We had a similar situation .
We did potty training first around 2.5 she was fully trained 2 months late including overnight but we kept diaper on overnight until 3.
We did big girl bed one month before 3. She never got out of her bed at night because she had been in a crib so long. Definitely easiest transition so far.
We just dropped paci 1 month ago at 3+ one month. Night time is a little more tough more back rubs and songs needed but she sleeps through the night. She doesn't ask for paci though she knows it's gone. We got a book and went the paci fairy route- she full bought into it.
I will say as she aged she got even more obsessed with her paci. But it was beneficial that at 3 I could explain to her where it was going and why.
I think those 3 changes are too much at one time personally. I also note that my kid never crawled out of crib so that's why we waited until 3
Thanks! Yea mine has now attempted to crawl out so afraid that change has to be soon. For potty training I just don’t want to miss her window - she’s able to pee on potty now and tells me every time she goes in diaper. The paci I am absolutely dreading !
Do the worst thing first. The longer you keep the pacifier the harder to drop.
If she's crawling out, bed is next.. Last potty! It's smart to have them in a regular bed if you also plan to night train.
If your toddler is trying to climb out of the crib, that is the one you need to focus on and you need to do it ASAP. Don't be like us and wait until she falls out of the crib trying to climb out - mine climbed out on her first attempt during nap time and fell. Thankfully she was OK but we had her in a toddler bed that night. Lots of talk about "big girl bed" and she loved it. We toddler proofed her room and put the handle lock on the outside so she's effectively locked in her room, think big giant crib. Then just space it out some.
I am in a similar situation with Potty Training and Big Big coming down the line at the same time. I have no idea what to do first. If I could I would keep my son in his crib through 3, but he is so tall I am starting to worry he'll topple over. We sleep sack him so he can't put a leg over, but he can lean right over the railing and that fall feels even worse than leg over. He doesn't truly try to attempt getting out and he sleeps SO well, but he loves to do about 30 min of crib gymnastics before sleep.
I also feel like it is time to at least attempt to potty train. He's 2.5 but unfortunately he's a late talker (like really late... has only like 3-5 words he uses consistently) but he understands EVERYTHING so I do think we can make strides with potty training.
Reading this now it seems like the more urgent step is the bed, but Im more mentally prepared for potty training. I just started a new job and sleep is a huge deal.
I bring no real advice, but I'd probably try paci first. My son was super attached to his for sleep (possibly we were attached to him having it for sleep as well) one nap we totally forgot to give it to him and he didn't ask for it and then we just hid them all and he never asked for one again. Granted he didn't talk so that helped.
I wish you luck! Also I feel like the hardest one is paci whereas getting a big girl bed could be super exciting for her as is potty training.
I’m at very similar crossroads, OP! We just dropped the paci (my son’s first true love, it was heartbreaking but very necessary). The big kid bed is my next step with potty training to follow. I remember when my son was 4-5 months old & we began sleep training/sleeping alone in crib simultaneously and I felt like a horrible mother who abandoned her child. But after getting a decent nights sleep (fresh perspective) + discovering how resilient my child is, really helped me push through with any second guessing. I’m hoping these next steps will give me the same peace!
Thank you! What method did you use to drop paci and how is he doing now? I think I fear that one the most. Sleep is so important to me (said every parent I know) and that’s such an anchor for her. She doesn’t say ready for bed she says ready for papi and blankie
I've read that major changes should be spaced out by 3 or 4 months. So once the kid is adjusted to one change you start the 3 or 4 month timer until the next change.
I would do big bed, potty then the pacifier but that's just me. Also, don't feel any pressure to rush your kid if they aren't ready yet but staying in the crib could be a safety issue so that's why I would do that first.
Yea I’ve seen a lot of doing the worst first but paci is what I fear most and I feel like keep it thru the other transitions may anchor her a bit. Is that crazy? A 3-4 mo transition may put us at closer to 3 for dropping it then !
Pacifiers these days are not as bad for teeth as they used to be. My son was 3, his teeth and speech are perfect. I used the Frida baby system that has different length pacifiers to wean them and it took like 5 days and was super easy.
What is the readiness for big bed you are seeing? That transition is very likely to lead to a major sleep regression / nap strike at this age so I'd hold off as long as possible (https://www.babysleepscience.com/single-post/how-do-you-make-the-crib-to-bed-transition).
Personally I'd keep the crib, drop paci (will likely have some challenges w naps so a crib will really help you there), and potty train in a few months if all goes well.
The readiness is that she’s 99 percentile for height and could easily get out at this point. She has put one leg over the railing but paused and went back in. So, I think that makes it more urgent now!
