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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

Cot to a bed, when? Lots of chages coming up, don't want to time it wrong! sorry long

16 replies

mrswee · 26/06/2012 18:28

My DD is just over 2 1/2. She is till in her cot and quite happy there buut had expressed interest in being a big girl in a bed.

I am pregnant and due end of November when DD will be 3.2. Before that we will be movig house, in begining of October, just before her 3rd birthday.

It's a lot of changes.
She feels secure in her cot and obviously is secure in her cot, which stops her getting up and out of bed! Both things makes me feel she should take the cot to the new house and sleep in it for a short time while she gets used to the new house... but then we'd be pushing it towards when the baby is due and I don't want her to associated being turfed out of her cot, or suddenly becoming a big girl (not a baby anymore) when the new baby arrives, if that makes sense?

I am if I am honest also a little fearful or what happens when she's no longer in her cot, will she stay in her bed or keep getting up... sometimes it takes an hour or more for her to fall asleep, she sits very happily in her cot singing and playing away with teddy but I have suspicion she'd be playing with whatever she wanted out of her cot if she could.

to summerise - I am worried her sleep will be a bit disturbed and she will be generally unsettled by the move so will we cause a bigger problem by putting her in a bed around the time we move, but if not is 3 too old to be in a cot really.
argh!

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Iggly · 26/06/2012 18:32

Put her in a bed now.

I built this up in my head but in the end we casually told ds on the day that his bed was arriving that the cot was going. Cot went, bed arrived. He watched it be built and took his first nap in it no problem. Bedtime, no problem.

After a few nights of falling out we put a guard up. Had a few more nights of him getting out so just put him back (I sat with him and did it silently). He was then fine and it's only now, over a year later that he's started getting out and messing about at bedtime.

EclecticShock · 26/06/2012 18:35

I'm nervous about this too :)

Iggly · 26/06/2012 19:12

The reality is not as bad. I was really nervous but played it cool which DS picked up on.

belindarose · 26/06/2012 19:14

Just like Iggly, I was expecting the worst but the change was really good for us and DD very excited about her bed.

jubilee10 · 26/06/2012 20:03

3 is not too old to be in a cot. We left our ds's in their cots until after their 4th birthdays and they always slept well.

Spookey80 · 26/06/2012 20:09

Just go for it now. It prob won't be as and ad as ou think. We were in a similar situation with my dd, same age too. New ds, new house. We just went for it and she did fine, no getting up really. Kids adapt well ...,mostly.

EclecticShock · 26/06/2012 20:27

I don't think there's any rush unless the cot is too small?

WestWinger · 26/06/2012 20:35

Hello mrswee!

I am in exactly the same situation with my DD so will follow this thread with interest....... :)

salvadory · 26/06/2012 20:51

I've just (last month) moved my Dd aged 2.5 into a bed. DD number 2 was born just after DD1's 2nd birthday and like you I didn't want too many changes to unsettle her. I needn't have worried, she's taken to the bed really well and has only fallen out once (it's very low). I'd say go for it and if you're worried about her falling buy a side guard or dream tubes although in my experience I haven't needed them.

CPtart · 26/06/2012 21:13

Both my DS went from cot to bed at 20 months with no problems. I was worried the longer they stayed in a cot the harder it might be to get them out, so just went for it when i thought they were big enough really.

A tip that worked for us...we put the bed up and made a big fuss of it, letting them sit and play on it etc during the daytime when upstairs for some reason whilst one of us was there. When it was time to leave the room and go back downstairs however, we actively discouraged them climbing off it themselves, and said along the lines of "No, no you must wait for mummy" and then physically lift them off. Not for safety reasons, but to try and instil in them that it was not OK to climb off or out of the bed without permission (hoping this would dissuade them climbing out/messing around at bedtime and on waking!) Bizarrely, it worked and neither ever climbed out of bed. We also used a guard rail.

Good luck.

RichManPoorManBeggarmanThief · 27/06/2012 08:59

I just did this for DS (22mo) as I am having DC2 in August, and want there to be a gap between DS vacating the cot and DC2 getting it (so DS doesnt see it as the baby coming in and taking all his stuff).

It actually took him a while to work out that he could just get out of the bed, and by the time he figured it, he was quite settled. He stays in all night, but when he wakes in the morning around 6 he'll get out and come and see us (which I dont mind- saves me getting up to get him). Occasionally I do get the patter of tiny feet 30 mins after I put him in bed, but then I just do the super nanny thing - "time for bed, DS" and carry him back with minimal fuss/ chat and re-settle him.

I would just go for it now. It's ages till you move- plenty of time to get her used to the bed before the next change.

Original poster

mrswee · 27/06/2012 12:56

Thanks for your replies! Lots to think about... one being can we afford a bed this month! might has a look on gumtree.

so do any of you use a stair gate on DC's door to prevent them leaving the room in the night... or is that cruel? It's something I have thought about for safety reasons only, not because I don't want woken up in the night, (though that would be annoying!) I really wouldnt feel safe with her faffing around in the house..

OP posts:

RichManPoorManBeggarmanThief · 27/06/2012 13:11

deffo look for second hand toddler beds- most get used for such a short time- I managed to get a great one for 40 quid.

I don't use a stairgate, because we live in an apartment (no stairs) and if he does get up, he comes into our room which is right opposite his (there's also a gate across the kitchen door, which is the only danger zone really.

If I had stairs, I'd use a stairgate. I think it's a good compromise vs. shutting their bedroom door.

Iggly · 27/06/2012 13:13

No stairgate outside his room, only by the stairs.

RichManPoorManBeggarmanThief · 27/06/2012 13:15

Duh! I cant believe I didn't think about putting the stair gate across the stairs- you can tell I don't have any can't you?

An0therName · 27/06/2012 20:54

ebay very good source of children's beds
if she is happy in the cot for now keep her in there for now -3 is fine for her to move to a bed

in my experience moving house does not really unsettle young children very much - their people and things remain the same unless there is another change like change of childrencare of course but you don't mention that we did have stair gate on our DS1s room because he was contantly coming out ofhis room - he was only just 2 when he went in a bed as he started climbing out of his cot

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