Cot to bed - success stories please!

[BabydollsMum]

DD's 17.5 months and has just gone into her big girl's bed. I didn't want to put her into a toddler bed so soon but she was climbing out of her cot so I felt I had no choice.

It's only been a week and once she's asleep, she's generally fine and has slept straight through a few times already, which we're really pleased about.

Only problem is getting her into bed in the first place! I was told about the Supernanny method of putting her back in each time she climbs out, comforting the first few times and then subsequently doing it in silence. It worked last night and on the 33rd attempt (!) she gave up and went to sleep. (Great, but didn't do my poor back much good.)

Wanted to know if anyone else has tried this method and if so, how long was it before the DCs realised getting out of bed was futile? Is it a long old process?

Or indeed any other success stories/different approaches? My heart sinks at the thought of yet more sleep training but if this works well I'm going to go for it.

Moved all 4 of mine at ca. 15 months. Mine pretty much stayed put, sorry, so no direct tips other than just sticking back in.

Does dd actually leave the room, or just get out of bed? If so, I would just leave her. it's clearly just a game if it's that many times.

I dunno if I could do 33 puttings back. I think i#d be at the shouting and locking the door stage after 3 times, but then I am v. humourless at bed time.

Haha! Well we haven't put a gate on her door (yet!) so she has access to our room too and yes she is actually leaving her room. It definitely started as a game for her - she was just waiting for me to pick her up and put her back in but by the end she was so exhausted that she gave up. I'm hoping tonight will be under 30 times, God give me strength.

I moved ds into a bed at about the same age, since he wouldn't go to sleep in the cot so we were getting him to sleep by lying with him in bed, then lifting him into cot asleep, which began to feel a little pointless! So we carried on lying with him until he was asleep since we were used to doing that, then gradually (very gradually) moved to just holding his hand, and then eventually (at about 22 months, when his understanding was a lot better) just started telling him that we had some jobs to do and would check on him in 5 mins, and he would just snuggle down...
so it worked for us in the end, but we were able to give him a lot of time at the beginning and you might need to sort it more quickly?

Thanks! I'm pleased to report tonight only took 16 attempts and she went down a lot easier once she'd resigned herself to being in bed. That's interesting about being able to reason with them a bit better a few months down the line. There is light...

We just took the sides down from our 21 month old's cot so he is now in a toddler bed. He stays put in there at night except in the mornings he crawls out of it (in his sleeping bag) to his door and cries at the door. Is your daughter in a sleeping bag? Maybe that would help?

Otherwise, I would keep doing what you are doing. Putting her back in bed. And totally agree it will become easier to reason with them. The difference in my son's comprehension and language skills from 17 months to 21 months is quite remarkable.

No, she's out of her sleeping bag now, just because we thought it might be dangerous if she tries to run in it - plus at the moment she has access to a small flight of stairs. Last night she went straight down for her dad - maybe he'll have to do it from now on then.