Toddler bed question

We will soon be making a transition to toddler beds (I think). I'm looking to buy some inexpensive ones, and have some questions.

Looking at pictures online, some of the side rails look pretty useless - either they are so low that once the mattress goes in the bed I don't think the rail would stick up more than an inch or two, or they are so small lengthwise that they only extend about as far as the pillow will be so the kids could still roll out of bed and just bang their head on the rail.

My question is - does it really matter? The toddler beds are so low to the ground that I don't think they'll get hurt if they roll out, and they do need to learn to sleep in a bed without rails eventually. What have your experiences been? Did you find a bed that you really like?

I've found some OK looking ones online for $50-60, and I'd rather not spend more, and I don't want a plasticy looking thing or one with cartoon or movie characters all over it.

Suggestions?

Thanks,
Rachel

 

Rachel, I found 2 toddler beds at my local MOMS sale for $50 total. I think $60 for ONE is too much!!! I couldn't fit the twin size in the room with any other furniture and DH didn't want to move it all out. So I went with the toddler beds, but if I could have I would have gone with TWINS!! An adult cannot SIT on the toddler bed. Sounds like a small thing, but you are stuck on the floor for books and hugs and all that....something to think about!

 

would it be possible for you to take off one side rail of the babybed and lower the mattress as far as you can and just put a few pillows on the floor.......they will not get hurt falling (with no pillows on the floor). By taking a side rail off, you are spending NO MONEY on their "new" bed.

Since your girls are already 3, I would just get their "big bed" and skip over the toddler bed (they would only fit in it for a year or two anyway.) They never had toddler beds when we were young, and we made it to adulthood

 

I agree - skip the toddler beds! we are about to make the move right into twin beds and I don't think I am even going to use rails! They will have to learn not to fall out of bed!

 

The reason we're not moving to big beds now is that the twins are currently sharing a room, but will ultimately have their own rooms. We already have a full-size bed in the guest room, so one of them will get that bed. I'm not sure if the other will get a full sized or something else, but at the moment we can't fit the full size bed and another bed in the room they share. Hence, the plan for toddler beds.

Actually, one idea is to have bunk beds in one of the rooms - perhaps we could find a set that can also set up as two twins and use those for now . . . something to look in to.

Unfortunately, we live in a small town in a rural area and there are not big sales of used stuff - I'd love to go the route if I could.

-Rachel

 

We did the toddler bed thing with my dd - wish we wouldn't have wasted the money - but she was 14 months when we went to a bed, we thought we should start small. Within a year, we had to buy a full-size bed anyway, because she was too tall and sleeping on the floor because she was uncomfortable .

If you don't want to go that route - put a pillow on the floor where they may fall/roll out. At least it'll be a comfortable stop! LOL My dd managed to roll out of the toddler bed even with the railing - never figured out how she did it!

For the boys, we found a bunk bed set that we're using as single beds at the moment. Eventually, one will get the 'set' and the other will get a full-size bed.

 

QUOTE(RachelJoy @ Apr 9 2008, 11:13 AM) [snapback]713417[/snapback]
Actually, one idea is to have bunk beds in one of the rooms - perhaps we could find a set that can also set up as two twins and use those for now . . . something to look in to.

-Rachel


Rachel - You can't be that far from an IKEA! There is one in Stoughton, Mass:
IKEA

Make a fun day trip out of it! My twins LOVE Ikea. And they have bunk beds and toddler beds

 

My girls moved all night long when they were in their cribs so I was sure they'd need the rails on their toddler beds. I couldn't get the rail on though so I left the beds without them. Surprisingly, they never fell out. Not once. I second the idea of trying to take one side off your cribs and using those as toddler beds. Our cribs converted to toddler beds, which was good because their room is so small I don't think I could get even one twin bed in there with their dressers.

 

We also converted their cribs to toddler beds and there is no railing (well, it's maybe an inch). Danielle has fallen out two times and Rachel's never fallen out. The falls were not tramatic at all (Danielle didn't even wake up for one of them). We don't have enough space to fit bigger beds than the toddler beds so we didn't have much of a choice, but it's worked out well. Plus, since we spent so much on the cribs, I figure we should get all the money out of them we can.

 

I am planning on going straight from crib to twin beds, when they are 3. I already spotted the beds I'm going with at Ikea!

They do make bunk beds that can be twin beds separate or put together as bunks, as I was looking at that option too before I saw the Ikea beds. I plan on decorating their shared bigger room in late summer/fall to be ready for when they turn 3 in the spring (I like to paint when I can open windows). Plus I don't want to wait too long and have Ikea stop carrying the bed I want.

 

Best rails a person can use to get them adjusted in the side of the crib rail. We used them for all 3 of our kids. One side against the wall other side had the crib rail. No extra cost. We used the adjustable plastic tabs to hold them in place. There high enough for kids to know its bedtime,stay in, BUT easy to adjust to a new bed. Worked great for us.