What do you think of this?

DS will be 18 months old when our next child is born. The baby will sleep in the bassinette for approximately 3 months, that will bring DS to 21 months and of course the baby to 3 months.

I thought I would put the new baby in the Pack n' Go playpen/crib until DS is 2 years then move DS to a regular twin bed with a side railing.

Does this make sense? Do you think by 2 he will be ready for a regular bed? What about the safety of the Pack N' Go for everyday use an infant 4 to 6 months?

I hoping that I don't have to purchase another crib.

TIA

By Kaye on Monday, April 4, 2005 - 01:36 pm:

My first two are 19 months apart. I moved number one to a bed at about a year. In hindsight I wish I hadn't because bedtime became hard after that! But age wise, a lot of kids are in reg beds by age 2. Some because of a new baby, some because they are climbers, etc. You will know. You can put them in a toddler bed so they aren't so far from the floor, you could just put a mattress on the floor (just not near the wall). Put a gate on the door and then you are fine.

As far as the port a crib, I don't recommend that. It isn't as comfy, also it is MUCH harder to lay a little one down in that, you sure have to lean over far. Maybe you could borrow a crib from a friend?

Honestly I would probably just play it by ear. It is amazing just how "big" your oldest will seem once you get the baby home.

By Colette on Monday, April 4, 2005 - 01:39 pm:

You shouldn't have to purchase another crib. My dd was 20 ms when ds was born. I bought her a regular twin bed and I also bought the side railings. I moved her just before ds was born (maybe a couple of weeks so she could get used to it) She never fell out, we never had a problem. She did look tiny in the bed but she was fine. None of my dks slept well in the portable cribs so I wouldn't do that. Make a BIG deal about the big boy bed. Pick out bedding that he will LOVE.

By Kate on Monday, April 4, 2005 - 01:41 pm:

Personally I'd do what I could to get another crib. Maybe you could borrow one from a friend? Or just buy a lesser expensive one? I wouldn't count on your son being 'ready' at two to move to a bed. He might be, but with all the changes coming his way he might really balk at it and it might be too traumatic for him. I also don't think pack n' plays are very comfy for everyday use (not that I've slept in them personally, LOL!) I do know they are NOISY and your baby's moving around might wake him up, or wake you up, too. They're just so CRINKLY sounding. I don't like them except on occasional use. Your baby will be so close to the floor, too. I don't know what the weather will be when he's in it, but it might be extra chilly waaaaay down there. Not to mention the wear and tear on your back getting him in and out of it for naps and bed on a daily basis. And if he falls asleep and you try to lay him down without waking him, I think it would be very hard to do that having to bend over to practically the floor.

I know a crib and mattress is pricey, but I'd try borrowing or a secondhand store, or just a cheaper version this time around. Good luck.

By Amecmom on Monday, April 4, 2005 - 01:46 pm:

ditto Kate. It may seem like an unnecessary expense, but it will be worth it to your sanity in the long run.
Ame

By My2cuties on Monday, April 4, 2005 - 01:47 pm:

Both of my girls were in toddler beds by the time they were around 20 months old. Katelyn got the crib when she was born and we have just kept passing it down..Hailey when she was born and now Lauren when she is born will have it, we have never bought another crib, just new toddler beds. I think he should be ready by the time he is 2. Good Luck, and I am sure he will love his new big boy bed.

By Palmbchprincess on Monday, April 4, 2005 - 02:22 pm:

I think you should either go with a toddler bed or a regular bed. My kids were out of cribs before age 2 because they would climb out of their cribs.

By Dawnk777 on Monday, April 4, 2005 - 03:04 pm:

Sarah went to a big bed at 21 months. Emily went to a toddler bed at 20 months. I was sick of dealing with the crib by that time, so down it went. They both did fine. I had a siderail thingie that I used for a while for both of them.

Emily was just about ready to climb out of the crib, and I didn't want her getting hurt, so that made me take the crib down.

By Dandjmom on Monday, April 4, 2005 - 03:12 pm:

I think a toddler bed w/rails is the way to go for your son. I also think that its a good idea for you to make him feel as comfortable by giving up hias crib, express to him that big boys sleep in big boy beds and that the crib is for his baby bother/sister. Make it about him, tak ehim to the store and let him pick out his favorite charcter sheet set. I think he will do fine. If you decide that you wna tto go with a crib, they do have the portable cribs now , they are just like a regular crib except for they are shorter to me and the mattress sdo coem with them , and you can find them at Toys r' Us, Babies R' Us, Burlington Baby Depot for around 74.99-89.99. Good luck on what ever you decide.

By Bellajoe on Monday, April 4, 2005 - 03:41 pm:

My dd was 18 months old when my ds was born. He slept in the pack n' play bassinet in my room for about 2 to 3 months. At that time dd who was arround 21 months got moved to her big girl bed and ds was moved to the crib. My dd had no trouble at all going from her crib to her big girl bed. She was actually sleeping in the bed for a week or so (with crib still in the room) before baby took over the crib.

Oh and of course she had the side rails on the bed for quite a while.

As for the loudness and crinkly sound of the pack n play that someone mentioned. Remember that newborns do not really move around all that much when they sleep. So it won't make that much noise. When my ds was older and slept in it when we went on vacation, i layed a nice soft blanket on the pad and then put the sheet over it. This way it was more comfy for baby and less noisy. But it was not soooo cushy that it could suffocate the baby at all. Beleive me, i am paranoid about that!

By Melanie on Monday, April 4, 2005 - 05:19 pm:

We moved oldest ds to a regular bed at 17 months. There is 20 months between him and his brother. We had no issues switching him to a bed at that time.

