To toddler bed...or not to toddler bed...

Originally my hope, and plan, was to keep the twins in their cribs as long as possible, hopefully close to 3 yrs old.

But, I realized just the other day, that we are going on a long camping trip this summer, it'll be nearly 2 wks in the camper, and we have a small popup camper. There is no room for any pack n plays at all. The twins will need to learn to sleep on the folded down table or the folded down couch.

So, I'm going to have to make the jump to toddler beds before then, so I can hopefully teach them how to sleep in their bed without constantly getting up.

The trip itself is non-negotiable, we go to my parents place every summer If I absolutely have to, I can drive from the campground to my parents house each night, about 30 mins, but I'd really really prefer not too

So...gimme your best tips/tricks/ideas about how to transition 2 yr olds to toddler beds!! My duo turn 2 in feb and I'll be trying the transition sometime after that, probably end of march/beginning of april!

 

I don't suppose there is a way to stay at your parents' place instead? For me a whole year of sanity is worth more than a 2 week camping trip, lol! Plus I'd be worried my kids would get into everything in the camper, or open the door or something... But sorry I have no advice, we're still in cribs. Good luck!

 

We had no issues transferring to a toddler bed right after the age of 2 (25 months). I just let them know that it was bed, what was expected, see you later bye! And we did it when we moved. Okay, we did have some initial clothes out of the drawers, but we put all the clothes in totes for a few weeks. We didn't lose naps, we didn't lose night time sleep, nothing. It was one of the least painful things we've ever done.

One thing that we did and we still do is that we put a child proof lock on the inside of the door preventing their leaving their bedroom.

I think it was less than two weeks and we were back on the same schedule, 7-7 sleep, 2 hour nap.

 

Fran I could stay at my parents if I had to, but everyone else in my family is camping, it's a weekend reunion and then my family has rented a group camping site for everyone. We only see family once a year (we live 2000 miles away), so I like to spend as much time with them as I can! If we absolutely have to, I'll drive the babies to my parents place each night and let dh camp with my big kids (we didn't go camping the last 2 yrs, newborn babies one year, and 1 yr old babies the next, so my big kids are SO excited to get back into camping this summer!!)

Beca that is great news about it being a pretty easy transition! I'm planning to put the diaper pail out of reach, and possibly somehow lock their dresser (we've already had daytime unloading of clothing into the cribs...), so far they can't open doors but if that changes, a lock of some sort will be a must!!

I moved both my older kids around the age of 2 and both did fantastic, but I already know it's a whole new ball game with twins! :lol:

 

yours will be over 24 mo, right? it might be good timing for them. I tried right at 24 mo. to switch to toddler beds in preparation for a 2wk vacation last summer at 26 mo. it was a DISASTER... in the end we were able to have cribs & pack & plays so I felt like it was all in vain... ah well.

I wonder if you'd be able to tire them out enough and just have someone help you to ease them into a nice sleep in the big beds for the 2 wks and then have the lovely security of cribs before and after the trip.

I was amazed a couple of months ago that when my sil babysat the kids at her house that she'd put them on their big bed and they were actually sleeping for her on a bed! of course it was fun, and she really did a great job relaxing them, but still they did it and might have been ok all night?

anyway, ours didn't transition well, and a week after vacation I had the cribs put back together, and we're still in cribs!!

 

Danielle, I transitioned my DD at 19 months because she was climbing out of her crib. I would say it took her a couple of weeks to transition...she did well at bed time but was playing throughout naptime, especially when she realized she could get out of bed. I had a period of a week or so where I had to sit in her room and silently put her back to bed. After that she was fine and we had no problems after that. It also helped that she and DS do not share a room, as he was still in his crib until a month before he turned 3.
Good luck!

 

Danielle, we have a pop up camper, and bought it just this summer. We went a few times with the boys, and they slept on the full bed sleeper when camping...and in their cribs at home! I never even thought to even transition them to beds because of it. We had no issues whatsoever. With camping, I've found, they tend to stay up a bit later, and fall asleep almost instantly when we put them to bed. We did put some pillows in between them so they weren't bumping into each other. Oh, and we bought the bedrails as well and put that up.

So that was July/August, and we transitioned them into beds two days before they turned three.

 

I took my boys camping for the first time over the summer. They were 2 1/2 at the time. We were in a tent and the first time, it took them about an hour to fall asleep. The second time we went it was less and the last time we went in October is was less than 15 minutes.

