To have my son in a cot still?

[humidifierx]

What age did you take the sides off the cotbed to turn it into a toddler bed?

Never used the cot, bit of a waste of space. DS slept in a baby box, and then a floor mattress next to our bed for easier night feeds. Will be going into his own room soon, hopefully before he reaches 2.

My DD was about 2, DS was about 14 months. They both had guards on their beds though

@ohpleasesleepbabysleep you have a side car that will fit an almost 3 year old? Could you share the brand please? I would love to get one as DD is too big for the next to me at 11 months but I don't fancy the battle of trying to get her into a separate cot!

Four. She could climb out perfectly safely using the armchair next to it. We got bunk beds for her fourth birthday. Her little sister was in her cot till she was 2 I think then went in to the bottom bunk.

My DSis climbed out of her cot at nine months and had to have a bed as the cot was unsafe. She was still running around all night at 3. My DC were all 2.5.

3 - it was a massive cot bed though

ds3 is still in his cot he's never tried to climb out.
He does have a toddler bed but won't stay in it.
We are working on him sleeping in the bed but everyone gets a good night if he sleeps in his cot instead of broken sleep.

No plans to change. DS is 2.5. DD was 2 but she was a horrendous sleeper so it was a desperate attempt to get her to sleep and we'd run out of options with the cot.

My son climbed out of his cot at 10 months, he didn't walk until he was 14 months but he would slither down the stairs and surprise us! He was like Sweetpea in the Popeye cartoons, he could crawl quite fast. We did think about making a lid for the cot to stop him escaping, but thought it might be a bit weird to keep our firstborn in a cage! We just had to do the silent but kind return to bed and repeat, that Supernanny recommends until he got the message

First child was just short of 2, only moved him because I was due a c section and needed to make life easier. Could have left him a bit longer, he seemed perfectly happy in there.

Second child was something like 18 months because he kept climbing out of the cot.

DS 2y 2m ish and straight into single bed with safety rail - driven by the need to reuse cot for DD but DS was also huge. DD's cotbed was turned into bed at 2y 2 m and then went into a single bed at 3. One of the big plusses of not being in a cot and particularly for DS in his single bed was being able to snuggle up to read stories at bedtime without having to move DC afterwards. We noticed it wasn't quite the same for DD in her cot bed but still easier to lie on the floor next to her without the barrier of cot side/higher up in a cot.

14 months for ds2 as he kept bashing himself and waking himself up.
Ds1 was 20 months, he moved into a low bed as we needed the cot for ds2.

Hmm mine was about 16 months. He couldn’t climb out but he was really really tall and could easily fall out by bending over. He had a bed with blow up bumpers and they were brilliant he never ever got out of bed, even in the morning he would shout me the same as when he was in his cot to come and get him up.

DS moved into a single bed when he turned 3. He didn't try climbing out of his cot and was perfectly happy there so we saw no need to take the side off.

DS1 must have been 3. DS2 was a bit younger, but we only took him out of it because he's a climber.

Yep. I have a friend whose son sleeps on a floor bed but doesn’t sleep until about 11.

I’d rather have one that falls asleep in his cot at 8!

Dd was 2 years 8 months when we converted the cot to A toddler bed. She never made any attempt to climb out.

@MissisBee

We took the side off when my son was nearly 3 as I was pregnant and couldn't lift him in or out. He'd never tried climbing out by then and was happy in it. Sleep's been a nightmare since!

This is exactly my fear. I'm 20 weeks pregnant and starting to find it hard to get DS (2y2m) out of his cot so thinking we may have to take the side off, but I'm worried it'll wreck his sleep, or that we'll never get him down in the evening (at the moment we say goodnight, turn off the light and we're done, but if he knew he could get up and play if he wanted...). Everyone I know with a toddler who sleeps on a floor bed has a nightmare sleeper who wakes up constantly and has to be cuddled to sleep for hours. Though it's not a fair sample as lots of them tried the floor bed precisely because their child didn't sleep... But I'm still scared!

My 2.5 DD is still in her cot. We were planning on taking the sides off once she tries to climb out but for the moment she seems to like it as it is.

My eldest was in a cot until she decided to climb out one day, and hit her head having managed to. She was 2.5. I say as long at they’re not climbing and hurting themselves long may it reign!

I guess whatever works for you is best, but it would seem a bit odd to have a walking talking hulk of a 4 year old sleeping in a cot to me!

DS moved into a mid-sleeper when he was 2 and DD was on the way. DD climbed out of her cot when she had just turned 1 and landed with a thump on the floor. She moved straight to a toddler bed in the same room as DS then, and slept much better than she ever had. Although she was already walking she continued to shout / cry for me in the night rather than getting up and wandering about. I don't think she ever liked sleeping in a cot though, and it sounds as though your DS is happy where he is?

DS1 was 18m when we moved him into a single bed with a bed guard. He kept climbing out of his cot and almost tipped it once so we had our hand forced really. He looked so tiny in his giant bed

DS2 was technically in his cot until around 3yo. I say technically as he'd start off in there each night then end up in my bed after he woke up! He didn't try to climb out though so I just moved him when he no longer fit in it.

DTs were 3.5, they were tiny, never jumped out and they were contained so could get up to less mischief.

We also kept the gate on their door for a looooong time - mostly for their own safety, they were mischievous.

They have never ever got out of bed once they're in and they're 10 now. For a long time I don't think they realised they even could get out.

Both of mine were 22 months when they climbed out so that's when they were moved! Would have kept them in it much longer otherwise.

Although she was already walking she continued to shout / cry for me in the night rather than getting up and wandering about.

Off topic, but I still recall six year old DS1's face when he realised that instead of shouting me through each morning/in the night if he woke, he could just get out of bed and come through to me Every day before that he'd shout 'Is it morrrrrnnnniiiiiinnnnnggggg?' cheerfully. It was a revelation to him when my mother said 'Why don't you just get up and go ask your mum instead of shouting?'