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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Junior Bed Buying Guide
A junior bed is a major purchase decision for parents. Below is a Buying Guide that will help you sort through the numerous questions that arise when shopping for this type of bed for your children.
Kids Junior Bed
What is a junior bed?
A junior bed is a smaller bed made for children or toddlers. The ones for children are used to transition them into a regular adult bed. The smaller size helps kids feel more comfortable than a regular adult bed. The beds are often made with special rails to help the kids feel more safe and secure.
Sometimes, junior beds are even smaller and resemble cribs. These beds are for toddlers and help transition them from a crib to a regular or older junior bed. These junior beds usually have railings surrounding them on all sides except the front. Sometimes, these beds are made from convertible cribs and therefore, help the toddler feel safer since the bed is familiar to them.
Purpose
A junior bed oftentimes helps kids in the transition from sleeping with their parents or in their crib to sleeping on their own. Junior beds more closely resemble the child’s cribs and many come with extra railings. Junior beds are also smaller so the child does not feel lost in the bed. Finally, they are lower to the ground so the child can independently get into and out of bed on his or her own. This independence will help the child tremendously, since the child will not fear the inability to get out of his bed should he experience any trouble at night sleeping on his own.
Types of junior beds
There are 3 main types of junior beds depending on the age of your child. There is the convertible crib that becomes a junior bed, the junior bed with railings and the junior bed without railings. All 3 come with different features. Read the types of junior beds article for more information.
Junior bed for toddlers
Junior Bed Sizes
Junior beds have many different sizes. When buying one of these for your child, make sure you know what size the bed is and how long you want to keep the bed. If your child is young and you want them to sleep in the bed for a few years, consider a larger junior bed. However, if your child is a baby, consider a smaller one that they can use for a few years before switching to a larger bed for kids.
Prices
Prices for these types of beds vary tremendously. It really depends on the style, the quality, the design and the brand of bed. You will see junior beds go from $200 to more than $600. Do not forget that when purchasing the bed, you will also have to purchase the smaller sheet sets and sometimes the mattress. Oftentimes, the junior bed frame and junior bed mattress are sold independently. In general, an investment in a solid, high quality junior bed is worth the price. Especially since your child will use it for a while.
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Wrapped around his little fingers
My son has both of his grandparents wrapped around his little fingers. Everything he asks them for, they give him. I think he actually knows this and knows how to use his little weapons of cuteness and smiles and snuggles and hugs. With me and his father, he doesn’t try it as much although that could be because we’ve figured it out.
Mirror that my son was practicing in
One day, when he was one, I put him down for a nap. An hour later, I went to check up on him and guess what he was doing? He had stood up in his crib to look in the mirror and he was making crying faces in the mirror! He would scrunch up his face and then make it look like he was about to cry. I couldn’t believe it! He was practicing how to fake his crying so that he could get what he wanted. He couldn’t even talk yet and he knew how to practice!
From that point on, my husband and I have always been keenly aware of what he’s been trying to do. If he looks like he’s going to start crying, we wait to see if real tears flow down his face or if he just stops and nothing else happens. About half the time, he completely stops after we ignore him, while the other half of the time, real tears flow down his face in waves.
With his grandparents, I’ve tried to tell them that he might be faking it, but they just won’t listen and I think he knows that they will give him whatever he wants. So, I just let them be since I can’t really fight it. I try to remind them, but they are so sad when they have to deny him anything – a toy, some more food, another game. At 2 years old, my son already has his grandparents wrapped around his fingers.
I don’t forsee this changing anytime soon, but I know that I won’t be letting him get away with everything at home. At home, there will be rules that he has to follow and things he has to learn. I’ll teach him what he can and can’t do and show him that he can’t try to manipulate his dad and I or he will be in trouble. But, wow, this is all new to me! Now that he’s getting older, I have some things to learn too.
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Where to buy a junior bed
There are many places to buy a junior bed. Junior beds come in so many different styles that every store sells something different. Price points vary a lot as well so make sure you shop around. Additionally, if you don’t need one right away, wait for the bigger sales. Oftentimes, larger sales will occur around major holidays like Memorial Day, 4th of July, and end of year after Christmas sales. If you can wait for the sales, you will find that sometimes you can save 10, 20 or even 30% off on the price of the bed.
Below is a list of places to shop in your search for a bed for your kids:
Baby store
Baby Stores: Many baby stores will carry junior bed for toddlers 2-4 or for people who want to buy cribs that become junior beds. Other baby stores will sometimes carry items for toddlers and this is where you will find a greater variety of junior beds. Check your favorite baby stores like Babies R’ Us, Albee Baby, and BabyAge.com. Also check some kids stores that have baby items like Toys R’ Us or Pottery Barn Kids. The thing to beware of is that baby stores will most likely mark up the beds. Therefore, make sure you shop around. If you find something you like, see if another store online carries the same item for a discount.
Furniture stores
Furniture Stores: Furniture stores will oftentimes carry a large variety of kids items. Check the larger furniture stores like Ikea , R.C. Wiley, and others in your area, but make sure to call ahead to see if they have kids furniture. Some furniture stores won’t carry kids furniture since they focus more on furniture for the home. However, larger furniture stores will usually have a kids area where you can see their junior beds. Furniture stores are great since they specialize in furniture so the quality of their items will be pretty good. Additionally, their salesmen can provide more details on the bed than a regular non-specialty store.
Regular discount stores: Discount stores like Walmart and Target will also carry a few junior beds. Sometimes, if the store isn’t large enough, they will have them in their online stores. Check both. They won’t have a large variety, but the items they do have will carry a pretty good discount, especially compared to furniture stores or baby stores. The only problem is that the clerks won’t know much about the kids furniture since these stores carry so many items. Therefore, you will have to find out more information on your own.
Online Stores: You will find some pretty good deals online, but you will have to shop around. There are many online kids furniture stores as well as other online baby stores that carry junior beds. When buying through these stores, make sure you know their return policy and understand the full price of shipping. Also, make sure you check that they are reputable. Check that during their credit card verification process, they use security and the web page starts with https, check their privacy policy to make sure they do not sell their information, and check local parents forums to make sure other parents have purchased items from that store. Otherwise, go through reputable online stores like Amazon.
Online classified ads
Craigslist and other classifieds: The other option to consider when junior bed shopping is to look for a previously owned bed. Kids grow out of these beds so fast that some parents will want to resell them. If you don’t want to spend too much money, check craigslist and other classified for parents who are selling their kids’ junior beds. These are great places to find a deal. Additionally, you can see the items in person before purchasing so you will know the quality beforehand.
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