot). I still have a few things to paint/hang/drill, but we’re hoping to have that all done and photographed for you guys on Thursday.
Until then, I’d love to hear about other people’s crib-to-bed switching experiences. Were your kids super young and climbing out of the crib? Is Clara going to end up in the Guinness Book Of World Records for Longest Holdout? Is your son or daughter in a toddler bed, or did they make the switch straight to a twin sized mattress? It’s amazing how kids all move at different paces for things like walking, talking, and bed sleeping (Clara was a really early-talker, but had no interest in walking for a while – and certainly liked her crib more than most). I love that they all move at their own sweet little pace.
Psst- We’re chatting about baby names (and what the bun would have been named if he was a she) over on Young House Life.
Janelle @ Two Cups of Happy says
So cute! I like the birdcages hung over the dresser. It grounds them a bit. That last pic is also sporting a pretty impressive lego castle!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah, Clara is a true lover of building castles and bridges. It’s pretty much her morning routine everyday.
xo
s
Laura says
Wow she is growing so fast! What an adorable little lady room! I love what you have done with the space where the crib was. You guys are so good at coming up with great transitional spaces and ideas!
http://www.oomphlove.blogspot.ca
Laura @ Rather Square says
This is so helpful – we have a two-year-old toddler who is still in her crib, and I’m always wondering when we should make the transition to a big-girl bed. I like how you just waited until Clara told you she was ready, maybe we’ll go that route. Of course, her big-girl bed is so fun, no wonder she transitioned so well!
Anele @ Success Along the Weigh says
Go Clara!!
That bowl is super cute too!
Kimberly says
I’m glad Clara has transitioned so well to her big girl bed! And hopefully, when the time comes, your little barnacle will do the same.
We were forced to move our daughter to a big girl bed when she started being able to literally climb out of her crib. She was fearless! (Still is…) And that makes it sound like we held out until she was like 8, but she was only about 2 1/2 or so…
Lisa @ Double Door Ranch says
What perfect timing! I love that you guys allowed her to transition when she was ready. Her big girl room is looking so sweet!
Anne @ Planting Sequoias says
Your dusty eyes comment made me think of this: “I’m not crying, it’s just raining on my face!”
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, that’s totally what’s happening. That can happen indoors, right?
xo
s
Helen says
I’ve just been cutting onions — I’m making a lasagna…
[whispers] for one…
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahahahahahahahaha! The whisper at the end got me. I sprayed water all over the keyboard.
xo
s
Jenny says
These Flight of the Conchords references are making my day!
My eyes are just a little sweaty today.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, the eye sweats. I get that too.
xo
s
Nicky says
Clara is one lucky gal. I know you don’t share too much of the bad and the ugly but the way you write about her and the steps she takes in life just shows how loved she really is. Also, I don’t think I have ever seen any child’s room as pretty and as thoughtful as Clara’s. Sometimes I even catch myself thinking ‘I wish I had had that in my room when I was a kid!’ (like the pretty clock) even though I had an amazing childhood.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, thanks so much Nicky! It’s so funny you mention the clock because she woke up from her nap yesterday and I asked her what her favorite thing in her room was and she said “My blue clock!” – I’m so glad that she likes it.
xo
s
AnnMarie says
Yay Clara!
Just curious, where did the other lampshade go??
YoungHouseLove says
That’s in a pile in the future nursery right now, although I do have one idea for making it a pendant light in her closet (I’d love to turn that into a little walk-in playhouse, so we’ll have to see if it works in there).
xo
s
jennifer says
yay clara! her room is really looking great!
quick question: it looks like you dismantled the crib – was that just to get it through the door or will the new nursery use a different crib than clara’s old one?
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, just to get it out the door we had to take it apart about halfway, but the bun will sleep in the same crib in his room. Clara’s actually excited for us to put it back together for him (right now it’s still half assembled in the nursery).
xo
s
Sarah says
Love it! Also, every time you show pics of Clara’s room I die over those curtains. Why oh why did Ikea have to discontinue those…..
Sarah says
Oh and one other random question — where’s that adorable little “C” on her door from?
