Junior Ready Bed
I just bought my son a junior ready bed and he is ecstatic. He already has his little junior bed in his room, but after buying the bed, he started asking to sleep in our room or the living room or his playroom. At first, I didn’t know what to do. Where would he sleep in all of these different rooms? Should I let him do that or should I make him sleep in his own new bed? If he were to sleep in another room, would I just give him a sleeping bag? Should I even make an exception for this or would this lead to bad habits or fussiness later on?
Cars junior ready bed from Amazon
After doing some research online, I figured out that one way to get around this was to buy him a junior ready bed and allow him to use it on the weekends to sleep in different rooms. This way, he could get used to sleeping in different places if we ever went on vacation or took him to someone’s house for a sleepover.
A junior ready bed is basically a sleeping bag with an air mattress on the bottom. Usually, they come with a pump for the air mattress. It feels a little better than sleeping on a regular sleeping bag because the air mattress is a bit more comfortable. Lately, many children have been using junior ready beds for sleepovers instead of the traditional sleeping bag.
The great thing about these ready beds is that they come in so many different styles and characters. Disney has an entire line including the Disney Cars and Disney Princesses. They also come with other characters such as Dora the Explorer, Spiderman, and even High School Musical. So, whatever age your child is, you will find something that fits. For my little one, I chose the Disney Cars Ready Bed since he loves cars. He actually hasn’t seen the movie yet since his attention span is so low, but I know he’ll love the movie when I show him.
This past weekend, I let him sleep in his play room for 1 night and he was ecstatic. We made it sort of a game where he helped me roll out his bed and lay it on the floor. Then, I read to him, the same way we do every night and then told him it was time for bed. He was actually fast asleep after a few minutes and slept perfectly well in his junior ready bed all night long.
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Race car bed for my son
We did it! Last weekend, we bought my son a Little Tikes Race Car bed. We went to look at a lot of junior beds, particularly race car beds. We took him with us since everyone recommended that he will take to the bed better if he gets to help in the selection process. Basically, we went to a few furniture stores in the area, Toys R’ Us, and even Pottery Barn Kids to see what they had. The thing he liked best was the Little Tikes Race Car bed.
The bed he chose is blue, my son loves blue. The second he saw it, he climbed up into the bed and lay down, right in front of the salesman. Then he proceeded to climb all over it and play in it. The funny thing was, he sat on the car with his little legs sticking out and started making “vroom, vroom” noises. I have no idea who taught him that since neither me nor his dad nor his grandparents have ever said that word! When we were about to leave the store, he wouldn’t leave! I had to convince him that we had bought that bed for him and that it was going to come to our house in a week. I explained to him that it was going to be like when Santa Claus brings over gifts. We had to wait a little bit, but then it would come. In the end, he left with us, but was slightly teary-eyed.
Example of the Little Tikes Race Car Bed
We really liked the Little Tikes Race Car Bed because it was really sturdy. My husband sat on it and knocked his hands against the entire bed. At one point, he knocked and pushed so loud that the salesman looked over. Apparently, lots of parents do it, so he didn’t mind. It is really sturdy and the raised edges made us feel better about our son sleeping in it since it will help prevent him from rolling off the side. My husband characterized it as “pretty good detailing” in terms of the tire and the body so clearly, he thought it was a good enough replica of a car to buy for our son. Both of them loved the car and my husband joined my son while he was pretending to drive around in it and I saw them both steering a fake steering wheel while driving by cows and sheep and mailmen and all sorts of words that my son had remembered from the books we read to him.
If you’re looking to buy a racing car bed, I would highly recommend the Little Tikes Race car bed.
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Types of junior beds
There are many types of junior beds ranging from ones for toddlers to those for kids ages 5 and up. Below are the types to consider when shopping for a junior bed.
Stokke junior bed
Convertible crib to junior bed
The convertible crib to junior bed is made for babies to grow into. Starting with the crib, the bed can be converted by removing the front railings and making it more like a toddler or junior bed. The most famous of these is the Stokke Sleepi Crib with the Stokke Sleepi Junior Bed System. This bed starts as a crib with railings on all sides. The railings are adjustable as your child grows. Then, when the child is around 2 or 3, the crib’s railings can be removed in the front or back or both, making the bed into a toddler or junior bed. Finally, when the child is over, the Junior Bed kit allows you to convert that crib into a 67.5” junior bed made for 3-7 year olds.
