Good Toddler Bed Alternative

My cribs don't convert to toddler beds, so I was faced with the choice between buying toddler beds or twin beds. I found these air mattresses that take fitted crib sheets, but also have a bolster all of the way around them, so they are larger than a crib mattress and that bolster is more like the sides of their crib and holds in their lovies, etc. I have had mine out next to my cribs, and have told the girls for the last six months that they could start using them whenever they were ready. They'd use them a couple of nights, then to back to cribs, then try them again a couple of weeks later, etc. If they started messing with their monitor or lamp cord, I'd put them back in their cribs, so the big-kid beds were a reward. They're using them now consistently, and I'm very pleased with them.

I really like that they are great travel beds, so I get a dual use out of them. They offer a special for two beds for $129, and each bed includes a bag and air pump. This bed has no plastic smell, even when brand new. The company says on it's website that it uses only the safest plastic and materials.

Here is the website-

 

interesting. so what sheets do you use with them? I assume crib sheets are too small?

these look neat. thanks for sharing.

 

They use crib sheets, so I use my same mattress pad and sheets. They tuck in well. I'm really pleased with them.

 

Can I just say that this is freaking ingenious? We have ours in crib tents (as of this week :ibiggrin: ) but when we set up the toddler beds we have on hand, I'm going to do this!

Thanks for the tip.

 

I took that approach to PTing and it worked wonderfully, so I do that with all major transitions now. We try it, talk about how it's the "big kid" thing to do, go back to dipaers/cribs/pacis, try again later, and on and on. They want to be big kids, so they eventually figure it out, and we have no stress along the way. Whenever we see a kid in a big bed in a book or on TV (or not wearing a diaper or using a paci, drinking from an open cup, using utincils, etc.), or visit a friend's house, we talk about the big kid bed and all that goes with it, and they've absorbed it in their own time. I have crib tents too, so we could take it slow.