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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

20mo dd can get out of her cot but not ready for a bed...

16 replies

mama2moo · 16/10/2011 19:47

What can I do? Her 3yo older sister has been encouraging her to get out and she can do it very easily now!

We have a toddler bed ready for her but she is a little monkey and I know I am going to regret putting her into a bed this early.

Are there any other things I can do? She is in a cot, are cot beds lower? Would I be better off getting a cot bed for now? Should I try a thinner mattress?

Please help!

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ceebeegeebies · 16/10/2011 19:52

I don't think you have any choice but to move her into a bed - she can get out now so what would the difference be? At least she would be safe getting in and out of a bed rather than climbing out of a cot.

Either way, you are going to have to tackle the issue of her staying in bed at some point. I don't think her age is going to make it easier - it is just the way some children are (I have 2 DC - 1 would not stay in bed and was a real pain in the arse, the other one has never got out of bed once he is in it and is an absolute dream at bedtimes!)

Tigresswoods · 16/10/2011 20:04

We are keeping DS in a grobag for just this reason. He's 19m & I just know we'd have this problem.

BluddyMoFo · 16/10/2011 20:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

mama2moo · 16/10/2011 20:08

A Grobag is a great idea!! Maybe I will try that first!

I know I am going to have to do it but if there was another way I would do it!! We moved dd1 into a bed at 19mo and she was ok. Dd2 is a whole other story! I just know we are going to have problems!

OP posts:

Tigresswoods · 16/10/2011 20:11

Yeah we've decided spring/summer next year will be the first time we try bed instead of cot & ditch the bags. he'll be over 2 by then.

Good luck.

Moodykat · 16/10/2011 20:12

We dropped the base of DS1's cotbed right onto the floor so he was effectively sleeping on a mattress on the floor but still had the cot bars around him IYSWIM? He is nearly 3 and doesn't like sleeping in his bed but was climbing out of his cot in the mornings! He can't do that anymore!

DorisIsTheDarkDestroyer · 16/10/2011 20:25

All 3 dd's have gone into beds around the 20months -2 years mark. We did however ensure that thier rooms had stair gates which they couldn't undo and wander around the house when they felt like it.

If they started messing about and playing with toys , toys were removed.

Would you rather a few weeks nights of disruption or a nightmare when she falls badly getting out?

I think you might have too just bite the bullet we use a cot side on for a start (to prevent the nighttime rolled out of bed scenario).

Good Luck

Octaviapink · 17/10/2011 08:17

Sorry, but if she can get out of her cot she IS ready for a bed! Agree with Doris - put a stairgate across her door, and start her off on mattress on the floor.

Bubbaluv · 17/10/2011 08:39

Both of mine moved into beds by 18 months. She sounds ready to me.

differentnameforthis · 17/10/2011 09:21

Dd climbed out of her cot at 18mths, she was in a grow bag too...she got out of it! We took the side off her cot as I was mor worried that she would climb during the night & fall & hurt herself, or get her leg/arm trapped.

She was a pain & it took a few good weeks to get her used to her bed & get her settled. We keep a gate on her door that is closed until she falls asleep (just to keep her in her room) then we open it before we go to bed (no stairs to worry about). I slept better knowing she couldn't fall/get stuck.

liesandmorelies · 17/10/2011 09:47

agree she will remove gro bag especially if not already used to it before climbing out. when my ds started climbing out we just took side off cot and put a duvet on floor beside it but he never fell out and continued to climb out of the cot over the ends as it was much more fun!

mrsbaffled · 17/10/2011 09:50

My 2 went into a bed at 14 months as they could nearly get out of the cot wearning grobags...they don't do a lot to delay a determined toddler!

I would say she is very ready for a bed. I echo what others have said about a stairgate. Also put a mattress on the floor in case she rolls out, and possibly a big bedguard to prevent it in the first place.

GreenMonkies · 17/10/2011 09:53

DD1 went into a standard single bed aged 18 months. We pushed it against the wall and put a cot-rail on the other side, so she could get out, but not fall out. Why is her getting out of bed an issue?

DeWe · 17/10/2011 10:31

Ds was climbing out weaing a grwo bag by about 9 months. He slept on a mattress on the floor (we were moving house and this was easy to hide during viewings too) then into his own bed once we'd moved at about 18 months. It took him a lot longer to figure out the stairgate on the door!

Original poster

mama2moo · 17/10/2011 19:52

Thanks all! Bed it is then! Fingers crossed she will be good!

OP posts:

SusanKiss · 20/10/2011 23:08

DS also climbed out of his cotbed at around 20 months .... we didn't realise that you could buy grobags for this age (thought they were just for babies !) so we took off the sides of his cotbed and made it into a bed ..... he NEVER goes straight to sleep now and tinkers around his room for a good 45 mins after lights out and story .... but we have put a stairgate up for safety and he will eventually make it into bed once he has tired himself out and emptied his chest of drawers of all his clothes/nappies etc !! With hindsight if I had known about large grobags he would still be in one and in his cotbed (assuming that he couldn't have still climbed out!) as I would have liked to have put him in a proper bed when I knew that he was old enough to understand that he was to stay there !! I know we will have fun and games when we remove the stairgate i.e. keeping him in his bed as he's used to pottering around now until HE's ready to sleep, but that's a challenge for another day !!

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