A Timeline of Our Toddler’s Beds
When you bought a crib, I always thought that was your baby’s crib until they were ready to graduate to a toddler or twin bed. Just one and done.
Then I learned about bassinets...
Then I learned about toddler beds...
Then I learned about Montessori floor beds...
Turns out your child will transition through a lot of different types of beds, from a bassinet to a crib and finally to a toddler bed. Here’s a timeline of the beds our now two-year-old toddler slept in from birth to today!
0 - 3 Months: Started with a Bassinet
Before Lee was born, Andrew’s sister gave us her hand-me-down Stokke Sleepi Crib/Bed. This crib is very handsome looking and I appreciated how it could expand from a small bassinet to a larger crib, growing with our baby.
That said, I found the elliptical shape to be a drawback; bedsheets are very difficult to find and expensive to restock. So, if you’re eyeing this beautiful crib, I would suggest factoring in the costs of the different mattresses, bedsheets, and pads into your total cost to determine if this particular model fits within your budget.
When Lee first came home from the hospital, we had our crib set up in the smaller bassinet size at a higher height. This height made it more comfortable for me to place Lee down as I recovered from the delivery. (If you’re an expecting parent and on the fence about whether or not to get a bassinet, read our blog post about why we feel you don’t need one but why you may want one.)
We also purchased the bassinet attachment for Lee’s UPPAbaby Cruz stroller. We used this bassinet attachment in place of a Dock-a-Tot or Moses basket and would place Lee in it when he napped. We would have Lee nap outside or in the sunnier living room to help regulate his circadian rhythm.
The first few months with Lee, we spent a lot of time strolling outside, so having a bassinet (instead of a car seat attachment) allowed Lee to move more freely, stretch out, and lay flat whenever he dozed off. This brought me peace of mind as I worried about uncomfortably restricting his movement.
3 - 8 Months: Expanded the Crib
After Lee started looking cramped in the bassinet-sized crib, we expanded his crib (to the Stokke Sleep Bed). We kept the crib height high because Lee wasn’t able to sit up on his own yet and, therefore, we did not worry about him climbing out of the crib.
8 Months: Lowered the Height of the Crib
Once Lee got the hang of sitting up on his own, we lowered the crib height a bit. But soon after that adjustment, Lee realized he could pull himself to standing with the crib bars. At that point, we lowered the crib height till it was only a few inches off the ground.
17 Months: Unexpectedly Switched to a Mat and then Mattress on the Floor
Shortly after we moved into a new apartment, Lee strongly protested his crib and would uncharacteristically wail whenever we put him down. We thought the crib was too small, so we removed the front panel to convert the enclosed crib into a partially open bed figuring it would make the bed feel bigger and more open. Unfortunately, Lee still put up a fight at having to sleep there.
One nap time, he flat-out refused to go in his crib and stubbornly nestled himself among the pillows in his reading nook. Lee’s reading nook is outfitted with a Standard Play Mat from Toki Mats; it’s a thin and soft padded play mat, but, according to Toki Mat’s website, is not intended for sleeping. Desperate for Lee to get some needed rest, I gave in and let him sleep on the mat (at the time I didn’t realize that was a no-no with the manufacturer). After that one nap, Lee would only sleep on this mat, for naps and bedtime.
Once we realized that this wasn’t a phase, we decided to transition Lee to a floor bed. We ordered Lee the Sprout Kids Montessori Floor Bed and the KRUMMELUR Foam Crib Mattress from IKEA. The crib mattress arrived before the bed frame, so we simply had Lee sleep on the mattress on the floor in the meantime.
19 Months - 2 Years: Montessori Floor Bed
Lee quickly took to his Montessori floor bed (for more on that transition, you can read our blog post on it here), likely because he was already sleeping on the mattress. While Lee probably would have happily continued sleeping just on the mattress, I appreciated the finishing touch the floor bed frame offered-- it made the space look pulled together and well-considered.