Life flies by once you become a parent, am I right? I feel like both of my kids were just babies and now one is starting the 3 rd grade and the other is 3 and on the brink of preschool. We kept our youngest in a crib for 3 years and decided to attempt to switch her when she turned 3. But how do you know when the time is right and how do you transition? I just surprised her with a big girl room and wanna share some things I learned from my first child when tranferring them to a toddler room. One of which is toddlers have this newfound independence and it can be hard acknowledging your baby isn’t really a baby anymore, even if he/she is to you.
Toddler Room Tips
Keep It Kid-Friendly
The most important first step is to find a safe toddler bed. Most cribs convert nowadays or if you choose to purchase a new bed, my suggestion would be one low to the ground. A toddler rail is also a good bet. Toddlers and kids for that matter move all around the bed. The few times our Charlie has slept with me I wake up with her horizontal in the bed with her feet kicking me in the back. I got this bed from Pottery Barn Kids because it’s extremely low to the ground so if she happens to fall out it wouldn’t be a big deal. Also because it is super cute like a tent or house and I’m looking to put fabric over it. I love bunk beds but I definitely wouldn’t put a child under the age of 5 on a top bunk so keep that in mind as well. (In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Consumer Product Safety Commission say that children under 6 should never sleep in a top bunk.)
Create A Nook
My kids have such an active imagination as I’m sure yours do as well. Charlie loves to “read” books and make up her own stories so even though she can’t read yet we created a small corner for her in the room for book & pretend time. Also her big sister loves to get in the tent and read to her as well. Giving them their own space also reinforces their sense of independence, since they can grab whatever books on their own and create their own world. We book this little shelving unit for her books so she could have easy access to them. Make sure you anchor any furniture in the room to prevent tipping especially if they’ll be trying to reach to get something off the top or too high.
Make Clothing Accessible
My little one is going through the “I can do it” stage and I’m sure you can relate. She wants to fix her own food, make her drinks and dress herself. I keep all of her clothes close to the ground so she has easy access to explore her individual style. I mean she may change her clothes 5 times a day but seeing how proud she is of each outfit eases the stress of cleanup a lot more. You could even get a miniature clothing stand for princess dresses or costumes.
Include Them On The Decisions
When we started designing her toddler/big girl room I started to get carried away with what I liked and didn’t realize she may want some inclusion. Clearly I will make the final call (i don’t want it to look like cartoons threw up in there) but I would ask her opinion like “which of these sheets do you like?” Including her on designing her room makes it really feel her own. She can’t wait to show it off anytime we have a visitor. She picked our the rainbow and stars theme and she cant wait to tell everyone about it. A story I read in Parents magazine said it helps them take ownership of their room.
Experiment With Print and Colors & Forgo Themed Rooms
I love mixing and matching patterns. I see so many neutral toned rooms and that’s ok if that’s your thing but children thrive in rooms with prints & colors. I also say no to themed rooms like superheroes, princess, emjoi, cartoon characters. The only reason I say this is kids will outgrow it so fast. I remember my sister begged for a Finding Nemo room and after all that money spent she outgrew it just as fast. If your kiddo is adamant about a speificx theme consider adding in gradual aspects. Subtle touches are easy to replace not entire themed rooms. That’ll keep you from having to re-decorate the entire room so quickly.
Have fun.
Just enjoy this stage of life. The mess wont kill you here and there. Make memories with your littles because these are the days we will be longing for in the end.
What are some of your favorite tips on how to transfer a child to a toddler room? Let me know in a comment below!
Shop Charlie’s Room below:
