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Putting a Toddler in a bed!

Hi there, I am new to this site but have subscribed to PP for the last 2 years. My son turned 2 in January and we have recently put his bed up, but decided to keep the cot up too so he could choose to sleep in it if he preferred. He doesnt seem very keen on the bed at all at the moment and I was wondering if anyone has any advice about the transition to the bed? Have to admit I am quite nervous about it because I have heard some real horror stories about them keep getting out of bed at all hours etc. If anyone has any advice, I really would be grateful x

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Replies

  • not being helpful but just to let you know your not alone and that mine has just walked in the room after getting out of her bed! D'oh!!!
  • hello! welcome to pp.

    i put my 2 year old into a bed a few months ago and didn't give him the option of the cot as thought it might confuse him. we got him a bob the builder duvet cover and showed him us putting the bed up so he could get used to it..  we'd also redecorated his room as well, so he had a few changes to get used to. he was very excited about sleeping with bob the builder and to be honest we had no problems with him going into the bed and staying there at all.. we stuck to his usual bedtime routine and i sst on the bed with him and read him a story while he drank his milk. but think we were probably lucky, he's quite chilled out generally!

    although have to say mummy was an idiot as had a bedside table next to his bed and he did fall out on the 3rd night and bruised his poor face.. so we have got a bed guard now (AND moved the table over a bit)!

    good luck - let us know how you get on x

  • We just put our two year old into a bed this week.She learnt to climb out of her cot a couple of months ago so we lowered the side,so if she fell it wouldn't be as far.She has been able to get out for a while,but after a few days of getting out early evening and being put straight back,we had no more problems.I think as long as you always put them straight back with as little fuss as possible they soon get used to staying there.
    We put Arwen in a bed this week,she's in a new room,but we made sure she had all her familiar things around her,I always pile all her teddies around the head end the way she had it in her cot.She will be getting a special duvet cover and pillowcase set in the next week.I expect she'll love that,she's Peppa Pig mad ATM,so my Mum's getting her a Peppa set.
    We have a toy basket by her bed so she can't roll out.We did put the cot away so she didn't have the choice
    I think it's one of those things that are a big step but they turn out easier than you think
    Hope it all goes well
  • Hi Susan welcome to pp.

    Im Emma mum to Riley 4yrs and we also put riley into his bed at 17-18mths,he did get up and down a few times but its a case of being persistant n letting them no its time to sleep,and try as best you can to not let them jump in with you as its harder to get them out(i made this mistake)but didnt take long to get him into a rouine. Does your son have a fave toy or blanket he can have with him. Like the others have said get the cot out of the way as to not confuse him,we had a cot bed for riley so didnt really have the trouble of a big bed as it were.

    Hope all goes well for you,let us no how you go.x

  • Evening everyone, thank you so much for all your help. I thought it might help having the cot up too but reading through your comments I can see that maybe this is just confusing matters! I know he can be a bit funny about change and so i thought that by doing it gradually, he had the chance to get used to it. He did help to build it and does have favourite bears so I'll make sure he has them with him.

    The hardest thing is knowing they can get out and having that extra bit of energy at the end of a long day to be consistent and keep returning them to their bed! I think this is the bit I am dreading the most!

    Bless him, he is a star but has suffered with recurring ear infections since he was 9 months old (he has glue ear too) so he hasnt been the world's best sleeper!

    xx 

  • My 17 month old girl went into a bed on friday night and it has been far easier than i expected!!

     We have had a few tears tonight as she didn;t want to go to sleep but apart from that she has been fine. We have a toddler bed with a built in guard aat the head end, i haven't got a removable guard as i want her to get used to staying in the bed ratheer than relying on the guard to keep her in bed! The cot mattress is on the floor, just in case she falls out!!

    Good luck

  • hiya susan,

    i moved my son into a bed a few months back he cried the 1st night and then hasnt make a noise since, the cot is still in his room but thats because his sister will be moving in with him at 6mnths, we left the cot empty for a few weeks then i had him help me put lolas things in it and he understands he has his own bed and the cots for his baby sister.

    he has fell out once but hes one of those kids who sleeps upside down diagonal etc! If he gets up we ignore it as he gets back into bed to go back to sleep, i did have to remove alot of toys as they were to tempting he now has one box and hell often play for a short while then get into bed with a book and dose off. hes only been found sleeping out of his bed once and that was today he was in his bottom drawer lol! Im probably alot more chilled as we have a video monitor so i can see where he is without disturbing him, but they suprise you how quickly theyll adapt to things, Jacks has stayed in a sleeping bag to as hes in a toddler bed he has no bother getting in or out of bed in one and it saves me the stress of if hes covered up.

