Help - transition from cot to big bed!

[ollie131]

I am in the process of transferring my 20 month old from her cot to a single bed. I have a baby due in 10 weeks and want her to get settled with the new bed before the baby arrives and not to feel like the baby has kicked her out of her cot as we will need it (after the moses basket phase) for the new one.

We included her in the building of the bed and she was very excited, she has been in it with her teddys and also puts them to bed in there at night - but refuses to sleep in it herself. I read that it was good to leave the cot in the room too to start with and give them a choice - she always chooses the cot and will get in the bed in the day to 'lark about' but wont lay down and seems very reluctant to sleep in there.

Should I just carry on giving her the choice and see if she comes round to the idea? I have tried getting in it with her and also pretending its lovely to sleep in and letting her watch me get in in the day and snuggle up - but she doesnt even like that and asks me to get out!

Any advice gratefully received.
Thanks
Caroline

[RuthChan]

Yes, just give her time.
Talk the bed up a lot and discuss the fact that it makes her a big girl. Also point out that you and other close adults in her life sleep in beds, not cots.
The first sleep in a big bed is the hardest, so if she falls asleep in the car/your arms/pushchair etc, transfer her to the big bed while asleep and let her wake up in the bed.
Play games, read books etc in it, put her toys to bed in it and generally make it a fun and safe place to be.
Eventually she will come round.

[Mummyloveskisses]

I had the same problem but I just removed the cot completely... didn't realise you weren't meant to! DD was fine she accepted the bed was hers and didn't make any fuss at all about it... we completely took it apart and hid it under my bed so she didn't have visual on it... and when DS2 was born 3 months later and then a further 3 months after that outgrew the moses basket she had no recognision the cot had ever been hers.

TBH by having the cot and the bed there and the way you discribed her larking about, it just seems to me she may feel you have bought her a new uncommon toy?

[piprabbit]

Get rid of the cot - go cold turkey.

[Pigleychez]

Yep agree that cold turkey is the way to go.

I but both in DD1's room thinking she could play in it and get used to it for a few days, having day time naps in it first. She however wanted to go into the bed that first night and never looked back!

OP- We were exactly the same as you. DD1 went into a bed at 18mths in preperation for new baby coming. (21mths apart)

Try letting her choose her own duvet cover. DD1 picked Peppa Pig and would tell everyone about her 'Peppa bed'.

[BirdyBedtime]

Totally agree you need to get rid of the cot. We moved DS recently at about 2.3 and he 'helped' make the bed and then 'helped' dismantle the cot so there was no doubt that it was not going to be an option. TBH thankfully it's been a lot easier than expected. We did leave him in his sleeping bags for a few weeks rather than straight under a duvet so not sure if that helped, although we've just last week put him under his duvet as one evening he got out of bed and managed to get to the top of the stairs still in his sleeping bag - cue visions of him toppling down!