Ok, my mom bought me cribs that convert to toddler beds when the kids were born. Well, both are falling apart badly after a little over a year of use. I'm about to use the playpens until I get something else, just to make sure they are safe. I have to replace them, and think they should have been recalled, because there are design flaws that could have seriously injured the kids, but that's another story. My dilemma now is do I buy another convertible crib (the kids are almost 17 months) or just get toddler beds? They can totally climb out of toddler cribs and I'm not sure how safe they would be in them. Any suggestions on what to get or what not to get? BTW, Cosco is the company who made the ones I have now, and I will never buy Cosco again since the ordeal I went through. They took my cribs off the market, but seemed to not give a you know what that their cribs could have killed my babies. Also, who can I complain to about the cribs? I don't want someone to have one and their child get hurt because there was no recall on it. These should have never been sold, they are totally unsafe!!!! TIA!!!!

By Karen~moderator on Tuesday, October 21, 2003 - 09:52 pm:

I'd get toddler beds......or regular twin size beds, and put the mattress and box springs on the floor till they are a little older. Jules has a toddler bed for Madison, and she'll be 3 in January and is outgrowing the bed already.

If you think there was a design flaw in the beds, you should contact Cosco and be sure to document everything.

By Trina~moderator on Tuesday, October 21, 2003 - 10:34 pm:

We never bothered with toddler beds. They grow out of them too quickly. We went straight from crib to regular beds. As Karen mentioned above, we started with the mattress and box spring on the floor. If they fall they don't have far to go. It's also wise to super childproof their room and put a gate on the door at this point. They WILL get out of bed simply because they can!

Sorry to hear about your cribs. Personally, I avoid Cosco car seats because they have a reputation of being cheaply made and have frequent recalls.

You can report unsafe products at CPSC.

By Palmbchprincess on Tuesday, October 21, 2003 - 10:56 pm:

Thanks all... I will definately be reporting this to CPSC.

By Mommyathome on Tuesday, October 21, 2003 - 11:25 pm:

We also skipped the toddler bed thing. Like Trina said, they just grow out of them too quick.

You're cribs are definitely a problem. We used the same crib for 5 yrs non-stop and it went through 3 kids before finally getting wobbly after my DS shook it to death! LOL DS has been in a twin bed for at least a month now. He is 21 months old. He does fine in the bed. It's just a pain because if he decides to get up...he can. He's been in our room in the middle of the night several times ready to play. The crib was nice because it contained him

Cooper never had a problem with falling off the bed, and we just set it up regular with the frame and everything. But, he's not a rough sleeper to begin with.

If you can't afford to do the whole bed set (times two!) then you could just start with the mattress on the floor. Then next paycheck add the boxsprings. That will work for a long time if it needs to.

Good luck!

By Dawnk777 on Tuesday, October 21, 2003 - 11:52 pm:

My younger daughter was about to start climbing out of bed at about 20 months. I took down the crib that night and she slept on a mattress on the floor. I didn't want her falling. For her 2nd birthday, Grandma and Grandpa bought her a toddler bed. We had it against the wall on one side and a Fisher-Price bed rail on the other. She slept quite nicely that way. She stayed in that toddler bed until she was 4-1/2. At that point, we had bought a house and she had her own room. Then we got a regular-sized bed.

We lived in a rental and the kids had to share a room. Older sister was in a twin bed and there was only room for a toddler bed.

Older dd was out of the crib at 21 months. By that point, I was tired of changing crib sheets and wanted it gone.

By Dawnk777 on Tuesday, October 21, 2003 - 11:53 pm:

My kids didn't really get out of bed that much after they were moved into beds. I never put a gate up on their bedroom doors.

By Mommymindy on Wednesday, October 22, 2003 - 12:08 am:

My older ones are in toddler beds. Yhey may be bigger than regular toddler beds, because I hear everyone say they grow out of them too quickly, and my friends 10 year old daughter slept in my daughters bed once, and fit fine. I had the same problem with the crib falling apart, I thought it was just because my 2 older children were too hard on it, but my 1 year old is sleeping in her playpen for now until I feel she is old enough to be in a big girl bed too. My other daughter (almost 3) was in her toddler bed at 14 months, but I don't know if my little one will be ready by then. Anyway,m I refuse to buy a new crib to use for less than 6 months!!!

By Kittycat_26 on Wednesday, October 22, 2003 - 08:26 am:

Crystal, For what it is worth, Timmy is napping on a cot at daycare now for about a week and doing fine. I'm hanging in until Christmas to move him into a toddler bed. We're not buying one though, my dad is making one for him. Otherwise I would probably move him straight into a regular bed. To me it seems pointless to have a "transition" bed.

Good luck!

By Karen~moderator on Wednesday, October 22, 2003 - 08:48 am:

Forgot to mention, my kids went straight from the crib to a regular bed. *Transition* beds weren't an option for us financially, and twin size beds made much more sense anyway.

By Kolbysmom on Wednesday, October 22, 2003 - 10:06 am:

My mom bought Kolby's toddler bed(it's a race car bed) at a yard sale for $50. We just used his crib mattress. He's been sleeping in it since he was 11 months. He NEVER gets out of bed. When he wakes up he just sits there and I can hear him talking. He doesn't get out of bed until I tell him he can. LOL I don't know why he does this, but he always has.

By Dawnk777 on Wednesday, October 22, 2003 - 10:41 am:

If we had been in a house when it was time for dd11 to give up the crib, we would have probably gone for a big bed right away. As it turned out, we didn't have enough room in their bedroom for another twin bed, so the toddler bed made sense for us.

When we moved, we gave it to a friend who had a child the right size, so it didn't go to waste.

By Mommymindy on Wednesday, October 22, 2003 - 11:08 am:

We bought my son's bed (which is now my daughter's bed) toddler bed at a yard sale for 15 dollars, including a mattress with plastic on it still. The mom said her son has always slept with her & refused to sleep in his own bed! My son's bed is the yellow volkswagon type car bed with the sunroof? My friend gave it to me when her 6 year old grew out of it! We were blessed!

By Kaye on Wednesday, October 22, 2003 - 12:34 pm:

We did a toddler bed with two of our 3 kids. I agree it is time to just go ahead and move them to beds and not a crib. It is tough to move them, it changes their sleep habits and it can be a tough adjustment. But you have to move them when they climb out and that really could be any day now. Good luck! good advice on the gate and childproof, childproof. I might even consider seperating their beds in different rooms until they got used to sleeping in them. I can't imagine just how tempting it would be to have someone to play with!

By Dawnk777 on Wednesday, October 22, 2003 - 02:33 pm:

After my kids had slept in the same room together for three years, there first here in this house, they both slept in Emily's bed! I think they couldn't bear to be apart from each other. It's a Cape Cod house and DD14 is the only one upstairs. They were 7 and 4 when we moved here 7 years ago. We should have taken a picture! They only did that one night and after that, each slept in their own bed.

By Feona on Wednesday, October 22, 2003 - 03:12 pm:

I think I would just go with the twin sized beds with the rails on the floor if possible.