YoungHouseLove says
That’s from Anthropologie a while back! There were only a few letters on the clearance table and a C was one of them, so we snatched it up.
xo
s
YoungHouseLove says
I completely agree. We need to start a BRING THEM BACK campaign. I bet Ikea will listen to two people like us, right? Haha!
xo
s
Megan CC says
It’s nice to hear that other people have let their “big” girls in a crib if they were still content to be there. My girl is a few months past 2yrs. and still very happy to sleep in her crib. We were just talking about it the other night, if we should move her into a “big girl bed”, but I’m definitely leaning towards waiting until she shows us she’s ready. Love the way Clara’s room is turning out!
Danielle says
I love her big girl room. It has so many colors and fun stuff happening, but doesn’t feel like a toddler room…if that makes any sense. I feel like it could grow with her. I am planning our first nursery for our little girl and feeling a little overwhelmed. There are so many great ideas out there. I want the room to grow with her, but am surprisingly getting some flack for not doing a themed room. It will have lots of color, but just wont have themed bedding and wallpaper, etc. Anyone else feel like they get some flack for that? I know she is a baby, but that doesn’t mean it has to be super baby-ish…right?
YoungHouseLove says
Yeah, I think it’s hard because especially with kids, everyone has opinions about how things should be or how they did things (for example, my mom actually was sad I didn’t want to do a wallpaper border). One thing that seems to work out for us, is just to move one day at a time and layer things in there as it feels right, and usually when it progresses other people start to “see it.” Like when we said “we’re doing white walls and no wallpaper border” my mom wasn’t into it, but as we layered things like the pink ceiling, the raindrops, the canopy, the fairy lights, etc – well, the whimsy/fun/color/playfulness became more apparent, and now my mom says she wants to move into Clara’s room. Haha! So my hope for you is that as things come together, people will see all that color and the fun, personal touches – and it’ll make sense :)
xo
s
Stefanie says
The thing about kid’s rooms is that they need to be easy to evolve. Their interests change so frequently that doing a theme/character/etc can be pointless, especially when doing a nursery for an infant who doesn’t even actually have interests yet! Haha.
My plan of attack has always been less is more. Keep the big things neutral-ish (walls, furniture) and then doing colors/art/bedding that work well with each other but don’t necessarily present a theme. If a theme is what you really want then focus on the things that are easily (and cheaply) changed out..bedding/art/etc.
And Sherry…thank you for not doing the wallpaper boarder. I’ve been waiting for this trend to die out for eons now. Funny how our parents, my own included, have such ideas as to how things should be. My own mother couldn’t believe that my daughter’s bed would not include a BEDSKIRT! Oh the horror of it all!
em says
That is the silliest thing I have ever heard! It’s your baby- do whatever you want and nip that flack nonsense at the bud! Also, I think most people these days are going for what you are doing- making a non-theme room that is not too babyish and can transition as the child grows.
Christine says
We had the same issue with not wanting a “theme” room. I was too cheap to spend a ton of money on something she would grow out of quickly, plus I just really didn’t like any of the choices out there. I finally had some luck with this fabric http://www.babybedding.com/love-bird-damask-fabric
I didn’t buy any of the pre-made stuff, luckily I have an aunt who is a fantastic seamstress/quilter/crafty person so she did a valance, crib skirt, window shade and small tablecloth (for a side table) for us using that fabric, plus some blue and brown accents (so it wasn’t overly pink, in case our daughter isn’t a pink fan!)
Good luck – I agree, it’s stressful. And then once you find something you like, it’s CRAZY expensive!
Jessica Leonard says
Agreed! I had a whole themed room planned for our son originally, but had to scrap the plan when the crib I wanted went out of stock. I ended up with a nice neutral gray on the walls and ceiling and added color and a “theme” with artwork and accessories. That way if the little monster ends up loving pirates later or just plain hating the Nintendo theme, it’s super easy to switch things up! Here’s some pics: http://projectnursery.com/projects/brodys-nintendo-nursery/
heather says
This is one area I get particularly frustrated with – people expressing opinions not asked for on parenting issues not brought up, and especially having strong opinions on something as ridiculous as decor, for a room that’s not even in their own house. People are welcome to their opinions. You do what you want to do. We aren’t going to go with a theme either (that’s the plan at least). I’m all about keeping it simple, fun, colorful, and easy to clean!
Danielle says
Thanks for all of the great feedback ladies. There does seem to be a lot of unwanted advice given very freely when people find out you are pregnant. We also are going to cloth diaper, and while I know its not necessarily the easiest route, especially since I will be going back to work full time after 3 months, it feels right for us. Its good to know there are lots of other mamas out there, making decisions that irritate their family members haha! Another reason why I love blogs- its so easy to find people who are making similar choices for their families. Such a great support system.
