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This post is sponsored by Regalo Baby. All opinions and ideas are my own.
I dive into most things head first.
So, when Caeden woke my husband up one day after crawling out of his crib, opening his bedroom door and then mine and my husbands, I decided it was the day to transition to toddler beds with twins.
I’m not kidding. That day. I got home from work around noon, packed up the kids and ran to Target.
I had no plans in mind other than today was the day to transition to toddler beds with twins.
I grabbed the first and cheapest crib rails I found at Target and headed home. But I quickly learned why you don’t dive into things like this.
I took off the fronts of their cribs and found that the crib rails didn’t even work with their cribs! Because they were meant for toddler TWIN sized beds. Mom fail.
So, then my brilliant self decided we’re still going for it. I left the fronts of the cribs off and tried out nap time.
That was when I realized mom fail #2. I was going to be sleep training all over again. But this time with mobile toddlers.
They used to be SUCH good sleepers. I’m talking 12 hours of blissful sleep. Most nights uninterrupted.
Not anymore.
With the cribs being wide open, they weren’t sure what was going on and didn’t want to stay in their beds at all. New found freedom? Duh!
So, I was letting them CIO all over again. The first nap? Yeah that didn’t happen. They got themselves so worked up! Then bed time that night they did cry for a bit before falling asleep. I think exhaustion is the only reason they fell asleep that night.
My husband and I checked on them all night long. They slept on the floor that night. And the next night.
Then I decided this whole winging it thing wasn’t really working how I wanted it to. I did a little research and found that my friends at Regalo Baby offer crib specific bed rails, so I ordered two of them and when they arrived, I was so relieved.
Finally. Something standing in the way and hopefully ready to deter them from continuously getting out of their cribs.
And it did! For the most part. We’ve been working with them for a week now and have found that it just takes time. And after about a week and a half of toddler beds, Kendall sleeps in her bed safely 80% of the time, and Caeden is well, Caeden. He’s getting there. I will say that he gets out of his bed much less with the little obstacle in the way.
But the main point of the crib rail is to keep them safe, and I truly think it is doing a great job for my squirmy nugs!
Here are a few tips I would keep in mind if you were thinking about transitioning your twins to toddler beds.
- Baby proof
Your twins are about to get free reign of their room. What are they going to be able to get into unsupervised? I make sure their closet is closed and that any random things they brought in there during the day are put away. If you have furniture they can climb, make sure it is mounted and nothing dangerous is on the top.
- Lowest crib setting to start
You could make it pretty with a bed skirt and such, but I think having the crib as low as possible helps with safety when transitioning your twins to toddler beds. They haven’t had an open bed. Ever. So, odds are they’re going to get in and out like mine did. Having it closer to the ground makes it just that much safer.
- Baby gate
My twins have no problem opening doors anymore. Every room has a baby gate. That way if I’m are sleeping or doing things around the house, they can’t just show up behind me when they decide their nap is over. One- that is creepy. And two- I don’t want them possibly getting into something dangerous without me around.
4. Continue using comfort items
Now is not the time to drop the lovey or binky. Keep them feeling safe and secure with them while introducing the new sleeping quarters.
5. Keep up with your night-time routine
Or if you don’t have one- it’s time. Routines have proven to help encourage good sleeping habits and better behaviors. That’s a whole other topic but getting strict about bedtime now that they’re in their toddler beds might help your littles get used to the change because they’re start to expect it.
6.Use a crib rail, even if you don’t think you need one
I do regret just diving straight to the transition to toddler beds with twins before really looking into what I was doing and reading what others had done. I would have absolutely ordered the Regalo Baby crib rails right away and started when they got here. Maybe they wouldn’t have realized just how easy it was to slide in and out of their cribs if I would have waited. Plus, I would have been a bit more prepared for what’s to come.
But now that I do have them on the right path and sleeping better, I feel great that a quality Regalo Baby product is what is keeping them safe at night.
The crib rails were easy to assemble. Check out my Instagram page for how the set up went and what my twins really think of their new crib rails.
Click here to shop on Amazon and try them for yourself!
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