Question about taking the cot side off/transitioning toddler into a ‘big bed’

[user0512]

Hi,

My DD 2.5 year old has never tried to climb out of her cot so is still sleeping in it currently. I want to make the transition into the ‘big girl bed’ in her room or at the very least take the cot side off.

She may have additional needs and is very hyper (cannot sit still at all) and I worry that removing her from the safety of the cot will mean that she will be playing with toys instead of sleeping and doing a tour of her room in the early hours of the morning as she won’t be as ‘contained’.

How do I go about this? Sorry if it’s a silly question.

Not an AIBU question but posted on her for traffic. Aibu

We put a stairgate on the bedroom door so they were still contained in a safe space. Minimal toys as bedrooms are for sleeping.

@MrsMugginshe has a stair gate already but the issue is she climbs a lot. She has a toy storage unit in her room and she’s climbed on it to get to the window before, her toys are mostly in her room which is probably where I’m going wrong

Childproof the room completely - safety catches on drawers/cupboards if necessary, only super safe toys left out accessible. My daughter has just done this for her 11mth old who had to move to floor bed as she was climbing out cot). Also stair gate across the door. Good luck!

If shes not attempting to climb out, and is happy (and sleeping well) why potentially upset the apple cart?

Unless there is another reason, leave things as they currently are!

Keep her in the cot

sorry but she climbs up to the window and is only 2.5, she needs to be in the cot

Tricky because if she is a climber she almost certainly could climb out of the cot if she chose to, which makes it potentially dangerous. I would take off the cot side and move the storage unit away from the window. If the window is a typical double glazed unit just opened at the top it's unlikely a safety hazard. If it's an old sash or something, more so.

@DandelionClockSeedsbecause she has a big bed in her room and if I got rid of the cot it would free up space as I want to make a ‘calm corner’ in her room for her to regulate as I suspect she is ND (her dad and other family members are) so that space would allow me to do that, also I’ve read online that this is the age to make that move ( I worry if I leave it too late she’ll find the transition to a big bed harder maybe?)

@herbalteabagits ironic because she climbs on everything except the cot. I wonder if it’s because she’s a bit more petite (still in 12-18 months clothing) and is over 2.5 years old (will be 3 in November) but from this thread I’m realising maybe I shouldn’t ’fix what’s not broken’

Honestly leave her in the cot until it becomes an issue. Once she’s in a bed there’s nothing you can really do to stop her getting out

We took the side off the cot for DS - he don’t even seem to realise and just carried on sitting there waiting for us to get him out of bed! 😂

The room does need to be climb-proof though. Dd was a climber and also got out of bed regularly to play for a while but there was nothing she could injure herself on so we really just left her to it. Eventually she’d just fall asleep, sometimes on the floor or under the bed, wherever she’d been playing.

If you already have a bed in the room then I’d just go for it and move her.

We moved our son into a big bed just before he turned 3 as we needed his cot for the baby, otherwise I would have left him in the cot until he grew too big for it. If she’s not climbing out then maybe just keep her in her cot for a little bit longer, but take the side off and see how she gets on. My son didn’t really notice when the side came off. But, we had his big bed in the room with him and would do story time in there and then move him to the cot when it was time to sleep. I think he was able to get used to the bed and not see it as a new exciting thing when we then moved him into it for night sleep so he just slept like normal in it.

We removed one side of the cot at around 2.5 but put a bed guard in it's place so they still felt secure and wouldn't fall out. This was kind of step 1 for us to see how it went. We didn't have any issues, so then moved to the big bed at 3. I would keep her in the cot for a bit longer if it's working for you.

We’ve just transitioned my DD who is 2year 5 month into a cot bed.

like you wasn’t trying to climb out of the cot and totally settled and I was cautious of doing it, but we are due another baby and wanted her in a bed before “the baby gets her bed” etc.

However, also doesn’t really climb on anything in her room, if that was a concern for me I’d have left her in the cot a bit longer. Also minimal toys- does have one small toy box as we needed extra storage but hardly ever is played with. It is just her bookshelf really that she would use.

so far she’s taken to it well, have a bit more of a carry on a bed time where she’s in and out for a bit but once in agreement it’s time to sleep she stays in the bed, even when awake in the morning she is still waiting for us to come in for her before getting up (not sure how long that will last for)

Weve used a bed since 12 months. No toys in the room. A small amount of books. Chest of drawers is screwed to the wall. Do the transition earlier rather than later! Swear it’s easier really young as no novelty. Mine can’t reach the door handle yet anyway.

Thanks everyone.

Can I just ask where everyone keeps their child’s toys? I keep reading to keep minimal toys in her room but her room is where most of her toys are stored. On rotation I take around five different toys downstairs and the rotate them every few weeks but the others are all stored in her room so I’m not sure how I’d get rid of them all?x

I found as soon as my little girl realised she could get out, she was coming into us multiple times a night. We’re back to having shit sleep since moving to big girl bed

Don't do it. We waited until over the age of 3, got her a clock that changes colour for night and day and explained to her that when its blue its still night time so she cant get out of the bed. Has worked 98% of the time. A friend used the same with her son at a younger age and had hardship with them getting out of bed every night because they just weren't old enough to understand it fully.

The majority of my DDs toys are in her room, its the only way we can work it for space. We do have one ikea unit in our sitting room too.

Mainly downstairs as that’s where we spend most of our time. Any toys I have put upstairs never really get played with.

We have an ottoman type storage box which blends in with our living room which has most toys in. Toy kitchen and small table and chairs downstairs also.

Keep her in the cot until she climbs out! Don't make trouble for yourself!

If she continues to be a climber you may need to look at a bed that you can zip her in to. It doesn't sound safe for her to be loose and unattended tbh.

Zipping a child into a bed?? That is cruel. You just make the room safe / as empty as possible. Mine has been in a bed since 12 months and never had any issues.

All toys in our living room - In an ottoman and in our built in cupboards. Never even thought to keep toys in her bedroom.

It's not cruel it's necessary for some ND children.

It's wonderful that you don't have this issue with your child, but you'd be wise to do some research or keep your opinions to yourself when it comes to parenting children with additional needs if that isn't your experience.

Wait until she's climbing out. Daft to do it until then imo.

We kept them downstairs in living room and later a playroom. I probably wouldn't store toys in the bedroom.