Monday, November 09, 2009

Fence Me In: Daybeds & Toddler Security

When we moved Ranger out of his crib, we wanted something that would offer him a similar sense of security with greater independence.

We talked about something like the Ikea Kura which would offer a sense of enclosure. When we saw the Kura in person, the slat supports didn't seem sturdy enough for our bed jumper.

While I was considering bunk beds, Amy at Mom Advice posted photos of the smartest bed transition hack. For her toddler daughter, she turned the daybed opening to face the wall.

A few weeks later I came across a daybed with a trundle at a local consignment shop. With its exposed springs and snapping metal joints, the trundle frame looked problematic with preschoolers. We stowed the trundle frame for future consideration (a solid decision I think, especially in light of the recent Maclaren stroller recall) and replaced the crib with the daybed.

With a step stool at the foot of the bed, Ranger could easily get in and out on his own. It didn't take long for him to start climbing between the bars rather than over them.

Ranger still prefers the bed in this configuration. He likes his bed and sleeps well at naptime and through the night. When he wants the bed changed, we'll move it, but until then, we'll all rest easy at night.

***Baby Toolkit is written by geek parents who love sleep. We are in no way affiliated with daybed manufacturers, and we have limited home design skills. Adrienne once enjoyed a flight with Amy Clark of Mom Advice (only to literally run away at the end when flight delays made the Cincinnati connection tenuous).

Photos: (c) Baby Toolkit, 2009, some rights reserved.

3 comments:

Doug Cornelius said...

I am a big fan of the Ikea Kura for a toddler bed. We started our toddler on the bottom bunk (that is the floor) to start. That alleviated our fear of him rolling out of bed.

Eventually, we flipped it over to the non-bunk bed position. He liked that, but did roll out a few times.

Now, as a five-year old, we have flipped it back to the bunk bed position and he sleeps on the top bunk.

Anonymous said...

This is a great idea. We took down the side of the crib/toddler bed then had to re-secure it since SC fell out twice. Much prefer the daybed idea. In and out but with security. .

Anonymous said...

Thanks Doug, what a brilliant idea to use the Kura in this way.