At what age did you transition your child from a crib to a toddler bed?
My daughter started climbing out of her crib a few weeks after turning 2, and then we converted it into a toddler bed. :)
I transitioned my twin girls into beds at 2 1/2.
I transitioned my twins very late, at 3 1/2, because I knew that once they went to a bed, that naps would be thing of the past. And I wanted to hang on to naps as long as I could! Since they both liked to try to climb out the cribs, we used the tents that zip over the crib so they can't climb out. They both loved the tents!
I went straight from the crib to a twin bed at 16 months. To be honest, I would recommend that you don't waste your money on a toddler bed. They are only meant to be used as a transition so they are not very well built; they are rather flimsy. Your child will outgrow it very quickly. Just save the money you would have used for a good twin bed with siderails.
It was a bigger deal for us than I expected... My daughter was almost 2 and she showed signs of being ready for potty training. The natural thing was to first transition her from her crib to her toddler bed so she would be able to go to her potty during the night. We then took down the crib and put up the bed in one go. I think that was a mistake and maybe why it took long for her to get used to the bed. For almost two months I slept in her beroom with her -- she was on her bed and I was camping on the floor. Some parents just let their children cry in the bedroom until they get used to the newness of a bed (or the dark or whatever they are afraid of), but I do not believe in locking the door and leaving my child screaming inside. So I was there with her until she didn't need me there anymore. Now she is three, sleeps by herself in her bed (sometimes on the floor!) and has been completely potty trained (day for a year and night for about four months). I put a potty in her room (so she does not need to leave her room during the night to go potty ) and a gate at her door (so her door is always open). If I had to do it again, I would have set up the bed in her beroom while the crib was still up. It would have given her the chance of becoming familiar to her bed and, during the day, she could have even napped and play on the bed.