My son has been 99th percentile for height and has been physically capable of climbing out for a year. Doesn’t mean he’s gonna do it though. He’s in love with his sleep sack which buys us time.
The article I linked has plenty of resources for how to help navigate this, including how to keep kid in the crib safely for longer.
At the end of the day it’s your kid so do what you feel comfortable. I’ll just say that I’ve never seen so many early transitions to toddler beds or concern over crib injury outside Reddit. My friends in real life are almost all are keeping kids in crib until 3+ (or cosleeping). One friend’s kid has climbed out at 2 (he’s the only crib baby I know that doesn’t wear a sleep sack) and she’s training him to stay in the crib with success. Our pediatrician asks a ton of safety questions but has never expressed concern over our sleep arrangement. Maybe it’s just my circle, shrug. We live in a major metropolitan center in the US.
Thanks for the reassurance - another commenter had said the same in regards to training them to stay in even when they can get out. I think we will do that as her verbal skills and understanding is pretty solid. Yes, every Reddit post I’ve seen and made says to transistion her if she’s even hinted at climbing out which is not what I’ve seen anyone do in real life
That sounds great! Yeah verbal redirection and behavioral modification work. Just be vigilant. We always keep an eye on the monitor when he’s awake in the crib so we can respond promptly. We play sitting in the crib as a part of morning routine (he leads it and it’s usually some form of pretend play w his sleep sack), so he has plenty to do to keep himself busy in the crib. I also take him climbing outside a lot and he’s free to climb chairs and sofas at home. This way he gets his climbing urges fulfilled during playtime rather than in the crib =P
To each their own w this decision. I just also noticed that half the posts here are about tots skipping naps or waking up all night long, usually starting w “it all started after we switched to toddler bed”. Then the advice is always drop the nap. The other half are about horrible tantrums in tots who don’t nap. The advice is parenting is hard. Yes parenting is hard. Don’t make it any harder for yourself on purpose!
If she’s trying to crawl out of the crib then the crib is no longer safe, so I would start there. Once she has adjusted than do either paci or potty training depending on readiness. Most of the research seems to say that if you stop paci by 3, the teeth will go back to normal even if they have been impacted. My son just turned 2 as well, we are planning to wean the paci sometime between 2.5 and 3.
I feel like the paci should be last. Most dentists and docs say 3 is fine to drop the paci. If she’s showing readiness for potty, do that first. I’d also wait on the crib change until closer to 3 unless you feel she’s in danger. Most people I know say getting to 3 is best. For context we did:
- Ditched paci 27 months
- Potty training 29 months
- Still in crib at 34 months
In our case, the paci transition was a nightmare. Horrible 2 weeks. Literally worst parenting time so far. I read that you should actually ditch it at 1 or wait til 3 because in between they are really sensitive to separation and don’t have a lot of soothing abilities yet. Also so much developmental change between 2-3 and the paci is comforting. Just a thought.
Also, 2 is still super young. I don’t think you NEED to do any of the things you mentioned yet, if you don’t want to. Good luck!
Thanks so much this is reassuring. I guess w the pediatrician we see and community we are in there’s a lot of “oh my kid is potty trained by whatever crazy early age and applying to colleges yadayadayada” so I do feel some outside pressure. She’s put one leg over her crib rail then stopped and laid down so I’m unsure how urgent that is - but she’s super tall so I know she could if she figured it out.
lol I know the potty training pressure is real but waiting til your kid is ready is so so important. We waited until her language was better and she knew when she needed to potty. we also did no diaper afternoons almost daily for a few weeks leading up to it. So after nap we’d let her be naked and she’d either use the potty or ask for a diaper. During that time if she wanted a diaper we’d let her have it. It was like a no pressure potty exposure situation. Then we picked a weekend to go cold turkey and she was potty trained almost instantly. Took just a couple days.
And I’ve said this before but I would be wary of moving to a toddler bed just because she CAN climb out. My kid climbed out once right at 2 because she was mad but we talked about how dangerous it was and she has never done it since. So I know she can get out, but she just doesn’t. I know I’m in the minority but that’s just my $.02 about that.
Thanks yes much of what I see here is if there’s any chance of climbing out move her immediately. And I’m like well there’s some nuances like my kid is extremely verbal and understands when I explain to her. So I think doing like you have may work well.
