5 Montessori Inspired Beds I’m Eyeing For My Toddler
Fun fact - I’m a mom who co-slept with her baby after realizing that sleep deprivation was wearing me thin. I tried letting my son sleep in his crib but quickly realized neither of us were getting rest which made for two cranky beings. I’m one of those people who’s well aware that I’m not someone anyone wants to be around if I haven’t slept. Truthfully, I’m the first time mom who rolled her eyes at the idea that I was supposed to scoff at anyone who told me to “sleep when baby sleeps.” As a serial napper, that’s one piece of unsolicited advice that didn’t bother me. .
My son and I still take naps together. I think it’s probably one of the reasons my son doesn’t protest often when it’s nap/bed time. It’s something that’s not true for all parents so I don’t take it for granted.
P.S. If you didn’t know, sleep deprivation isn’t fun so be patient with the parent you see in public that may have a dazed look on their face. Chances are they have just enough energy to make sure everyone survives the day. Signed, a mom who’s lost her keys, cried about it and later found them in her refrigerator.
Now that my son is the big 2, it’s time for him to transition to his own bed - insert crickets - so he can comfortably fall asleep with his yellow baby shark toy. If you’ve never rolled over on a hard plastic toy in the middle of the night, I don’t recommend it. If you have, you probably understand my unwritten struggle. Here’s the thing about this transition - my son isn’t interested. He’s more content with sleeping between mommy and daddy, although one of us usually wakes up to find his face or foot in the following places:
Our necks
Our armpits (trust me, we don’t get it either)
Our backs
Our sides
On our chests near our hearts
On our stomachs
I can’t say that I don’t blame him because I was the same way with my mom. She used to place me in my bed when I was younger and I would still crawl back into hers. For kids, they’re still trying to come to terms with being separate beings from their parents so sleeping in their own space can feel scary. And for my son, the one who craves bits of freedom like his mom, a pack and play can feel restrictive.
That’s why, after doing some research, I’m considering buying him a toddler bed inspired by Montessori guidelines. Dr. Maria Montessori believed kids thrive when they’re able to move around and learn without restrictions, hence the surge in “floor beds” without rails.
The goal is to help my son see the fun in being able to sleep in his own bed by allowing him to move around freely, and showing him that he’s still in close proximity to his dad and I.
Here are the beds that have caught my eye and why I think my son might enjoy them.
Like me, my son enjoys looking at and ‘reading’ books. At this point, I’ve lost track of how many he has. Since I have a bookshelf to store my books, I was thinking about buying a kid-friendly one for my son. But thanks to this, I might not have to! It comes with four built-in shelves that can store his books and favorite toys, including baby shark! Especially baby shark…
My son is at the stage where he’s beginning to play independently and imaginatively. His favorite blanket easily becomes a cape and the small table he sits at from time to time becomes something to ‘hide’ under. This bed would encourage that creative play while helping him feel like he’s going on a secret adventure when it’s time for him to go to sleep.
This bed would accomplish two things - allow my son to peek out of the window and serve as storage for his pajamas. He loves staring out of windows to name whatever he sees so this would be fun for him. Plus, he’ll be able to literally climb into bed like he climbs up the stairs at my parents’ home.
This bed is similar to the previous one sans the drawers and steps. Knowing my son’s dad, he’d rather keep things simple for him while still giving him the option to look out the window.
For reasons that are beyond my understanding, my son has developed an interest in toy race cars. He plays with his stuffed animals and even loves a toy vacuum at his daycare but, race cars are his thing. He likes to ‘drive’ them across various surfaces (and body parts) while saying ‘beep, beep’ or ‘vroom, vroom.” This bed would make him happy because of its vibrant color and wheels.
Shop this post
