Mom finally tries the toddler bed and baby monitor footage has parents rethinking the timing

When you peek at the baby monitor and see a tiny pair of feet climbing out of a brand-new toddler bed for the tenth time in an hour, you might feel equal parts awe and exhaustion. That’s exactly what happened to @mikaylamakesmoves, a 27-year-old mom from Iowa, whose Instagram reel documenting her 2-year-old son’s transition to a toddler bed has racked up 1.5 million views.

How the toddler-bed experiment actually went

When Mikayla set up the toddler bed, she pictured a calm new routine and the feeling of watching her son settle into a big-kid milestone. Instead, the baby monitor quickly revealed a very different reality. Her 2-year-old treated the bed like an open invitation to explore, climbing out again and again with impressive determination.

The reel shows her trying everything parents know well: returning him to bed, attempting a quiet crawl toward the door, rocking him to reset the night, and waiting just outside the room to see if he might settle on his own. Each attempt ended with him back on the floor and ready for another round.

After what felt like countless trips back to the mattress, Mikayla decided bedtime needed a reset too. She reassembled the crib, he finally went to sleep, and she could breathe again. The final moment of the reel offers a familiar message for many parents. Milestones do not always unfold the way we expect, and it is completely normal to pause and try again when the timing feels off.

Related: A viral list of toddler rules has parents split. The three flashpoints may surprise you

What the comments reveal about toddler bed pressure

Some are laughing at the chaos, others are relieved they haven’t made the switch yet, and many are offering encouragement from experience. Across social media, it’s clear that every family navigates milestones differently.

  • I was just on Amazon searching for toddler beds. Nevermind, thanks lol — @aphrodyte.i
  • This is why my 2.5 year old is still in a crib and will be there until at least 3 lol — @_britt_lit
  • Keep putting him back! Eventually he’ll get it! You got this! — @classically_dmd
  • Why no co-sleep? What the stress about? — @ey_job_ya
  • Well, it’s confirmed, I am NOT ready for the toddler bed 😂😂 — @the.modern.pharmacist

The takeaway? There’s no universal “right” age or method. Social media can create a false sense of urgency, but what works for one family may not work for another.

Why parents feel rushed

The push to move toddlers out of cribs often blends pride, grief and anxiety and social media may be fueling much of that pressure. 

According to a review in JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting, many parents report “self‑comparison on social media” and second‑guessing their parenting decisions as common sources of stress.

Meanwhile, research identifies parenting stress itself as a real emotional burden: a systematic review published in European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry found that social support, maternal mood, and external pressures all significantly impact parental stress levels. 

In that light, it’s totally normal to question yourself during a rough night and completely valid to change course (like Mikayla did) if something isn’t working.

Making the toddler-bed era safer and less soul-crushing

When families are ready to transition, practical steps can make nights more manageable:

  • Set up a safe environment: Anchor furniture, cover outlets, secure cords, and remove small items. Consider a baby gate if appropriate.
  • Ease into it: Start with naps, involve your child in choosing bedding or stuffed animals.
  • Expect jailbreaks: Keep a calm, consistent response: “It’s bedtime. Back to bed,” rather than negotiating or turning it into a game.
  • Protect your own sleep: Pick a week with fewer obligations and decide in advance how many nights to try before reassessing.

Remember: feeling exhausted or overwhelmed means you’re only human.

Related: Mom braces for chaos—but her toddler’s response to the crying baby stuns her

Making peace with your own timeline

The final frame of Mikayla’s reel, showing the crib back up, offers a permission-giving reminder: milestones can wait until both parent and child are ready. Families can choose crib, co-sleeping, floor bed, or toddler bed based on their safety, capacity, and nervous system needs. What matters is finding a rhythm that works for everyone.

Mikayla’s “short but chaotic” toddler bed era is a validation for parents everywhere. You’re allowed to hit pause. You’re allowed to change course. And you’re allowed to define your own timeline for your child’s milestones.

Sources:

  1. JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting. 2023. “Understanding the Tensions of “Good Motherhood” Through Women’s Digital Technology Use: Descriptive Qualitative Study.”
  2. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. 2022. “Parent, child, and situational factors associated with parenting stress: a systematic review.”


source https://www.mother.ly/toddler/toddler-bed-jailbreak/

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