April says
This isn’t exactly “fun”, but GIANT MIRROR! Then you’ll have double the bird cages, and be able to see the colored raindrops!
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh that does sound fun! Never even thought about a mirror for over the dresser!
xo
s
mollie says
yes! I thought giant mirror too. looks like the natural light is killer in there, so it would be amazing!
Wendy says
Will you be using Clara’s old crib for the Barnacle? Any upcoming nursery inspiration posts coming up? :)
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, we’ll use the same crib in the nursery for the bun. We began planning Clara’s nursery in February when she was due in May, so we think January might be when we get things started for the bun, since he’s due in April. We’re definitely thinking about a million ideas, but haven’t pinned anything down yet. Can’t wait to dive in, though!
xo
s
Keeley says
Our 16 month old boy loves his crib! We have the kit to transition it to a toddler bed (and eventually a twin-sized bed), but this boy loves that crib so much that I think he’ll be 3+ when he moves on, just like Clara. He won’t even sleep overnight in any bed other than his crib (which is a pain for us).
We’re planning to let him keep that crib and even that room as long as he needs to, even if we have another baby. We figure his crib will become his bed and hopefully we can get him to move into one of the larger bedrooms if another baby comes along later.
Congratulations on your baby boy! Babies are great and I’m interested to see how you design your little guy’s nursery.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Keeley!
xo
s
Lil says
The side came off the crib the night my daughter jumped out of her crib EIGHT times in about an hour. She stayed in her toddler bed until we scored a fabulous full size antique bed at an estate sale my extended family was having.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh my gosh, she’s spry! I love the antique bed – sounds gorgeous.
xo
s
sallie says
oh, man- this room is so magical. i’m 33 and i want MY room to look like this.
Mary | Lemon Grove Blog says
Making room for the next bean! :) Looks like you’ve got a big girl on your hands, now!
Megan says
My 4 year old daughter was around 3 when we made the switch. She loved her crib, slept great, and never climbed out. We made it into a toddler bed for awhile but the girl is crazy tall so since we had a twin bed, we let her pick out sheets and made the switch. Now that our son is here, I look forward to him in the twin and moving my daughter to a full. No real reason other than the full bed frame we own matches the rest of her bedroom furniture, which I used after getting it from my grandparents’ estate. All we have to do is buy a new mattress!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, she’s going to look so sweet and tiny in a full sized bed!
xo
s
Michelle M says
I think getting a full is a great idea! I started sleeping on one that was furnished for me in a college apartment, and then ended up getting a new bed for home because I loved the full so much. And besides, when I was younger I could never fit all the stuffed animals I wanted into my bed anyway! A full would’ve been much better :)
Melissa @ HOUSEography says
I’m sure she is loving the extra space in there even more than the crib! My dad slept in a crib until he was 5 or 6 years old (there’s some debate about the exact age). Kind of ironic since he went to kindergarten before he was even 4 1/2 yrs old!
YoungHouseLove says
I love that! He wins!
xo
s
Emily says
Such a cute room I love it! That spray painted bowl is ace!! Where are those coloured blocks from on the table from they look great fun?!
Emily
Pobble and Ping
YoungHouseLove says
Those are duplo blocks, so they’re basically legos, but bigger. Clara LOVES them and we have about 4 sets of them that she uses to make giant castles and bridges and stuff.
xo
s
Ashley@AttemptsAtDomestication says
Can’t believe she’s gotten so big! Will you be reusing the crib in the Bun’s nursery? Any fun plans for it in the works?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, we’re moving the crib into the nursery for the bun, and as for when mood boards and plans for that room will gear up, we began planning Clara’s nursery in February when she was due in May, so we think January might be when we get things started for the bun, since he’s due in April. We definitely have a bunch of ideas bouncing around our heads, but haven’t pinned anything down yet. Can’t wait to dive in, though!
