crib converts to toddler bed .......then a bigger bed

Toddler bed; we knew the small nursery would soon have another baby in it and the toddler bed took up less room. Once we had the toddler bed, we used it for the others because it was closer to the floor but once we moved to our bigger house I don't think I would have bought one if I didn't have it already.

I had one child that would NOT stay in the crib without screaming and pleading to get out. We solved it by putting a thin mattress on the floor which I made as cute as possible as she was really too little for a twin at that time. Then when she was older, we went straight to a twin bed with rails. I am not in favor of spending money on two beds for the same child but some have mentioned the crib to bed convertibles, which seems a less costly solution. (This child grew up to travel the world. She can't stay in the same country either.)

The crib converted to a toddler bed by lowering the mattress and taking off one side. Then bought a twin bed and "grown up" bedroom set still in use 17 years later

Both my boys (now four and two), went directly to twin beds. I got Tarva bedframes from IKEA, which are very short, so they didn't have far to fall if they rolled out. I was not interested in the money and hassle of acquiring different sized beds and bedding in such a short amount of time.

I used a pulled out futon (we had one as a guest bed). It is close to the floor and I was able to read in bed comfortably.

I think it's a nice transition and they feel more secure in a toddler bed with safety rails. They can use it for at least 3-5 years and the safety rails can be removed when no longer needed. Definitely worth the extra money to help them with their confidence.

There are also crib combos that go from crib to toddler to twin bed.

I have 3 kids (ages 24, 20 and 18 yrs), the oldest went from the crib to a twin bed. We were living in military housing and the housing came furnished so we did not need to purchase a bed. When my middle child was 17 months old, we moved her into a toddler bed for two reasons: 1- she kept climbing out of the crib over the rails, and 2- her baby brother was a few months away from arriving and would need the crib. When the two girls were about 7 yrs and 3 yrs old, they shared a room and had bunkbeds, and the youngest moved into the toddler bed. When the youngest turned 3, each child had their own room and a twin size bed. It's just been in the last year that the two youngest have gotten full size beds, and the oldest lives on her own in an apartment.

We had two girls 17 months apart. I bought used toddler beds that had little rails. It was perfect. They moved to bunk beds eventually which wasn't perfect when top bunker needed to go potty at night. Toddler beds are safer and easier during potty training.

I have the cutest photo of our toddler with her arm hanging off her toddler bed into the dog's bed that was beside her bed. That wouldn't have worked in a twin.

If I had to do it again I would definitely go with toddler beds. Easy to find used and sell when your done.

It depends on the child. With my daughter, we moved straight to a twin bed. With my son, we moved to a toddler bed mostly because his room was much smaller! We also we doing renovations, and we eventually had to have the kids share a room for 6 months. The toddler bed helped us fit them both in. It was also cheaper because the crib mattress fit it. We also got it for free as a hand me down, so it helps save up for the big boy bed you really want.

Our crib converts to a toddler bed with a side rail. When you take the side rail off it's a daybed, and when you take the sides off and use the crib front and back it is a full bed. My daughter moves far too much in her sleep to be in a twin, even with rails. The crib/toddler bed conversion allows us to keep her much closer to the floor with side rails.

We move ours up to Twin XL. The mattresses are usually built for adults and have greater support. There is more room for them to grow (especially if parents are tall). I also think the XL beds look more in proportion

Definitely a Toddler bed!! When my kids were small there was no choice- they were climbing out of the crib by 18 months and they went straight from a crib to twin beds. You constantly worried about them falling out and getting badly hurt! That's why toddler beds were created because children was falling out of twin beds and breaking their arms, collar bones etc.. Toddler beds use the crib mattress and sheets so there's no added expense. Plus toddler beds are extremely easy to find used & like new. It's totally a safety issue. That's why I was thrilled that my daughter took my advice and used a toddler bed until my granddaughter was 4 1/2 yrs old. Even at this age she has fallen out of the twin bed.. ..Why take the chance?

I say Twin!

We went twin because my child only got enthused about the move to a larger bed when she could have the bottom of a bunk bed! Mostly stuffed animals up there until sleepovers become a thing, but it was worth every penny (and we got the kind with drawers under the lower bunk and the stairs too)...

We had twin boys, and it would definitely have been cheaper to go straight to twin size beds from cribs. But I decided to splurge and bought toddler beds. I did it for me. It was the cutest thing for this tired mom to see her adorable boys in their little beds. One of them built a "shed" for his toy trains and would put his favorite train to bed next to him on the nightstand. I'll always remember that

A toddler bed! The crib easily transformed into a toddler bed. Toddler and crib beds are the same size so I don't understand those that talked about buying new bedding? We bought a pillow and a warmer blanket and that's it. Easy.

