How to move 23 month-old from cot to own bed? Cot needed for her 3 month old brother...

[euromum]

Anyone's hints needed, title basically says it all!

Dd will be 2 in a couple of weeks, is a fab sleeper (12 hours a night + 2-3 hour nap) and LOVES her cot - she really enjoys being settled down in it, and got very upset the other day when I put ds (almost 3 months) down there when I urgently needed free hands. So I am dreading the move, but ds is rapidly getting too big for the moses basket so we need to do something.

We've been planning to have her come to ikea to choose her own bed and duvet etc, make a fuss/'party' out of installing it in her bedroom before her first night of sleeping in it so she's hopefully excited about it, and then have the cot 'disappear' for a couple of weeks before reappearing as ds's bed. Does that sound like it'll work? The only transitional thing I can think of that we won't do is start by removing one side of the cot bars, to get her used to climbing in and out, because they aren't removable.

Also, how necessary is a bed guard? I can't see it being that effective...

Thanks in advance for any ideas!

[pippylongstockings]

My DS2 didn't want to go into a bed atall.
After lots of talking about a big boy bed, bed like his older bro, only babies need cots, etc.

I just bit the bullet and took down his cot put a toddler bed in it's place and said I had a suprise for him...... cue much wailing 'I don't want a bed. I don't like that bed' but he had no choice. Harsh but it did work - that night he happily came round to the idea of big boy bed. The only thing to watch out for is he did seem to spend the first few nights with his feet stuck out the sides as no longer in gro-bag.

I think what you have described sound great. Children are much more adaptable than we give them credit for and sometimes just like to say no because they can.

[Pinkjenny]

Helloooo name changer pippy

I have no advice for you, euromum, but I am very of your child's sleeping habits.

[Pinkjenny]

Ignore me pippy, thought you were someone else

[MrsGokWantstogotoHogwarts]

Euromum that is basically what we did with ours. Get them involved in the choosing of things. You will find that for the first week or so you will have to keep popping her back into bed untill she goes to sleep but it is worth it.

[pinkteddy]

yes be prepared for your fab sleeper to be getting up a down on a regular basis till she gets used to the big bed! ps: I wouldn't worry about a bed guard, don't buy toddler bed either, they don't last very long till kids get too big.

[danthe4th]

Buy another cot, My kids were also great sleepers and were quite happy in their cots till they were nearly 4 they nearly touched the top and bottom of the cot. Whats the point in moving children who are settled you can pick up a cot cheap enough in ikea.

[elvislives]

I would second Dan. We had DS1 19 months after DD1 and bought a second cot.

[1973magpie]

I would third Dan!

We bought a second cot (from Ikea) was about £50 for cot and mattress - well worth it to avoid the trauma for all

DD2 (26months) still in cot, and there are no signs of giving her wanting her 'big girl's bed' yet...

[euromum]

Thanks for all the ideas, it's reassuring to know others have done it without too many tantrums/war with baby siblings . I think we'll attempt the move to a bed and see how it goes - and thanks for mentioning the getting in and out of bed thing, that hadn't occurred to me! We'll prepare ourselves...

Dan I had been thinking about getting another cot but it's not the expense that bothers me, it's the thought of yet more furniture cluttering up the place, especially as an extra cot won't get really long term use. Still, if the bed is really a disaster that's what we'll do and stick the bed in the attic for a bit.

[lovechoc]

DS settled in his bed (he has a double bed in his room so plenty of space to sleep in!) after a week or so. He just had a basic cot and was getting too big for it. Moved him in to bed because we had no other choice since they grow so fast!

Good luck with the cot situation. I'm sure it will all work out fine whatever you do.

[minxboo]

Hi

My ds sounds just like your dd fab sleeper and a long lunchtime nap. Everyone told me I was mad to put him in a bed as he definetly wouldn't sleep at lunchtime. The great news is he's slept great and loves the bed. It's just the other nine hours I have to worry about now!!

Good luck

[springerspaniel]

Shoveed DS in bed when he was 2. He loved it. Fell out about three times in total.

[girlsyearapart]

Same age dd 23mo same sleep pattern too. we were going to have to put her in a bed when she started trying to climb out and stripping off pjs grobag and nappy. Changed to a duvet pillow and pull on nappies and she stopped stripping and climbing so still in a cot but is very intrigued by her same age friends big bed.
Does your dc have grobag ? you could try the gradual change like duvet etc first? Include in all the choosing. On holiday she has slept in a bed fine though so I wouldn't worry. Don't think bed guards are that great as at that age they can still fall out eith side. Just push it against a wall and put some cushions on the floor.