xo
s
April says
Our son slept in his crib right until he turned 3. His birthday is in late July and we knew his grandparents were gifting him a firetruck bed (crib mattress fits right into it and it’s shaped like a fire truck). So he got the “fire bed” and we stuck it in our basement to wait until after our daughter was born. I was due 3 weeks after his birthday and didn’t want to start the crib to bed transition until after she was born and we had settled some. Well low and behold the very day we came home from the hospital with her, our son announces that he wants his “fire bed” to sleep in. So our first night home with our new baby and we are taking down a crib and bringing up the toddler bed. Thankfully he has slept great in it every night since then! It was a tad emotional for this post-pregnancy, hormonal Mommy though!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, that’s such a sweet story!
xo
s
Becky says
Totally random, but I just have to say that your husband looks super cute with his glasses on!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo! I love him in his glasses too. He’s so shy about breaking them out and I’m all “come on Clark Kent, stop being so coy” – haha!
xo
s
Anne @ Planting Sequoias says
My hubs is super shy about wearing his glasses out in public too, even though he looks SO HOT with them on (my opinion)! ;)
Michelle | Birds of Berwick says
Yay Clara! The rug looks really awesome in here, btw! This is such a cozy space!
Lisa says
Love the feel you guys have accomplished in the room…so whimsical and playful, so perfect for your Clara. :))
Rachel Laree says
You are so blessed to have her sleep so well. My two year old son absolutely despises his crib and we use it for his time out (he sleeps with us), he still hasn’t ventured to climb out. We had our daughter just 18 mos after my son and she was more independent and she sleeps in the crib. She still does not LOVE it and will put up a fight(cry) every other night. But she is a restless sleeper and does not sleep at all next to anyone. So my 2 yr sleeps with us and my 8 mos old sleeps in the crib in our bedroom. Were cool with it for now. They do stay asleep and don’t know we get back up. My son is also not a big talker and my 8 mos. old daughter is already saying by, hi, mom, dad. It’s so funny how you can have two children that are completely opposite. They got if from me, I am a VERY light sleeper. Hopefully you guys will SCORE another great sleeper!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, this baby is SO ACTIVE at night, so I’m already bracing myself for a completely different experience this time around…
xo
s
April says
Love this room! Where did you get the rug? And the birdcages?
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks April! The rug is from a local shop called The Decorating Outlet, but the brand is Rizzy Rugs if that helps (I’ve seen it on joss & main a few times). The birdcages are both secondhand finds, but I’ve seen similar things at craft stores if that helps.
xo
s
Stefanie says
I love that you guys weren’t quick to make the switch from crib to bed. So many people are so eager to move their kids on to the “next stage” and transition them entirely too early in my opinion.
My daughter, nearly 7 now, was in her crib until she was 3. She was able to get out of it on her own if she wanted to..but it wasn’t an issue. She never climbed out at night or when she was napping. When we finally decided to be done with the crib we transitioned her right into a twin bed. I think it’s so much easier to do it that way (not to mention cheaper). A toddler bed, again in my opinion, is just a waste of time/money. I was convinced she would fall out of the bed since she had always been such a crazy crib sleeper but to my surprise it never happened..and we never used a rail or anything. It was just like she knew.
Any plans to bring Clara’s little frame wall from her nursery back into play? It was such a sweet addition with great personal touches to it. Another opinion of mine, what can I say..I’m full of them, would be to move the bird cages over to the right a bit and add the little frame art above the dresser. However you end up I’m sure it will be adorable..the room has already come such a long way.
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, we’re missing art on those big white walls for sure! Thankfully a bunch of it’s getting incorporated into “the wall of fun” that we’re currently adding, so I’ll hopefully have photos of that for you guys on Thursday! And I love the idea of layering a big framed piece of art or mirror above the dresser with the birdcages!
xo
s
Carly says
My twin boys are 28 Months and still in their cribs they have not even tried to get out so I agree don’t mess with a good thing:) I swear I’d keep them in there forever… hard to see your babies getting so big but LOVE it at the same time!!:) Love the room!!
Needle little Balance says
Yay! Big girl! So nice that you let her decide when she was ready.
