Toddler sleep accommodations at Grandma’s

[lisa]

We’re outgrowing our pack n plays. (16 months, swiftly approaching 30 lbs.)

What’s next?…

It’s too late to buy proper cribs. But they don’t know how to sleep in floor beds; they’d go wild.

I am thinking maybe we invest in twin beds with guard rails from Amazon that go the whole way around them. Obviously twin beds would be a long-term sleep option for use by anyone in the family.

Have you tried the all-around rails?

Is there a better solution I’m missing?

 

[lasiilea]

@lisa We recently purchased an inflatable toddler bed since it was on sale. It took a day and a half (2 naps and 1 night) for our kids to get used to it, but it worked!

 

[lisa]

@lasiilea Did you practice at home? Or you learned while traveling?

 

[lasiilea]

@lisa While traveling. Figured sleep is already disrupted so let's see how it goes. Risky, but it worked.

 

[seckel]

@lisa Heh, we put our girls in pack and plays at 3 years old on vacation this summer, and they did fine. They would have had to lie diagonally to COMPLETELY stretch out, but they mostly sleep curled up. It was definitely the end of the road for the pack and plays though.

 

[lisa]

@seckel Did they ever complain?

I’m guessing mine were pissed about the pack n plays, but I suppose it could have been other Christmas-related feelings that were causing strife at nap time and bedtime.

 

[tomorrowsworld]

@lisa Idk you can usually find some superrrrr cheap or free cribs on fb marketplace, id still go that route for now as they will probably stay in them until 2.5 years.

 

[sb_]

@tomorrowsworld This, or see if your local area/neighborhood has a buy nothing group - people in ours are frequently getting rid of cribs or have some they are willing to lend out (depending on how frequently they'd be sleeping at grandma's house).

 

[lisa]

@sb_ Ugh. Money isn’t really the obstacle. The fact that I insisted to my mother in law 16 months ago that she didn’t need to get cribs is the obstacle.

 

[sb_]

@lisa Haha I get it! How often are they sleeping there? For what it's worth, mine would go crazy sleeping out of cribs at home, but have done fine when we've made a little blanket pallet at other places occasionally. They also sleep on little nap mats at daycare regularly, but I think they have the social pressure there to stay in their beds, and an adult stays in the room.

 

[lisa]

@sb_ Meh, 1 night a month. Occasionally 2, like Christmas.

We do have a pop up playpen type thing there. Maybe I could put mats inside the pen.

Thanks!

 

[ethebear]

@lisa We did inflatable beds around 2 years old. Let them figure it out whilst traveling in an empty room. First few nights were a challenge, mostly because they wanted to climb in with brother. I’m glad that we kept working at it though as we’re traveling pretty frequently and these blow up beds are consistent for them. They’re actually giving me the confidence to swap to toddler or twin beds at home (still in cribs, almost 3 and ~30 lbs)

 

[nativenewyorker1980]

@lisa Adult beds aren't safe until 2. You could do a toddler bed but it would need to be a completely baby proofed room, and they'd have to learn to stay in it. If they're not in toddler beds at home too that could be a struggle. You could get cribs that convert to toddler beds and they'd be able to use them for like 3 more years