Happy Monday friends! If you follow me on Instagram, then you might have seen that we recently transitioned Elle from a crib to her brand new big girl bed! So far so good and she is loving it. Today I’m teaming up with Room & Board, which is one of our favorite furniture stores to share some tips on how make the transition with ease.
We have been huge fans of Room & Board for quite some time and love that their pieces are made from high quality materials that will last a lifetime. Another thing we love is that most pieces are customizable and come in a variety of different patterns, colors, materials, and sizes. Their employees are always super friendly and willing to help on those tough decisions too!
Her is what we got:
MODA BED
For Elle’s new bed we decided to go with the Moda Bed to match her Moda Dresser. We love the simple, functional design with a non-toxic lacquer finish that keeps to looking great from toddler to teen years.
This bed had a few personalizations to choose from including several wood finish options, foot board height, as well as drawer or pull out trundle bed add-ons. We chose white on white, with a low footboard, and 2 drawer option. We live in a condo so we are all about that storage space. The drawers have come in handy when finding a place for extra sheets, towels, blankets, and even toys.
MODA BED GUARDRAIL
We also got the matching guardrail so that Elle won’t fall out. It’s removable so once she learns how to sleep in a bed without falling out, we will be able to remove it without any visible marks shown.
The guardrails were designed for your child’s safety during their transition to a big kid bed. They seamlessly blend in with the rest of the bedroom and perfectly match the bed. I also love the fact that they are easy to remove for when it isn’t needed anymore.
I wasn’t totally sure how this transition would go so I’m sharing some tips on what worked for us:
1. INCLUDE THEM IN THE PROCESS
When figuring out which bed to get, I tried to include my daughter in the entire process. We went on Room & Board’s website and looked through all their bed options for kids. I knew I wanted to get the Moda Bed to match my daughter’s Moda Dresser, but still shared all the options with her. She ended up agreeing on it and loved the idea of drawers underneath to store all her toys…because let’s face it, we have too many!
I also had Elle help me choose the bedding. We went with this heart duvet cover and matching heart sheets from Pottery Barn Kids. It’s made from organic cotton and currently on sale! I love the subtle design and the fact that it easily matched the colors of Elle’s bedroom. They also have a few color options to choose from so you can mix and match.
2. INVEST IN A GUARDRAIL
To make the transition more smooth, we decided to get the matching guard rail for our Moda bed. When Room & Board delivered the bed, they assembled the guardrail and explained how to remove it easily once we no longer need it. We love it! It feels very sturdy and well made. It also makes the bed much more cozy.
3. CREATE A SLEEPING CHART
Now that your toddler is in a bed, they are able to run free and get out as they please. I realized this when my daughter came running into my room at 6AM asking me if it’s morning yet. She never used to climb out of her crib so we usually had her trapped in there until at least 7am.
Since Elle can’t really read a clock, I invested in this Hatch Time to Rise Nightlight. You can set a timer so that it changes green and shows them when it’s morning and time to get up. We then created a sleeping chart and every morning she sleeps until the light turns green (which we set for 7AM), she gets a star. Once she gets 10 stars, she gets a prize which will most likely be a toy she picks out from Walgreens. You can use these ideas and adjust them based on what works for you and your child.
4. CHOOSE A GREAT MATTRESS
Your child is growing and needs a certain amount of firmness to help with that. I always think it’s important to not only invest in great furniture that will last a lifetime, but also a great mattress that will do the same. We love our Naturepedic 2 in 1 Organic Kids Mattress for their durability and certified organic materials. I’m all about organic non-toxic since our child will be sleeping on this every night. We even got the matching Naturepedic Waterproof Mattress Pad to match.
5. FOLLOW THE SAME BEDTIME ROUTINE
With all the big changes happening, it’s important to keep that consistency. We like to follow the same sequence every night of bath time, pajama time, brushing teeth, reading stories, shadow puppets (we love using this flashlight), songs, and lights out. We also always try to put Elle to bed around the same time every night, which is between 7-8PM.
So there you have it, a few tips to help easily transition your toddler from a crib into a bed. So far Elle is doing great and we haven’t had any middle of the night wake ups. I even think she is cozier and more comfortable in this new big girl bed because it’s bigger and now has pillows and blankets.
When it comes to transitioning, everyone says to wait as long as possible, but Elle is on the taller side so I knew it was time. She is loving her new big girl bed from Room & Board and we are too!
SHOP THE POST
c/o Moda Bed // c/o Moda Bed Guardrail // Heart Duvet Cover // Heart Sheets
Duvet Insert // Organic Pillows // Elle’s Name Banner // Hatch Time to Rise Nightlight
c/o Naturepedic 2 in 1 Organic Kids Mattress // c/o Naturepedic Waterproof Mattress Pad
*In collaboration with Room & Board.