For the cages you could sew some birds in the colors of Clara´s room, maybe like these:
http://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=tilda%20birds
I´ve made the simple birds from Tilda before -the ones without the wings- they are cute and really easy to make. :)
YoungHouseLove says
So sweet! I love that idea!
xo
s
Amy says
Does she use a bed rail? Has she ever fallen out? My 2.5 year old is on a twin mattress on the floor. We transitioned her when she fell out of her crib awhile ago. She doesn’t seem to roll out off of the mattress, but I’m debating whether to get the rail when she gets her daybed – hopefully in a few months. We have hardwood floors too, so it would be a hard fall! On the other hand my 5.5 year old still sleeps with those rails because she got used to them and I don’t know how to wean her (again with the new hardwood. :))
YoungHouseLove says
She doesn’t have any sort of bed rail but thankfully has no issues with rolling out. At first we worried she would and even borrowed a pool noodle from John’s parents (some of our friends tucked that under the fitted sheet to make a small rail that they have trouble rolling over) but since Clara loves to be tucked behind so many animals – you can sort of see the setup in the photo with John reading to her. Sometimes one or two of them will roll out if she tosses or turns, but she has never fallen out. We did leave pillows on the floor for a while just in case, but after a few weeks we took those away and it has been great.
xo
s
Isabel says
Congrats to Clara on her big transition although I’m sure it’s a bittersweet one for you :) I think it’s totally true that all kids move at their own pace. I have a niece and nephew, both 8 and a month apart. My niece (she’s younger) started losing her teeth at like 4 and my nephew still hasn’t lost a one and the new ones are starting to grow in. Personally, I drank out of a bottle until I was 9 but my dentist said it was not good for my teeth so my mom was forced to take it away. In hindsight, it must have been a bit concerning but it was the 80s, that’s my excuse!
Megan says
My now 4 year old went into a bed when he was 18 months old as I had appendicitis and wasn’t allowed to lift him for 6-8 weeks. Once he slept in the big bed there was no going back to the crib! He still to this day will not get out of the bed unless you come to get him, which limits the amount of adventuring he can do at night :)
Tiffany says
We’re currently going through the transition from crib to big girl bed and it’s been challenging! We would have just let her sleep in her crib for as long as she wanted, but we really don’t want to buy ANOTHER crib for baby #2 (due in March). She’s almost 2.5 so we figured she was ready. Our problem has been getting her to relax to fall asleep in the new bed AND now realizing she can get out of bed and open her door to walk down the hall to our room! We have not been getting a ton of sleep since we started this transition (last week). I think you guys did the right thing in waiting until Clara was ready and I wish we felt comfortable with the same route, but the money outweighed it for us!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no, Tiffany! I’m so sorry! I hope she settles into things and hopefully gives you guys more sleep!
xo
s
Leslie says
I have that same bowl in silver that I would love to spruce up – anything I should do before painting? Its not already painted white so I’m not sure what treatment it would need…
YoungHouseLove says
I would spray prime the whole thing (the silver finish is glossier than the matte white one) and then you can use regular old spray paint or paint it by hand (a semi-gloss finish should be cool). Just don’t use it for food or anything!
xo
s
Jennifer M says
We had to move my son to a “big boy bed” this summer at 17 months old because he kept climbing out of his crib! We were really worried that he would get up in the middle of the night or wake us up early, but he’s slept better in the bed, (for now it’s just a full size mattress and box springs on the floor for now so he can climb in and out, but won’t hurt him if he falls out), than he ever slept in his crib. But then yesterday he learned how to open door knobs and bright and early this morning I woke up to him standing right beside my nightstand going, “hey!” haha!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s hilarious!
xo
s
This Little Blue Homestead says
Ah the crib transition. We did this when our little guy was 16 months or so and it was so incredibly easy. We just popped the bed in his room and read stories in it for a a week or so and then waited for the perfect night that he was tired but not too tired and then just put him to bed in the big boy bed. I moved his crib out of his room the next day and never looked back. I love him being in his big boy bed since he can get out and crawl in bed with us on the weekends rather than yelling for us. Congrats on the big transition and the beautiful room!
Stephanie says
Our daughter, Talia, slept in her crib until she was three. She loved it and we didn’t see any reason to switch. Some people thought it was weird, but Talia didn’t mind so why should we?