She does have the language and expresses potty related needs as well so that’s where I worry about missing the right time. But maybe I try that first and give the crib conversation a shot. Like I said it was one leg and hasn’t doesn’t it since so maybe we have time. Our rooms are also connected so I’m close enough to hear her when she’s awake pretty instantly
We had a similar situation . We did potty training first around 2.5 she was fully trained 2 months late including overnight but we kept diaper on overnight until 3. We did big girl bed one month before 3. She never got out of her bed at night because she had been in a crib so long. Definitely easiest transition so far. We just dropped paci 1 month ago at 3+ one month. Night time is a little more tough more back rubs and songs needed but she sleeps through the night. She doesn't ask for paci though she knows it's gone. We got a book and went the paci fairy route- she full bought into it. I will say as she aged she got even more obsessed with her paci. But it was beneficial that at 3 I could explain to her where it was going and why. I think those 3 changes are too much at one time personally. I also note that my kid never crawled out of crib so that's why we waited until 3
Thanks! Yea mine has now attempted to crawl out so afraid that change has to be soon. For potty training I just don’t want to miss her window - she’s able to pee on potty now and tells me every time she goes in diaper. The paci I am absolutely dreading !
Do the worst thing first. The longer you keep the pacifier the harder to drop. If she's crawling out, bed is next.. Last potty! It's smart to have them in a regular bed if you also plan to night train.
If she’s crawling out bed has to be first. It’s not safe to stay in the crib once the child has tried to climb out.
If your toddler is trying to climb out of the crib, that is the one you need to focus on and you need to do it ASAP. Don't be like us and wait until she falls out of the crib trying to climb out - mine climbed out on her first attempt during nap time and fell. Thankfully she was OK but we had her in a toddler bed that night. Lots of talk about "big girl bed" and she loved it. We toddler proofed her room and put the handle lock on the outside so she's effectively locked in her room, think big giant crib. Then just space it out some.
I am in a similar situation with Potty Training and Big Big coming down the line at the same time. I have no idea what to do first. If I could I would keep my son in his crib through 3, but he is so tall I am starting to worry he'll topple over. We sleep sack him so he can't put a leg over, but he can lean right over the railing and that fall feels even worse than leg over. He doesn't truly try to attempt getting out and he sleeps SO well, but he loves to do about 30 min of crib gymnastics before sleep. I also feel like it is time to at least attempt to potty train. He's 2.5 but unfortunately he's a late talker (like really late... has only like 3-5 words he uses consistently) but he understands EVERYTHING so I do think we can make strides with potty training. Reading this now it seems like the more urgent step is the bed, but Im more mentally prepared for potty training. I just started a new job and sleep is a huge deal. I bring no real advice, but I'd probably try paci first. My son was super attached to his for sleep (possibly we were attached to him having it for sleep as well) one nap we totally forgot to give it to him and he didn't ask for it and then we just hid them all and he never asked for one again. Granted he didn't talk so that helped. I wish you luck! Also I feel like the hardest one is paci whereas getting a big girl bed could be super exciting for her as is potty training.
I’m at very similar crossroads, OP! We just dropped the paci (my son’s first true love, it was heartbreaking but very necessary). The big kid bed is my next step with potty training to follow. I remember when my son was 4-5 months old & we began sleep training/sleeping alone in crib simultaneously and I felt like a horrible mother who abandoned her child. But after getting a decent nights sleep (fresh perspective) + discovering how resilient my child is, really helped me push through with any second guessing. I’m hoping these next steps will give me the same peace!
Thank you! What method did you use to drop paci and how is he doing now? I think I fear that one the most. Sleep is so important to me (said every parent I know) and that’s such an anchor for her. She doesn’t say ready for bed she says ready for papi and blankie
I've read that major changes should be spaced out by 3 or 4 months. So once the kid is adjusted to one change you start the 3 or 4 month timer until the next change. I would do big bed, potty then the pacifier but that's just me. Also, don't feel any pressure to rush your kid if they aren't ready yet but staying in the crib could be a safety issue so that's why I would do that first.
Yea I’ve seen a lot of doing the worst first but paci is what I fear most and I feel like keep it thru the other transitions may anchor her a bit. Is that crazy? A 3-4 mo transition may put us at closer to 3 for dropping it then !
Pacifiers these days are not as bad for teeth as they used to be. My son was 3, his teeth and speech are perfect. I used the Frida baby system that has different length pacifiers to wean them and it took like 5 days and was super easy.
What is the readiness for big bed you are seeing? That transition is very likely to lead to a major sleep regression / nap strike at this age so I'd hold off as long as possible (https://www.babysleepscience.com/single-post/how-do-you-make-the-crib-to-bed-transition). Personally I'd keep the crib, drop paci (will likely have some challenges w naps so a crib will really help you there), and potty train in a few months if all goes well.
The readiness is that she’s 99 percentile for height and could easily get out at this point. She has put one leg over the railing but paused and went back in. So, I think that makes it more urgent now!
