7 Tips to Create a Big-Kid Room Your Toddler WIll Love

Sometime between 18 months to around 3 years old, it will be time for your child's room to change from an infant's nursery to a toddler's big-kid room space. The wide range in appropriate ages is necessary to ensure that this transition is conducted on a schedule based upon your child's developmental and safety needs and not parental convenience. In most cases, the nursery transforms when children move from a baby crib to a toddler or twin bed. So how do you know if your child is ready? It's time to move your child from his infant crib to a toddler or twin bed before he is capable of climbing over the crib railing. It's a safety issue and parents need to take steps to avoid their toddler potentially falling to the floor and injuring themselves. The Danny Foundation, dedicated to the safety of all products manufactured for children, provides a rough estimate of two years as the age to plan for the change.

1) Decide Upon Your Mattress Purchase Strategy

Toddler room image by eyeliam via Flickr. The first task on this list will be mattress shopping. There are two primary choices: a toddler bed or a twin bed. Toddler beds are designed to look like cars or other desirable objects while still providing the safety of bed rails to prevent falls. They can be expensive — especially when purchased new — and toddlers often outgrow them within 18-24 months, requiring the purchase of yet another bed. On the other hand, a twin bed equipped with one or two temporary safety rails could conceivably see your child through to college. Some are even designed with removable or adjustable legs to have the bed as close to the floor as possible and thus minimize the height of any fall. Do not purchase a twin bed with a headboard that features decorative cutouts, advises WhatToExpect.com. While stylish, they can prove deadly or harmful.

2) One Change at a Time

It will be easier on everyone involved if this change is scheduled during a time relatively free of other transitions for your child. The birth of a new sibling, the move to a new home, the initiation of potty training or the weening-off of a baby bottle are all potentially stressful and it's best to postpone the optional ones to allow a child to adapt to transitions that life forces upon the family. If the change is the birth of a new sibling, begin plans for the bed change 6-8 weeks before the new infant is due.

3) Involve the Toddler in Selecting Bedding & Furnishings

Allow the toddler to pick out his preferred sheets and bedspread to emphasize how "big" he is and help avoid issues over missed baby blankets and favorite crib toys. If finances permit, the child's preferred motif can be emphasized by adopting the same design for a rocker's pillow or temporary wall displays.

4) Place the Big-kid Bed in the Crib's Old Spot

Parents should place the new big-kid bed in the same part of the room as the crib occupied to minimize shock. Every expert emphasizes that the crib should be disassembled and put away, if even temporarily so that a child is not torn between familiar versus new.

5) Your Baby is Now Mobile

It is crucial that you plan for your child's new mobility. In some homes, once up and active, there is little to keep them from opening the front door or getting into the trash. A baby gate at the doorway of the toddler's room or doorknob gadgets that prevent children from opening the bedroom door from the inside are good investments at this stage.

6) Safety Issues, From a Child's Perspective

On hands and knees, parents should explore the big-kid room for any safety issues. Electrical plugs, dresser drawers, curtain or window shade pulls and window locks need to all be in place since your toddler may be active and unsupervised. Supplies from the bottom of the changing table — if still in the room — should be removed and relocated to a closet to avoid a toddler's accidental discovery and use of baby powder, Vaseline and other ointments.

7) Keep Things Close at Hand

Finally, place beloved toys and books in baskets or other containers on or near the floor. Although decorative, avoid using shelves to display desirable objects that might prompt Tarzan-like climbing.