I’d like to take a moment to brag on my dear dad who’s somehow always up for a project. Last year, I started wondering about toddler beds and when to switch over from a crib. That led me down the internet rabbit hole to the idea of Montessori floor beds, which I tried in two versions. After completely baby-proofing her room, I opted for the simple version:

It seemed like a good idea, and I was even expecting kiddo to roll off a time or two based on the experiences I read on various Montessori blogs. Floor bed frames on Etsy are crazy pricey for this single mama, so just the crib mattress on the floor seemed like a fine option. What I wasn’t prepared for was MY complete lack of sleep having to go in her room and put her back to sleep several times that first night because she rolled off. (I work full-time so anything that gets in the way of my sleep is swiftly dealt with.)

The next day I rang up my dad with the idea of a short wooden bed frame that would allow her to get in and out but not roll out. That night, I slept next to her bed on the floor just to try to get a little more sleep. My hips are apparently too old for that nonsense! Thankfully my dad is a magical mythical being who had the frame done for night 3:

It’s just high enough that she couldn’t easily roll out of bed, and the cut-out is just large enough for her to get in and out as she pleases. I was also concerned about her discovering her freedom at 3 am but she really didn’t get out much. In fact, in the mornings she would climb out and play quietly for a little and I could get a few more minutes of sleep rather than her crying for me to get her out of her crib.

So she’s been sleeping in this bed since she was about 10 months old and she’s almost 2 years old now. It’s still perfect! I’ve since rearranged and painted her room but I’ll save that for another post.

Until next time, lovelies.