Today we reached a bittersweet milestone, the transition from crib to toddler bed. I’ve been waiting for almost three years to reach this day and now that its finally come and gone I’m feeling much different about it than I thought I would. Sure, it’s exciting to see our little guy gain one more notch in his belt toward independence but it also made me feel unexpectedly sad.
They Grow Up So Fast
A cliche’ to be sure and something we’ve been hearing since the day our oldest was born. I was so tired of hearing that phrase from people but you know what? Cliches exist because they’re true. All too true, but you don’t realize it when you’re immersed in the daily task of teaching your child and wanting him to understand and adapt to the world around him.
I know I’m sounding dramatic but cherish every single moment, even the tantrums and throwing of toys. Every single moment.
Practical Advice for Transitioning from Crib to Bed
It’s only the second night but so far it’s been fairly easy as far as I’m concerned. I thought for sure the first night would be sleepless for us. I imagined the worst case scenario. That our little dude would be up all night playing in his room instead of in his bed now that he is able to freely get out of bed any time he wants.
Fortunately for us, he stayed in his bed and fell asleep rather quickly after the normal routine of book reading and a couple of visits back to his room for “more milk” and “rub my back”. Yes, he does have us trained in some respects, but he also knows that when Daddy says “OK. Daddy is going to bed now and it’s time to sleep.” that means that I’m not coming back in the room.
I think we’ve had it easy these past two nights because we prepped him for a few weeks before getting the toddler bed. We would say things like “Ziggy is going to get a new bed soon.” and “You can get in and out of your new bed all by yourself.” I even showed him a printed picture of his new bed from the Ikea website to give him a visual of what the new bed would look like.
We also let him be part of the experience of getting the “big boy bed” bed and disassembling the crib and putting the new bed together.
There were no surprises or abrupt changes to his routine and this was the key to an easier transition.
