DS too big for travel cot now. Too young to understand staying on an air bed. Any suggestions?

[smackapacca]

We're booked to go away at Easter. He's 2.4 no longer in a cot at home, but stair gate on his bedroom door.

What have others done at this age when tenting?

My vague plan is to drive him around until he falls asleep then plonk him on an air bed.

We have 2 double airbeds, so one parent to one child (DD is 4 and understands!)

Not sure about the whole duvet/sleeping bag thing either. He's an upside down back to front sleeper at the best of times.

Any thoughts please?!

What about those first air beds where the cover is attached and you zip them in - it's like a sleeping bag and air bed in one. It's called a ready bed or something.

My nephew had something like this for his birthday and he's 3. I've only done a quick search, you might find a cheaper one.

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B004FV64SM/ref=redir_mdp_mobile?ref_=asc_df_B004FV64SM6839122&smid=A30RQJIV9VIGDY&tag=googlecouk06-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22218&creativeASIN=B004FV64SM

Hope this helps

yes that's the thing!

We have one of those first ready beds, DD loves it. Might be worth having a duvet as well as the cover is quite thin.

Consider adult ready bed. When I bought they were same price. They're more useful for guests and I've lent mine out tons of times.

Thanks all. DD borrowed a Ready Bed last year. TBH I wasn't that impressed. The cover was SO thin it was just too cold. I can just imagine he's just get straight back up and wander away. He wouldn't be tempted by a big boy Thomas bed as a bribery for getting him to stay put (unfortunately!)

Hi, we use a bush baby nest egg. It's a little pop up tent with a self inflating mattress and it zips up so they can't get out!

www.uptofive.co.uk/product_p/bush%20baby%20nest%20egg.htm

It folds down completely flat so you can pack it easliy. Expensive on this website, we certainly didn't pay this much but it was a few yrs ago. Probably some cheaper versions out there.

Velcro

How does that work scubes? It looks great - I love the idea, but won't DS just thrash around trying to fight his way out?

I think I might just put him in a fleecy suit, zip him behind the mesh door of the bedroom with his sister, a double airbed and hope for the best!

Sounds ok...im sure he will be fine. Is he ok at home or does he try to escape ? I'm sure he will just do what ever he does at home.
Readybed might help to keep him in place though.

He does try to escape at home. He lies down, gets straight back up, stands at the door (stairgate on); shouts a bit then goes back to bed and crashes out. If the stairgate wasn't there he'd just keep following me back downstairs.

Thing with the readybed is that it'd be the same as our exisiting air bed. He wouldn't stay on it I don't think.

We have been useing thease until last when we got them self-inflating roll mats. Dds now 6 and 10. 10 year old been sleeping on them since 2. Similar age for the younger one. Has worked really well as it contains them a bit when there small and stops them fall off jumping around instead of sleeping. Mine where their normal jim jam with a jumper and have from proper sleeping bags from a camping shop. Don't buy to big or they will get cold

my daughter was in a ready bed from 18 months, when the travel cot wouldn't fit in the car. With extra layers of clothes, blankets under and on top of her, etc. Just zipped into a tent bedroom with the zips at the top and kept telling her to "go to bed". Wait until they're total whacked and put them to bed late. Ready beds are a bit rubbish though, forever had leaks in them, wouldn't buy one again, would try one of these instead.

We use one of these for DD1 - sort of a shallow dinghy design with raise sides to stop her falling off. Seems to work pretty well, although the flock cover sets my teeth on edge she is in fleece sleepsuit, fleece grobag and then slotted into an adult sleeping bag, folded over.

Thank-you all for you help.

Those dinghy type beds look great.

I think we're going to let both DC stay up late late late on the first night then lie down with them, then get some fricken freezing air the next few days to tire them out.

I'm going to stick with the plan of a double airbed in each bedroom. Zip em in and that's that. After the cot days are over there's nothing that's going to contain him. He might as well just crash out on our existing air beds in the bedroom compartments. He can't come to any harm.

Job done!

We went last year with DD1 (just 4), DD2 (an escape-artist 2.5) and DS (5m). We had our two double airbeds squooshed in together in the sleeping compartment and made it all cosy with blankets galore.