By Tink on Monday, April 4, 2005 - 09:18 pm:

My kids were both into a toddler bed by the time they were 20 months. I think my oldest might have been more like 18 months. I would get a toddler or even a twin bed. My son slept in his playpen a lot. He loved it.

By Heaventree on Monday, April 4, 2005 - 09:28 pm:

Thanks for all of the input. One thing I don't get though, why buy a toddler bed?

I know that it's smaller, but it will never serve a long term purpose and it seems to be just an added expense. A twin will take them up to at least their teen years.

First the bassinette, I know some skip this but I wanted the baby close and to have easy access for nursing. Then the crib and today everyone seems to need a travel bed (pack n' go), then a toddler bed and then a twin bed! Lots of beds for one little person .

We already have a double bed in the room which will eventually become DS's new bedroom. DH just wants to use the double, but I think it's too big and takes up too much of the room.

I'm hoping DS will be ready for a bed without me having to go and buy another crib. I have a feeling it won't be long before he tries climbing out of the crib anyway, he's already started with the stroller and the high chair. I feel like hawk eye these days. As for borrowing another crib, ALL of my friends are having babies at the same time. There's a baby boom going on! Babies, Babies Everywhere!

By Tink on Monday, April 4, 2005 - 11:06 pm:

We bought a toddler bed for my oldest because we thought they were sooo cute and just had to have one. We have kept it to use for all of my dks. Looking back on it, I wouldn't have bothered with it. I would have gone straight to a twin or double bed. I think a double bed sounds great because they have more room to move around without falling out. There are plenty of side rails that you can add to the double bed.

By Vicki on Monday, April 4, 2005 - 11:11 pm:

Dd loved her toddler bed. I think because it is the same size as a crib, it helped make the transition easier?? I think she might have felt a little lost in a twin bed right off the bat. I don't know, maybe not.

By Dawnk777 on Tuesday, April 5, 2005 - 12:50 am:

We bought a toddler bed, because we were renting at the time and had both the kids in one room. There wasn't room for another twin bed, unless we went to bunk beds. If we had been in a different place, or already had our house, then we would have just gotten a twin bed.

Sarah went right to a twin bed. I stuck in the corner and had a siderail on just the one side.

By Kittycat_26 on Tuesday, April 5, 2005 - 08:03 am:

We did the toddler bed just because my dad built it for Timmy. I was going to just buy a twin bed but then he decided to make it. If he hadn't, I'd have not bothered. I just considered it alot of money for something that wouldn't last all that long.

By Conni on Tuesday, April 5, 2005 - 08:26 am:

18 mos between my older boys. I moved my oldest ds to a toddler bed when I moved middle ds from bassinet to crib... There were no issues. It wasnt too long after that - that I moved him too a regular bed with a side rail.

Good luck!

By Fraggle on Tuesday, April 5, 2005 - 06:57 pm:

My oldest DD went right to a double bed after the crib. We put the mattress and boxspring on the floor so she was able to climb into it. Once she got taller we put it back on its base. She has always loved having a big bed-more room for her dolls and stuffies.

My youngest DD had a crib that transitioned to a toddler bed, she didn't last long in it-I think the mattress was too hard or something, she kept waking up in the middle of the night. So after a few months she ended up in a regular bed, too.

By Christylee on Thursday, April 7, 2005 - 09:25 pm:

We have a toddler bed, my son is 4 and still sleeps in it. The main reason we got is due to room but even at 4 he still fits fine so I will keep it until we move where he has his own room.

By Christylee on Thursday, April 7, 2005 - 09:26 pm:

Also you can get an inexpensive toddler bed at walmart for about $25.00 and then you just need to buy a matress.

By Tink on Thursday, April 7, 2005 - 11:32 pm:

Be very careful about the toddler bed you pick up. There are several posts here about Crystal's (palmbchprincess) dd, whose leg was broken very badly, due to a Graco bed from Walmart. I believe this one was sold as a crib that transitioned into a toddler bed.

By My2cuties on Friday, April 8, 2005 - 09:13 am:

Katelyn still fits fine in her toddler bed too and she is 3 1/2. I think the reason we got it instead of a twin (besides the lack of room) was to save a few hundred dollars. The bed she wants is right around $600, so we will wait until we move into a house. I think that the reason most people move the children into a toddler bed after a crib is because it is closer to the floor than a twin or full and easier for them to get into by themselves, make sense?

By Trina~moderator on Friday, April 8, 2005 - 09:37 am:

We never bothered with toddler beds. Like Fraggle, both kids went from the crib to a full size mattress, starting out on the floor.

My kids are 22 mos. apart and we moved to a new state when DD (#2) was 6 wks. old. With all the commotion going on in our lives I didn't want to rush DS out of the crib. DD was in a bassinette for the first 2 or 3 mos. and the plan was to put her in a Pac-n-Play until DS was out of the crib BUT we ended up buying another crib after all. DS's crib was a hand-me-down and the rungs were starting to loosen so we chose to get a new one for DD.

By Breann on Friday, April 8, 2005 - 09:36 pm:

My kids were out of the crib shortly after their first birthday.
I would just buy him a regular bed.
We skipped the toddler beds alltogether. IMO they are a waste of money.
Good luck!

By Karefl on Friday, April 8, 2005 - 11:30 pm:

All of my kids were out of a crib by age 2. The oldest and youngest at about 19 mo. & the middle got a bed at around 2. We went with This End Up beds that have a railing the ENTIRE length of the beds. It can be removed when the child is older. For my youngest, we actually passed one of his brother's beds to him & ordered the parts that we needed to convert the other one to a bottom bunk. We had to order the parts online though b/c another company bought all of the plans after the stores went out of business a few years back. They were a bit more expensive than some other beds, but have lasted wonerfully & my 12 yo show no signs of growing out of it. They're the size of regular twin beds & not small like normal bunks.