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The big transition. Your baby is no longer a baby (sigh) . You are ready to go from a crib to a toddler bed.. or are you?

This is a question I often get asked and here is some valuable information that I would like to share with you that will help make the crib to toddler bed transition easier.

1. When? How do we know when our child is ready to make the transition? It is always advisable to leave your child in their crib for as long as possible. Ideally until three years of age. A child’s comprehension level at three years-old to follow the bedtime rules and stay in bed, is much higher at three than at younger ages.

2. Safety. Does your child try to climb out of their crib? If so, before resorting to the crib to bed transition, try these few tips:

• If you have a sleigh crib with a higher back, turn your crib around so that the higher part is now at the front.
• Place your child in a sleep sac which will make it more difficult to lift their legs over the edge of the crib.
• MONITOR. It is ideal if you have a video monitor and can watch your child. The moment you see that leg lift , you would want to burst into the room and say “NO! DANGER” in your most serious tone of voice.

If none of these three things work and your child is still climbing, then for safety reasons, it may be time to transition.

3. How? Here are some tips on making the big move.

• Talk to your child. A couple weeks before you make a crib to toddler bed transition, talk to your child about what is about to take place. Get excited about it and include them on the preparation (ie helping to select the bed, choosing their linens etc)
• Sleep Rules. Have a family meeting where you can all sit down together and discuss your family sleep rules. You can get really creative with this one. Have your child decorate their Sleep Rules Chart and list your bedtime routine and discuss what the rules and expectations are when they get into their new toddler bed.

4. Consistency. Anytime there is a change or something new in a child’s life, it is always advisable to keep as much of their normal routine as possible. This is especially true with bedtime. Maintain your usual bedtime routine, make sure they have all their “comfort” objects like a lovie or favorite teddy bear, and avoid making too many exceptions in regards to what you do at bedtime. The more consistent you are with what they expect at bedtime, the smoother ” crib to toddler bed” experience you will have.

Did you know? Tracy Braunstein is the resident sleep expert for Piccolo Universe. Piccolo Universe founded by Ricky Martin is a place for parents and caregivers to discover, share, learn, and connect. As a regular sleep expert contributor Tracy shares her sleep training tips for Piccolo Universe readers and this article was originally published here.