As your baby gets older, one of the biggest questions parents have is when is their child is ready for a toddler or ‘big kid’ bed.  You may be expecting another child, your child is trying to climb out of the crib or just does not seem to ‘like’ the crib anymore.  Here are some tips to tell if your child is ready to move out of the crib.

Ask yourself why you’re considering a move out of the crib.  If you are expecting another child and you need the crib but your older child is sleeping well, then purchase another crib.  Do not change a great sleeping situation if you do not have to.  If your child is climbing or attempting to climb out of the crib, make sure the crib is lowered as far as possible.  If your child can still get out of the crib, it’s time for a big kid bed.

If you think your child just does not like the bed, take a look at what is going on leading up to bedtime.  Is your child getting too excited during play or is your toddler just testing the waters to see if he/she can push bedtime?  Make sure you know that if you put your child in a big kid bed that they understand they need to stay in bed all night.

If your child is old enough to ask for a new bed or wants to be like their friend with the big kid bed, it’s probably time to move out of the crib.

Overall, it’s best to wait until your child is closer to 3 years old before switching to a big kid bed.  Children younger than 2.5-3 years old may not grasp the concept of staying in bed all night and decide to use their new found freedom to run the house at 3am.   Your child has to be ready for a different bed, not you, in order to be successful.