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From Crib to Bed
Helping Toddlers Make the Transition to a Big Bed
By Keath Castelloe Low
"Once a toddler moves from a crib to a bed, you have to pay a lot more attention to middle-of-the-night safety," Douglas says. "Fortunately, you can purchase products like door alarms, toilet locks and other pieces of child proofing equipment to make your home safer."
Douglas says that your "parent radar" is typically the best safety tool. "You know what noises sound strange or alarming in the middle of the night and when you need to hop out of bed to find out if your toddler is somewhere he shouldn't be," she says.
Hannah Keeley, mother of seven, television personality, lifestyle expert and author of several books, including Hannah Keeley's Total Mom Makeover: A Six-Week Program to Completely Transform Your Home, Health, Family and Life (Little, Brown & Co., 2007), says that another safety concern is a child rolling off the bed while sleeping.
"Honestly, with seven kids, we only had problems with one ... the first," Keeley says. "I think it took the 'trial' baby to figure out what works and what doesn't." She suggests pushing the bed against the wall to provide protection on one side. You may also want to use a bed rail on the open side. Pillows on the ground help cushion a fall.
Another choice is a toddler bed. They are typically smaller and lower to the ground than regular beds. If you don't want to purchase a toddler bed, place a single mattress on the floor. These options help make a roll off the bed less worrisome.