While they tried to escape a few times the first night (other kids in the group had all gone to bed nicely at normal time , so we felt we should try to do the same), we then just let them sit with us round the campfire until they felt they'd done the grown-up thing, then put them back to bed. Much better the next night and so on.

And poor DS was put in so many layers, he couldn't move :o. This year, however, he'll be 18m and is already walking, so heaven help us when we try to put him to bed! :o

Thanks Flubba - I think we're in for a late first night too

i have 3 and hubby doesnt go with us. ive tried every senario....best solution an all in one fleece for child. then have the sleeping area covered with airbeds...that was child can move around and not get too cold. also take duvets so he can sleep with you in your bed.

make sure zips to sleepin compartment are up so he cant escape xx

dont need to drive him around! are u mad! this is crutial wine time..let him stay awake till u go to bed, then u will all get sleep!! xxxx

Thanks - I have gone off the idea of driving him around. It's not something I do usually. However, if he is tired, he will drop off after about 3 minutes. I was thinking it might be preferable to an hour of faffing around.

I think all in one fleece suit with airbeds in safe sleeping area is the solution :)

we had the same problem with wriggly DS3 aged 2 last summer. he didnt like being trapped in a sleeping bag. in the end what worked best was one big sleeping compartment completely filled with airbeds and lots of duvets blankets. once it was "bedtime" normally late when it got dark all 3 were zipped in( ds1 and ds2 are old enough to go to sleep in sleeping bags). DS3 had a fleecy warm all in one on. he slept where he fell within reason and we added extra blankets over the top / moved him to a more convenient spot once he was properly asleep.

We did have a bit of "mum, DS3 is sitting on me and I cant go to sleep" but normally they were so tired they went to sleep very soon.

:o severn that sounds just perfect! I'm really looking forward to going camping again soon!

Hi all,

smackapacca, we have been camping in our camper van since DS was 3.5 weeks old. He is now nearly 3.

We started off with a Koo-di pop up bassinette for about £20 which fitted on the floor area of the camper.

When when he outgrew that he went in to a NScessity Large Pop Up UV Tent, about £63, which he goes in in the pop top part of the camper. Since it has two zips - an inner and outer - he would have to be an extremely bright 18-24 month boy to unzip both before I had heard him and got up to him (he did it eventually, thankfully in a hotel, rather than the top of the camper, but even if he had it is highly unlikely he would just have launched himself down! Plus I had heard him trying to do it and was waiting for him!).

We put one zip one side and one the other. You only need to unzip one to check on them in the night (the second flap is the mozzie one).

It is very handy as it doubles as a play tent and a UV tent for the beach.

We never had a stair gate on his room - tell a lie - we did for 24 hours - he launched himself over the top of it in frustration at being trapped and nearly broke his neck! There followed 2 months of hell trying to keep him in his own bed! We tried rewards, threats, holding the door closed, etc. you name it! But eventually something just clicked and he stays there now.

So for camping this year - starting Easter - we have just been to buy him a junior sleeping bag. He got to chose it and try it in the camping shop :) And he will sleep up top again with a bed guard to prevent him rolling down and there will be a ladder should he wish to climb down (he is a VERY experienced climber!).

So my advice would be the tent option, otherwise just persevere with the airbed, since the inner tent bedroom is like a tent for them anyway. I always put a few toys in there and a torch so he can see in the dark if he feels the need.

We too bought a ready bed. Thankfully in the sale, but even so it has been used for just half a night! DS didn't take to it at all. I'd get a baby sleeping bag instead, which should be more than warm enough, on top of your air bed.

Now we set a boundary we feel is realistic for all - if he doesn't want to go straight to sleep he is allowed to play, but is not allowed to leave the room/area where he is sleeping, which, touch wood, seems to be working.

Sorry for the ramble but no short way of explaining it all!

Allycat if you see this could you tell me what you're using as a bed guard in the pop-top? It would solve my camping problems if I could think of a way to make my 4 year old sleep safely up there! He has a bedguard on his bed at home, but no way would it fit on the campervan mattress.