Our son, Chase, only lasted until he was two. Once he started climbing out it was time to make the switch. He does pretty well now, but every once in a while I find him sleeping in the corner behind the recliner or something equally odd. Boys are strange sometimes.
em says
2 kids, same biological parents, 2 entirely different transition to bed experiences. Both went straight to twin platform beds with a guard rail. I’ve commented before that my older daughter slept in her crib till she was 2.5 and would still be there today at age 6 if we did not need it for her baby brother. We did not make a big deal about it- we just told her she was a big girl and now she got to have a big girl bed and that was fine with her. She never got out of bed. My son started climbing out of the same crib as a baby and finally broke his arm at 15 months, so we got him a twin platform. For one week the child would try to leave his room. We tried everything to get him to stay put. Eventually, I literally had to put him on the bed, run out the door, and slam it shut (he can’t open it once shut because the door sticks). He pounded on that door for 15 minutes every night before getting in his bed, which is where I found him sleeping contently in the morning. After this torturous week, he went to his bed and stayed there with no problems. I don’t miss the crib at all- I love being able to get in my kids’ beds and read/snuggle with them there every night!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, I’m gearing up for the bun to be a whole new ballgame! Kids are just so different, aren’t they?
xo
s
Maureen says
It’s a small detail, but where is that cute little fan from? I’ve been wanting to get one for our nursery to help out with the air circulation and I love the one you have! The whole room is super cute!
YoungHouseLove says
That was from amazon.com a while back (I think the maker is Deco Breeze). It has been awesome (we’ve had it and used it regularly since Clara was born).
xo
s
Jenny G. says
This post came at a coincidental time! We just converted my daughter’s crib to a toddler bed – but she’s the opposite of Clara. She’s only 19 months! She’s not at all a climber, but she doesn’t like to go to sleep (at night, naps she doesn’t care) without a lot of snuggling first. Which was impossible to do through a crib! My husband suggested we convert it, which I thought was crazy, but so far it’s been great! She loves her big girl bed, and is in and out of it all day tucking in her toys. But at sleepy times she has yet to get out. Even when she wakes, she waits for us to come get her. I never would have thought she’d be out of a crib this early, but hey – whatever works, right?
YoungHouseLove says
That’s awesome!
xo
s
Kelli says
Our 2 1/2 year old daughter made the transition about a month ago. She never jumped out of her crib (thank goodness), but we encouraged her by buying her big girl bed, putting it in her room across from her crib, and talking a lot about how she would sleep there when she was a big girl. Thank goodness, she finally initiated the switch a week after her baby sister was born! We’re hoping by the time her sister is ready to move to the crib, she will be far enough removed from the crib to not be jealous.
Lisa says
Your experience with Clara and the big girl bed is exactly the only (unsolicited) advice we give our parent friends. When I was pregnant with #2 we moved our daughter from her crib to a bed so she “won’t feel like the new baby was taking her crib.” Crazy ideas that first time parents have! She ended up having sleep issues for a couple years – always wanting someone in there. Let #2 and #3 have the crib as long as they wanted. Lesson learned!
Trish says
My kid is still waiting to be born (NEXT MONTH!!!) so I have no idea what she’ll do, but I know I slept in my crib until I was five and then transitioned right to a twin size bed. I fully remember climbing in and out of my crib every night/morning. Oh how things have changed! A kid would NEVER be allowed to do that now!
Tracey Bradshaw says
My boys are well past crib stage (14 & 12) but were both ninja escapees from before they were even walking. Number one son was in his big boy bed at 2 and number two son was even younger as we decided to move them into bunk beds to create more play space in their shared room.
We never had an issue with the older of the boys getting himself up, but the younger one came into our bed every.single.night for two years – and was transferred back to his own bed every.single.night for two years – he EVENTUALLY got the message.
Now we are dealing with teenagers, messy rooms, staying up way too late and being a total bug to wake up in the mornings for school. (Though number two son is still up at the crack of dawn on weekends for cereal, tv and Ps3 time before I wake up and start rationing electronics – I figure if he’s willing to get up early then he deserves the bonus time – lol)
Liesel says
My oldest slept in her crib until she was 3-1/2. Never once tried climbing out…she was just content in there. We moved her into her big girl bed when we needed to make room for her sister. Then she slept in the crib until she was over 3 too. I’m more than happy to keep them contained if that’s what works for the kid :)
Erin says
our son is just over 3 and LOVES his crib. we keep saying “in a few months” but really i dont think we will do it until he is truly ready. with a possibly move next year i dont want to upset him and mess up his sleep
JennP says
My 3 y/o is crazy tiny (34″ and 26lbs) and is still happily in her crib. We’ve tried moving her to the twin daybed, and she isn’t happy and doesn’t sleep well. She’s not cramped in the crib, so we just don’t see the point in pushing it! At this rate, our super active, ninja-like 16 month old is probably going to be in it first.