Ok.... so here is the delimma..  As many of you know, I am due to have our second child in July, when our first will only be 15 months old. My question is should I buy the new baby a crib, changing table, etc. Or should I pass down our son's things (would work for boy or girl) and get our son a big boy bedroom set?  When did you guys move your children out of a crib and how did it work?  Did you put up railings?  Was the bed close to the floor?

Does your son's crib convet to a toddler bed?  It might be easier to use his crib converted and buy a new one.

First baby stayed in the crib until she was 2 and then we moved her to a big girl bed with rails.  I was already pregnant, so I wanted her to think she was just getting bigger so she could move up to a bed instead of feeling like her bed was being taken away for the new baby.

There are 5 1/2 years between babies 2 & 3, so this wasn't an issue.  I had to buy all brand new furniture....I had already given everything else away.  For baby 4, we were in the transition of moving into a new home, while staying with my parents, so the crib wouldn't fit into the space we were all sharing.  Baby 3 moved to a cot, baby 4 was in a carrier.  When we moved into our new home, baby 3 got a new bed which he totally loved (he was almost 3) and baby 4 got the crib when it came out of storage.

Fifteen months seems so young to be in a bed already, but your son might do really great.   I would probably get a second crib, but pass down the other furniture.  Just me 2 cents....

I agree with MommyO2.  But, if it is not a convertable crib I would pass it down and get a big boy bed for your 15 month old. 

 

Personally , I have to ask, Does the 15 mth old climb out or sleep well in crib? If comfy  leave the crib w baby. When infant arrives,  Do you have a bassinette? Or a cradle to use a few months?  A portacrib  or playpen?   I ask because its safer for both to be contained  until  they are ready  to  handle  the big beds w rails... and allow you safe respite to rest, or get stuff done...  

get a moses basket u can get 'em on ebay for less then 50 bucks and u can use it for 4 months or so or untill they start rolling then you can see if he's ready for a big bed or do you have to buy another we used a moses basket and just sat it on a table we had in our bedroom or you can put it on the floor or in bed with you if you want to it makes breastfeeding easier if you dont want to exactly cosleep

I was reading and thouht I would update my post to answer a few of the questions.  It is a convertable crib and we also bought the dressers and burough to match so we'd like to keep that set together.  he is only 8 1/2 months now and sleeps well in his crib and does not try to crawl out etc. 

 

Thanks everyone for their thoughts.  I'm struggling with the decision because I'd like to avoid buying another crib if I have to but I also want to put the baby right into their own room. ( i'm not a cosleeper or do I like to keep the baby in the room with me and my hubby. I think they do best when they get used to one sleeping arrangement and stick with it, but that is just our families thoughts....)

Well since the crib converts I would convert it and see how he does with it. If you think things are going really well then go out and buy a toddler bed and make him feel like a big boy. U can start to try when he turns like a year old. and give it like a month. Joyce was easy with this one cause she just up and desided she didnt want to be in a crib any more. She was around 1. Ok well just my thoughts here. Good Luck.

When we changed my son over to a bed at a year-lil' monkey climed out of crib- i started with mattress- box spring on floor with rail This way it was easier for him to get in and out of bed- then we became bigger we did the frame and headboard.  Your key might be to start a couple of months before the baby is born Take thecrib and put it out of sight so when the baby is born and it is time to use the crib he will be used to sleeping in the bed

put the older one in new bedroom furniture. get a safty rail to add to his bed so he wont roll out.

i put a gate up at livs bed room door so she cant get out of her room with out me.... which now as she gets older is proving itself useless.

good luck with the transition... make sure you do it way befor baby arrives so he dont feel like hes lossing his crib to a new pink bundel....

Joshua is my 10 month old and he has never been in a crib.  He started out in the playpen(it had a assessory that was like a mini bed that fit over the playpen) and now he is in bed with us. When he is a bit bigger he will get a  toddler bed. I agree with everyone. Do whatever you are going to do long before the baby comes that way the older one doesn't feel like he has to lose out because of the baby.

When I sold my son's crib and bought a big boy bed, he cried for days about it. He really preferred to stay in his crib, but by that time it was too late. It was gone. All the "big boy" talk did not console him. Finally, I asked him what he missed  so much about his crib, and he sobbed, "It was pretty, and it had blue flowers on it."  I immediately bought him some very pretty sheets with blue flowers, and he was a bit happier. He was somewhere between 15 months and 2 years at the time. This pattern of not letting go of familiar, comforting things  has continued. He's very sentimental and nostalgic, and he gets it from me.

It really depends on your child. Try it out and they'll let you know if they're ready or not. I moved Brianna into a big girl bed at 15 mos...but that's because she REFUSED to go to sleep in her crib and would scream and cry every time I lowered her into it. I tried her in my bed and she slept great so we got her a bed.

My son Joshua was pretty ok sleeping in his crib forever. I wasnt sure if he was ready but we had made him a Disney Cars bedroom complete with new Lightning McQueen toddler bed, so we gave it a shot around 18 mos, I think. He did fall out of bed a few times (Brianna never did) but toddler beds are like 6 inches off the ground or something and he learned to stay away from the edges quickly. I think those rails are wimpy unless they're on a real bed. lol

 

i'll add another thought...

why would you pay money for another crib? that it boggeling my brain... if the child is ok to be in toddler bed then step him up to that stage... you'll end up with way to many cribs and other furniture in about 3 yrs anyway then youd have to by all new again... this way you can get toddler bed and make big bro a big boy... then in 2 or 3 years pass to new baby and get big bro twin bed for the big kid room.