Somewhere between potty training and staring kindergarten is a good time to make the switch from crib to a toddler bed. Even though your little one might be in preschool, they could still be sleeping in a crib. Nothing wrong with that. But by the time they are ready for kindergarten they will definitely be too big for the crib. You also want to wait until after the potty training because you don’t want to give them too much to process. Here are some other things you can do to get your toddler ready for a big bed:

Set New Rules

As with any milestone, there are new rules. When a baby learns to stand, they also have to learn not to pull things off of tables. A toddler bed allows for “in and out” privileges that weren’t around during the crib years. Just because they have that freedom doesn’t mean they can explore. You should let your child know that they can only leave the bed by asking permission.

There might also be an issue of crawling into bed with you. That is fine during the occasional thunderstorm but you don’t want to get into the habit. Even if they come to sleep in your bed, you should carry them back to their own bed. That is where they should wake up.

Increase Safety

Of course, just because you tell a child a rule, doesn’t mean they’re going to follow it. They’re going to get out of that bed at night if for no other reason than to test their boundaries. A bedroom on the second floor would benefit from a security gate at the top of the stairs. Elsewhere throughout the house, you want to make sure kitchen, bathroom and medicine cabinets are secure and out of reach.

It will help to place the new bed in the same position as the crib. Keep it away from windows and blind cords. To make room, you might need to tap the services of Junk King St. Petersburg. These are professional junk haulers who can make quick work of clearing out your toddler’s bedroom of all the stuff they’ve outgrown. Those items can then be donated to a charity so nothing goes to waste. The best approach to getting your toddler’s room ready for the big bed is hiring Junk King St. Petersburg.