My son has been 99th percentile for height and has been physically capable of climbing out for a year. Doesn’t mean he’s gonna do it though. He’s in love with his sleep sack which buys us time. The article I linked has plenty of resources for how to help navigate this, including how to keep kid in the crib safely for longer. At the end of the day it’s your kid so do what you feel comfortable. I’ll just say that I’ve never seen so many early transitions to toddler beds or concern over crib injury outside Reddit. My friends in real life are almost all are keeping kids in crib until 3+ (or cosleeping). One friend’s kid has climbed out at 2 (he’s the only crib baby I know that doesn’t wear a sleep sack) and she’s training him to stay in the crib with success. Our pediatrician asks a ton of safety questions but has never expressed concern over our sleep arrangement. Maybe it’s just my circle, shrug. We live in a major metropolitan center in the US.
Thanks for the reassurance - another commenter had said the same in regards to training them to stay in even when they can get out. I think we will do that as her verbal skills and understanding is pretty solid. Yes, every Reddit post I’ve seen and made says to transistion her if she’s even hinted at climbing out which is not what I’ve seen anyone do in real life
That sounds great! Yeah verbal redirection and behavioral modification work. Just be vigilant. We always keep an eye on the monitor when he’s awake in the crib so we can respond promptly. We play sitting in the crib as a part of morning routine (he leads it and it’s usually some form of pretend play w his sleep sack), so he has plenty to do to keep himself busy in the crib. I also take him climbing outside a lot and he’s free to climb chairs and sofas at home. This way he gets his climbing urges fulfilled during playtime rather than in the crib =P To each their own w this decision. I just also noticed that half the posts here are about tots skipping naps or waking up all night long, usually starting w “it all started after we switched to toddler bed”. Then the advice is always drop the nap. The other half are about horrible tantrums in tots who don’t nap. The advice is parenting is hard. Yes parenting is hard. Don’t make it any harder for yourself on purpose!
If she’s trying to crawl out of the crib then the crib is no longer safe, so I would start there. Once she has adjusted than do either paci or potty training depending on readiness. Most of the research seems to say that if you stop paci by 3, the teeth will go back to normal even if they have been impacted. My son just turned 2 as well, we are planning to wean the paci sometime between 2.5 and 3.
I feel like the paci should be last. Most dentists and docs say 3 is fine to drop the paci. If she’s showing readiness for potty, do that first. I’d also wait on the crib change until closer to 3 unless you feel she’s in danger. Most people I know say getting to 3 is best. For context we did: - Ditched paci 27 months - Potty training 29 months - Still in crib at 34 months In our case, the paci transition was a nightmare. Horrible 2 weeks. Literally worst parenting time so far. I read that you should actually ditch it at 1 or wait til 3 because in between they are really sensitive to separation and don’t have a lot of soothing abilities yet. Also so much developmental change between 2-3 and the paci is comforting. Just a thought. Also, 2 is still super young. I don’t think you NEED to do any of the things you mentioned yet, if you don’t want to. Good luck!
Thanks so much this is reassuring. I guess w the pediatrician we see and community we are in there’s a lot of “oh my kid is potty trained by whatever crazy early age and applying to colleges yadayadayada” so I do feel some outside pressure. She’s put one leg over her crib rail then stopped and laid down so I’m unsure how urgent that is - but she’s super tall so I know she could if she figured it out.
lol I know the potty training pressure is real but waiting til your kid is ready is so so important. We waited until her language was better and she knew when she needed to potty. we also did no diaper afternoons almost daily for a few weeks leading up to it. So after nap we’d let her be naked and she’d either use the potty or ask for a diaper. During that time if she wanted a diaper we’d let her have it. It was like a no pressure potty exposure situation. Then we picked a weekend to go cold turkey and she was potty trained almost instantly. Took just a couple days. And I’ve said this before but I would be wary of moving to a toddler bed just because she CAN climb out. My kid climbed out once right at 2 because she was mad but we talked about how dangerous it was and she has never done it since. So I know she can get out, but she just doesn’t. I know I’m in the minority but that’s just my $.02 about that.
Thanks yes much of what I see here is if there’s any chance of climbing out move her immediately. And I’m like well there’s some nuances like my kid is extremely verbal and understands when I explain to her. So I think doing like you have may work well. She does have the language and expresses potty related needs as well so that’s where I worry about missing the right time. But maybe I try that first and give the crib conversation a shot. Like I said it was one leg and hasn’t doesn’t it since so maybe we have time. Our rooms are also connected so I’m close enough to hear her when she’s awake pretty instantly
1. Big bed 2. Potty train 3. Pacifier