How do you know it's time to move a toddler out of their cot?

[LeoTheLateBloomer]

DD is 23mo and I've realised I've no idea when to do it.
Are there certain signs to look for?
Will I need to keep her in her grobag before introducing a duvet?
What if she climbs out of bed and then panics because she can't get out of her bedroom?
Should I start by taking one side off her cot?
Can I just keep her in her cot forever?!?

Hi, I changed to a duvet and pillow around 2months.
Then when she was 2 1/2 I took one side off cot and use to
Spin it round so it was open during the day and closed at night.
Then after a few months we tried it with the bed open so she could climb in and out.
Yesterday we fully converted it into bed.
By doing it v slowly and not rushing means she has never got up in the night
And had good sleeping habits before a big bed.

So if they show no sign of climbing out leave it until they are ready.
Good luck

24 months then 2 and 1/2 years obviously- darn phone !

Hi Leo, we moved my DD into a bed at 18 months as she started not sleeping at night in her cot and this went on every night for a good few weeks. We did it all in one night, stopped using gro bag and gave her duvet and pillow, put her into bed without guard or anything. Had gate across the door to stop her escaping. She got out a couple of times but because she couldn't get out of her room just got back into bed again. Haven't looked back since.

So, just wanted to point out really that you don't have to do the transition really slowly but agree that there are usually signs such as climbing out of cot/not wanting to sleep in cot that are an indication they are ready to move onto a bed.

It really doesn't matter how long she stays in the cot provided that she is happy. With my 3 children the reasons for taking the side off cot / putting them into a bed were as follows: DD1, 23 months, needed cot for imminent arrival of DD2 and wanted to DD1 to have a month or so to get used to bed before DD2 was born. DD2, 18 months she was a climber and a complete and utter pain, I would have much rather have kept the sides on her cot. DS, 2yrs because cot finally broken after hard use by 3 children. The other main reason for taking sides off cot is once they are potty trained and needing to be able to access the loo / potty. I didn't have any major transition issues with any of them. I used a bed guard so that they didn't fall out, which helped and I also used a stairgate across the door to stop nighttime wandering. Each time we had a few weeks of excitement and running around and various nights finding them fast asleep on the floor where they had finally dropped off exhausted before the novelty wore off and normal bed time was restored. You don't have to go straight to duvet - my DD1 stayed in her sleeping bag for more than 6 months after transition to bed, we only changed to duvet when she was out of night nappies so sleeping bag made potty access too hard. Actually, changing to duvet was hardest transition for all my 3 as they kept kicking it off so in the early days, so I always tucked a blanket tightly over the duvet to keep it in place (or sheet in summer)

DS was taken out of his cot when he learnt how to climb out of it. He though that this was great on the first lunchtime nap he realised he could do it and kept going each time we put him back. The last time he fell heavily and we had to take him to A&E with suspected broken arm . Don't let this happen to you.
When DD showed signs of climbing, she was instantly moved to a bed.

We took the side off DD's cot around her 2nd birthday. She had just started climbing (short legs, not developmental delay) and thought it was better to do it before she was old enough to object to the change.

We put a rolled up towel under the fitted sheet at the edge of the mattress and left the mattress from the travel cot on the floor for her to fall onto. She fell out the first two nights so we tried without the sleeping bag and then it was fine.

The main problem with leaving the sides on is lifting an increasingly heavy child in and out, I suppose. Otoh, attempts to produce no. 2 are less likely to be interrupted...

DS1 was about 2.2, straight into a toddler bed (no rail) without any problems.
DS2 was 16 mnths because he had broken the cot as he used to shake the sides so hard. He needed a stair gate across his room door to keep him in, though!
DS3 about 20 mnths because his sleep started to get worse and he always looked uncomfortable. He slept well straight away in the toddler bed, but also needed a stair gate across the door to keep him in at bed time.

When they leap over the bars of their cot and crash to the floor. Twice on successive nights. DS was 2yo and I'd been to Ikea for a toddler bed by night 3.

The decision was made for me when I found 11 month old DD asleep in her twin sisters cot one morning

I forgot I started this thread, sorry!
Thank you for all the replies. Something came over me this morning and I took the side off. She's now happily asleep up there and had managed to stay in for an hour and a half so far!