Not all junior beds come with this complete system, so make sure you check what type of bed it is before you purchase. Also, check to see how long your child will be able to use it and how easily convertible it is. The benefits of the Stokke System and other beds like this is that the child keeps the same bed for many years. The familiarity of the bed allows them to more easily transition into each stage of sleeping. You also save a lot of money since you don’t have to keep buying a new bed.
Junior bed with railings on the side
Another type of junior bed comes with railings on the side. Sometimes, the railings extend half way across, while other times, the railings just extend out a little, just enough to help the child feel secure. These beds are also lower to the ground so they are easier for a child to climb into them. When deciding whether or not to buy these, think about how independent your child is. Is your child transitioning from a crib? Does your child tend to roll around while sleeping? Is your child usually afraid of the dark and have a hard time falling asleep in his or her own bed? Does your child sleep fine in a regular bed or have you even tried that before? Answering these questions will help you determine if you need a special junior bed with railings. Not all children need it, but some do to feel more secure. Others need it if they tend to roll around in bed. Finally, having the railings sometimes remind the children of their own crib. If they slept comfortably in that and are transitioning to a junior bed, you may want to consider one with railings.
Junior bed without railings
This junior bed is almost exactly like a regular twin bed. The one difference is that it is smaller and oftentimes lower to the ground. Again, like the one with railings, the lower height helps the child get in and out of bed more easily. This makes them feel more independent, especially when sleeping in their own bed. Consider this junior bed if your child is pretty independent, doesn’t roll around a lot while sleeping, and feels pretty comfortable in his own bed.
Junior loft bed
Junior loft bed
This bed is like a loft. The bed is raised up and underneath there are drawers or cupboards or an area that can be converted to a children’s play area. These beds usually have ladders or steps that children have to climb up on the side. There are also added elements such as slides that children can play on. This type of bed looks sort of like a child’s jungle gym except the bed is on top. They are great for rooms that don’t have enough space for a play area or if you want to add an additional play area for your child. These junior loft beds come in many types for girls and boys like the castle bed or the fort bed. Finally, these beds can be pricier, anywhere from $200 – $800 for ones made of solid wood.
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Car Bed
One popular type of junior bed is the car bed. Most of the time, these appeal to little boys, however, once in awhile, the little girl will really enjoy this as well. The car bed is a great way to introduce a new bed to your toddler. Your toddler will love it since it is in the shape of a car, something he or she is familiar with since they ride in your car and most likely have a few car toys. The fact that the car bed resembles a regular car is comforting to most toddlers since they are familiar with riding in cars and possibly sleeping during the car ride.
Race car bed
Since sleeping is something that most toddlers like to avoid, having a toddler car bed will make going to bed infinitely more appealing. The car bed almost resembles a toy that your toddler can play in. Introduce the bed to your toddler and have him get comfortable with playing in the bed. Don’t play too much however or else your toddler will never go to sleep. Try to play a little and then ask him or her to relax in the bed. Have him pretend you are on a car ride to your dreams. All of these little things will help to introduce your toddler to sleeping on his own in his own bed.
The main design of a car bed is the race car bed. These beds are designed to look like race cars. The racing car bed is low to the ground which makes the bed a bit easier for your child to climb into. Usually, the place where your child would sleep is the back of the car which is made to be raised up a little bit for extra protection around your child’s head. Some of the beds are raised around all of the edges so if your child rolls in his sleep, these are great substitutes for bed rails. There are also specialty theme beds like the bat mobile bed, the fire engine bed, and the hummer bed. For little girls, there is the castle bed and the cloud bed and some other designs that appeal more to little girls.
Car bed
Car beds are made in a lot of different materials. The main materials are wood and plastic. The wood bed is a bit more sturdy and it is also a bit heavier than plastic. The plastic car beds are a bit softer on the edges since plastic will bend a little. These are also a bit lighter, but the construction is not as detailed as wood.
Pricing for these car beds range from $200 to $400 on average, although there are some that are a lot more expensive. When shopping for a car bed, be sure to shop around for the best price since pricing at different stores will vary greatly. A good comparison shopping engine online is Nextag which allows you to see which stores have the item in stock and how much the average cost of the bed is.
Car beds are very fun beds for your kids. If you are considering a junior bed, consider a car bed. This will definitely make it easier for you to coach your kid to bed.
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