Dr. Organic Mommy

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Transitioning out of the Crib

When do you transition your child out of the crib?
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The later the better, although all children are different. By later, I don’t mean college but I mean not before three years old. There are exceptions, such as when it becomes dangerous and children are crawling out of the crib. There are steps to take not only to address it but to prevent it when it happens. 
Putting your child in a sleep sack (this one is @halosleep ) can help prevent your little one from being able to lift their leg over the rail. 
I use this for both nap and nighttime for my almost 2-year-old. 
Some children develop the arm strength to lift and swing themselves over the rail despite having a sleep sack on. This is when you take apart your crib frame and drop the mattress to the floor. 
There are some toddlers where the crib just does not work, thus transitioning to a toddler bed or a twin bed is the best option. To ensure their safety, make sure everything is properly bolted to the wall (ie dressers, shelves, etc) and if they continue to leave their room by themselves then putting a baby gate up at their door becomes necessary. It is important to explain to your toddler that “it’s my job to keep you safe and I can't do that if you leave your room without me seeing." When transitioning to a bed, make sure to use the following language: “a bed is just like your crib. You stay in your bed just like your crib when you sleep.”