    Best of luck xxx

  • Ayesha hasnt cried in the bed just thinks its really funny that she can et out and rumage in her toybox. so well it'll pass soon enough
  • Arwen's loving hers.She used to climb in Erin's bottom bunk and take a nap,now she's got that bunk and Erin's got a top one.I keep going in the room and finding she's put teddies down for a nap.
  • Arwen's loving her big bed.She keeps going in there and putting teddies down for a sleep in the daytime.She's on the bottom bunk,when it was Erin's bed she was always sneaking in for a nap.Now Erin's on a top one it's all hers.
    Only trouble we're having now is everyone's awake really early.We have five in one room,and once Arthur and Arwen are awake no one stands a chance of sleep.Think I'm going shopping for dark,lined curtains this week,it seems to be getting light around 6 ish now.
  • It's just one of those steps that feels (to me anyway) like a big one but probably wont be as bad as I am expecting it to be!

    I'll let you know how we get on....

    No doubt this is the first of many posts by me!

    Oh and I have blackout curtains attached to the back of Jake's curtains which help loads with shutting some of the light out. Sad to say that last year I covered his windows completely in black out fabric to avoid any chink of light coming in so he wouldnt realise it was morning! Not as bad as one of my friends who did the same and then put a double duvet cover over that and topped it off with a table cloth for good measure! the things we do for a decent night sleep!!

    xx
  • Sorry,didn't mean to post that twice above.OOps,not sure what I did there.Up too late last night watching rubbish telly I think
  • Thinking about making this change myself to our 2 year old, and would like to thank the above messages as it has made the transition a little less dawnting!!!

     .......... Let you know how we get on

  • My number 2 is due to arrive in Januray meaning there will be 17 month gap between the two children. I am considering buying another cot and keeping my son who is 12 months in his cot for as long as possible. He is a very energetic boy who doesn't keep still, so the thought of him staying in a bed is starting to give me nightmares.

    Should I just take the plunge and put him in a big bed in a couple of months or buy another cot???

    Anyones advice greatfully received.

  • What about a cotbed?If you still want  your son in a cot for a few more months you can and when you think he's ready just change it into a bed.That way you're not paying out on a second cot that'll be used for  few months.The cotbed can be used for another couple of years .
  • i have a 16mnth age gap and we only moved jack as he suddenly hated the cot, he had a cotbed so we took the sides off for a night or two and he was fne after one upset, we then got him a toddler bed and havent looked back, if hed been happy in his cot i would have left him, as when theres a new baby you dont need to upheave anything unecessarily, id agree with jo about the cot bed then you eldest would use it a long time and then the youngest when eldests ready for a fullsize bed!
  • hi, just wandering what beds people used as first ones for toddler, nearly 2?

    I am looking around and toddler bed will only last couple years surely, so is a junior bed more useful? and what bedding do you buy just a normal single set?

    would like to see what other people have bought? and where from?

    Claire x

  • Hi

    I moved my daughter into a bed a 2yrs, we didn't really have a problem, just took her longer to go to sleep for a couple of nights as it was great fun getting out of bed. I have got a gate at her door though as i didn't want to have to keep going upstairs! I have tried taking it of, but she will sit ontop of the stairs playing and she asked me to put the gate back.

  • We have this toddler bed for our son jack hes been in it 9mnths now;

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B001F7FT8K/allkids we got it in the sale for £90 though!

    Matress wasnt an issue as the new baby needed a new one anyway!

    I personally chose the toddler size as jack is a tad on the short size, being prem hes always been a few clothes sizes behind what he should so it should do him until he is around 4, when we plan to get him a cabin bed, space is an issue for us aswell as the children will share a room, and i didnt want him in a slightly higher bed at just 16mnths!

    Ikea does an extending bed, that i think goes from toddler to full size, its had rave reviews on a few of the baby forums i visit, that might be worth a look.

    As for bedding, jack still uses a grobag in the winter, in the summer i used a cotbed flat sheet or his 'cot duvet' which is tiny but hes very attached, when it gets very cold he likes his duvet, we have a single one so i can tuck it in and it doesnt fall off,  plus theyre far far cheaper than cotbed size and finding whatever character they like is far easier!

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