Prior to camping, they had NEVER slept anywhere besides their cribs. We never spent the night at anyones house or went on vacation.

We just made the switch to toddler beds on their 3rd birthday. It has gone pretty smooth and I'm glad I waited until they were older.

If it were me, I would just see what happens in the camper. It's only two weeks and then you can go back home to cribs.

Sure, the first night will most likely be crazy, but I bet by the second week they will be used to it.

 

That reminds me...we went away on vacation, and the boys slept in "sleeping bags." That was the first time not in a crib. Then we went camping...tent camping...with them one weekend(hence the popup purchase ). They were SO excited to be sleeping in sleeping bags! They LOVED it! The only issue I had was waking up with Anthony's foot in my face! :laughing:

 

I'm guessing they might do OK in a bed on the trip even if they sleep in cribs at home. If cribs are still working well for you otherwise, I don't know that I'd be in a rush to move them just for your trip.

 

Hmm...so much to think about! I really don't want them out of cribs yet...but then I wonder if they'd do good....and then I wonder how bad they'd do... :lol: I'm still thinking but I do appreciate all your input/experiences!!!

 

We didn't have any problems with the transition at 19 months. We talked about "big girl" beds for a week or so, and then switched. Piper fell out a few times, but after that, naptime and bedtime were the same as they had always been. (which means sometimes they went right to sleep, and other times they chatted or tried not to sleep). Fortunately, no getting out of bed and trashing their room... but then again, we told them a million times they needed to stay in bed.

I think you could go either way about transitioning before your camping trip. Your kids will probably do just fine in toddler beds at 2 years old. Of if you decide not to make the transition, sleeping bags might be exciting and novel enough to keep them stationary until they fall asleep while camping. At worst, you you may have to sit in the pop up until they fall asleep for a few nights. But that's potentially better than fighting a toddler bed transition now.

 

Ok my kids would NOT sleep out of cribs when we tried for a trip. We ended up going to a hotel that had pack'n plays at midnight that day, after trying to fall asleep for 2 hours... So I really don't recommend that you try unless you're 100% sure they will be ok. If we have to travel again, now that they are really too big for pack'n plays and get out of them anyway, we'll definitely take the time to get them used to twin beds first...

 

Btw, you could also consider peapod travel beds. A lot of my MoM friends IRL swear by those for kids 2+.

 

In my experience with the 4 of mine, the earlier you transition the better, before 2 is the easiest by far. They are more obedient and less likely to push their boundries. The older they get the more adventursome and well, headstrong.

I also have travelled with our little guys often since they were born. We've done pack and plays and also let them sleep with us or the big boys. They are going to sleep no matter what you do, but it may take longer to get them down in a bed if they aren't used to it. And, they may end up in your bed. That is what typically happened when my guys were smaller. Now they sleep on their own air mattress when we travel without issue.

 

I have heard time and time again from friends of minw with older children that they WISHED they had waited until 3 before transitioning. So that's what I am doing with mine. To me it would be worth it to just bite the bullet on your camping trip and just hope for the best instead of going thru potentially months of misery trying to get them to stay in bed just my opinion

 

DH and I were talking tonight and this is my thinking as well. We transitioned our older kids at about 20 months or so and they never even considered getting out of bed. They just knew, going to bed meant going to sleep.

I think we might give it a try right now, which would give us plenty of time to try it out, and if it fails miserably, we go back to crib's and figure out an alternate plan for this summer Now that I have the bee in my bonnet, I'm curious about how they will do, so they may be getting transitioned this week! :lol:

 

Whew! I'm so glad I've found someone that has experienced the same. I always hesitate to tell people what I really think about transitioning to a bed, because it typically gets bad reactions. But, like I said, it was by far easier the earlier I did it. Of course, I always baby proofed their room so they couldn't hurt themselves.
I hope it goes as easily this time as it did with your older guys. It is a bit different, just because they have a buddy to get into trouble with. But, that is really for later on...

BTW, I have an 8 yr old named David. Love your guys name!

 

We didn't switch to toddler beds until my kids were 3. We didn't really have any Issues. For us, two probably would have been tricky. We use the larger PeaPods for travel, but will my kids are tall so those won't last much longer for us. They are great for travel though and the kids love having their own tent whenever we travel which is often.

Good luck with whatever you decide!
Brenda