Some kids start climbing out of their cribs early, but my daughters were pretty content to wait until age 3. That’s when we made the transition from crib to twin. My oldest daughter was so reluctant, we put her first big-girl mattress on the floor for a few weeks to smooth the way.
Why do we automatically go from cribs to twin-size mattresses? A twin mattress measures 38” x 75” (a twin XL, often used in college dorms or for taller teens is 38” x 80”). A full (sometimes referred to as a double) measures 53” x 75”.
Here’s a perhaps heretical idea I came to later in life: If the size of the room permits, I vote for getting kids a full size mattress.
“You’re kidding?” I hear parents say when I suggest this, but think about it. Who’s lying in that bed?
Think about how often a parent snuggles next to a child to read a bedtime story in a twin bed. It can be a tight squeeze, right? What about those watchful nights when kids have an ear infection or chicken pox or need comfort after a nightmare? Sometimes kids just want to cozy up with Mom or Dad or a caregiver. It’s a whole lot more comfortable in a full mattress than a twin.
My two younger daughters are three years apart but joined at the hip. There were plenty of nights when they wanted to sleep together for an at-home slumber party. With a full-size mattress, you don’t need to break out the sleeping bags!
Many of the companies listed here offer all the sizes of mattresses you might consider, with the added comfort of knowing the foam inside is CertiPUR-US® certified!