Both of my children had cribs that converted into a full size bed. And they both (at ages 10 & 12) still sleep in those same beds today!

Twin. My daughter moved around a lot during sleep, and as she got older and more mobile she would bang various extremities on the crib railings and wake herself up. At 18 months we switched her to a low twin and put a plush carpet under. In the beginning she would fall off during sleep (we'd hear the noise and go inspect) but not wake up until she had rolled under the bed and felt constrained during one of the subsequent moves. Within three days she got the hang of it and stopped falling, and she finally reduced her wake-ups to one or two a night since she had plenty of space to roll around. (Yep, you can imagine what our nights were like before, and nope, nothing else worked. She's a quite a bit older now and great sleeper, but still rolls all over the bed during sleep.)

The toddler phase is so short lived, it makes the most sense to just get a twin. That will last them several years before they'll need a full size.

I used a futon until they were in school. Then we bought a full sized bed. You can't fall out of a futonn.

We transitioned from crib to twin around age 3. A daybed style with wrought iron decoration bought secondhand in case it was a disaster. So 3 sides would prevent falling and one open. It's a great compromise as box spring wasn't needed so not too far from the floor. We put pillows on the ground for about a week, (which weren't needed) but we were even able to thread the bumper around the iron filigree decoration to have similar feel to her crib, A friend bought a twin with a trundle. Started her little on the trundle for a few nights, then once moved up to the twin left the trundle bed out at night for a few weeks.

When my girls were young we went from crib to twin only to find out that by the age of eight, my one daughter wanted a larger bed and asked for a queen. When one turned nine, the other seven both had queen size beds and both loved them. I think if the room is large enough for a queen size, forget the twin and go for the queen. It also is so much more comfortable to cuddle in and read books at night or watch a TV or movie. I only wish I went from crib to queen. I would have saved money.

We put a double bed in each child's room before they were out of a crib. Much easier to lay with them for bedtime stories and cuddles. Both moved into a double bed at 2-2.5 years old and I have never had either fall out

I went right from crib to twin beds for my girls. I used the mattress from the crib, slid it under the twin bed and at night I would pull it out. That way if they fell they would fall on the crib mattress. During the day it was slid back under the twin bed out of the way. It took a month to six weeks and there was no more falling out of bed and the crib mattress was put away.

You can buy a twin bed/box spring and a low height bed frame. I wouldn't recommend mattresses left on the floor due to overtime dust mites can accumulate. We hadn't had a crib that converted to a bed so going straight from crib to low height twin worked great for us.

If the room is large enough I vote double or full. They seem little now but grow fast and teenagers appreciate the extra space to stretch out.

My daughter went from a crib to a double bed at 18 months. She fell out once. Not a big deal.

Full bed, same one she will take to her first apt if she wants free furniture.

My nephew put his daughter into a queen size bed & put his son into a king size bed. If you do think this next bed will be their only bed, I would want to make it a bit tougher for "hanky panky" to occur when the time comes - and the time will come. My generation all went into twin beds or bunk beds or in some cases pull out sofas, at least in the circles I grew up in.

A toddler bed uses a crib mattress so you will soon be buying another bed. My boys are pretty tall and outgrew the crib mattress on their "convertible crib" by 3 or 4. I'd rather save the money and go with a bed that will last them longer.

The Family bed and then to twins...still working fine.

Crib converted to toddler bed (just remove a rail). Then went to low twin bed. If crib weren't convertible, would have gone straight to twin to save expense of buying toddler bed.

The crib was a garage sale win. So when the time came to change, my handy husband converted it to a toddler bed. Later, when a twin was needed, he built a twin platform with drawers in it for storage. That lasted through the home from college visits, until we finally put a queen in that room.

Got the toddler bed, seemed safer, better size, etc... regretted it almost immediately b/c can't read stories or stay close if they are croupy... got the twin and gave away the toddler bed to a friend with multiple kids who needed one for space concerns- happy ending.

My toddler was only 18 months old when we needed to convert him. When my second little guy was ready, our crib converted to a toddler bed, which made an easy transition.

As a retired pediatrician, I always advised twin. Use the old comforter and (perhaps) pillow to ease the transition. If you are worried about falling, put the mattress on the floor temporarily. Most cribs transition to toddler beds anyway.

Definitely skip the toddler bed. If you want a bed lower to the floor, buy a European style bed which uses slats instead of a box spring. Or a day bed will give you a headboard and footboard and, depending on style, a "back." Or you can buy a twin with a trundle: use the trundle now and later it's good for sleepovers. Personally, I'd go straight to a full size: the wider the bed the more mattress surface: no rolling off. Also the wider the bed, the more comfortable for sleep, for any age.

Buster 57, that made me laugh! I don't want to think about that yet, but life happens. ;)