It's finally come to that point in your child's life: he or she has outgrown the crib. Here is everything you need to easily transition your child's crib into a toddler bed.
If you're looking for tips on buying a crib, check out my crib-buying blog post on Zulily. I've also got more information in my how-to video.
Convert Crib to Bed
When my daughter turned 3, we converted her crib into a toddler bed. It was so easy to do because we purchased a crib that converted, as opposed to purchasing a crib and bed separately. All I had to do was remove one of the sides and attached the bed rail in its place. The bed rail keeps your kiddo from rolling out of the bed during the adjustment period.
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| Our crib had an adjustable mattress support and converted into a toddler bed when we were ready. |
New Mattress
You may need to buy a new mattress, which will be the same size as your original crib mattress. (Or at least it was for us.) If the mattress is showing signs of wear and tear from your baby standing up and walking on it in the crib, then you'll want to keep your child comfortable with a new mattress.
Waterproof Mattress Cover
Because this transition might also be taking place during potty training, I recommend purchasing a waterproof mattress cover. I have a great one that is machine washable, so the few times there were accidents, it was very easy to clean.
Toddler Sheets
I also recommend buying two sheet sets. I like to have two for a couple reasons:
1. If there's an accident, you can throw the soiled sheets in the laundry and quickly put on fresh sheets so your child can keep sleeping.
2. When I change sheets, I don't always wash them right away. I just put them in the dirty towel/sheet hamper. So while the dirty sheets are waiting to be washed, I've got clean sheets to replace them.
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| Kids will love picking out their own sheets! |
Toddler Pillow
A pillow is also a great must-have for the toddler bed. We have one from KeaBabies that is specially designed for kids ages 2 to 5. The pillow is hypoallergenic and comes in its own 100-percent cotton pillowcase.
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