time for the big bed?

[mum2max]

My 17 mth ds has decided he can launch himself out of his cot (several occasions last night). He's quite tall and has obviously has just reach the point where he's realised he can topple out and land on his head! God knows what I'm going to do! We have a cot bed that can be converted into big bed. Is it time or is it too soon at 17 mths? I can't see me coping with nightly head injuries.:(

crisis over for now - well until he grows about another inch! Still I'd like to hear what people think about the right age to put into a bed.

I moved my older ones at 18m. DT1 moved at 18m as well. DT2 moved just recently aged 2. Nightmare... but only because they keep escaping, but definitely worth losing the worry that they would half kill themselves getting out of the cots lol!

hmm, a difficult one if he's throwing himself out!! My DS is also tall and outgrew his cot at just 2 yrs old - I would have happily had him in a cot till he was three if I could.

17 months is very young to have the freedom of a bed, so you will get numerous gettings out and escapes - what we did with DS was put a stairgate on his room, so he could get out of bed but not out of the room. Also mega safety proofed the room, making sure there was absolutely nothing he could harm himself with....eventually we made a deal with him that we would leave the stairgate open so long as he stayed in bed, which he did - but he was two and a half by then.

I used to worry (maybe I'm TOO paranoid) that he couldn't get to us if he was choking or something, with the stairgate on his room....but then the worry of him wandering in the night and getting into the bathroom or office was stronger than that worry.....cots are so much easier!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I held off with DS1 until he was just over 2. I would have kept him in a cot until he could undo the bolts himsef with an alan key but with DS2 outgrowing the moses basket we needed the flexibility of going away with only one travel cot! (it was that or buy a truck!).

I too used a stair gate on the door- and would say it was essential.

After a week of nocturnal wanderings and DS1 waking up at 4.30am and standing at the gate banging it I tried a sticker chart. And it really worked. But I guess 17 months is much too young for that- I was actually surprised it worked so well at 2 but it did.

I guess what I might do when he is older and/or they are both in beds is put a stairgate on my door......

My ds moved into a bed at 14 months and nights instantly improved. Hewas just so much more comfy in bed than the cot.