Experienced advice please on moving from cotbed to bed.

[jaybirdsinginginthedeadofnight]

Ok soooooo DD is late moving into her big girl bed she's turning 3 next week. The reason we procrastinated on this was because we had no big reason to change things, she sleeps well, loves her cot and it's plenty big for her being a cot/bed. But we know that we have to bite the bullet eventually as she can't stay in a cot forever.

I'm just looking for advice on how to go about this, is it just smooth sailing even when they realise they can now climb out of bed? The other problem I have is she is currently in a sleeping bag, should we change to a quilt?

Would love to hear others experiences on how the transition went, and any tips/advice on how we can make it as painless as possible for DD and for us. I have visions of a wee face appearing at my bed side in the wee small hours .............

TIA

So is it in 'cot' formation currently?

We took one side off the cot first, with a duvet instead of gro bag.

Yes cot currently. So just one night to the next cot to bed simples? Maybe she won't actually notice a side is gone

We have the side off the cot bed too. We have a stair gate on the door so she can't go on a midnight rampage.

If she wakes in the night she charges straight to the door and shouts. Or if she loses the dummy so is only half awake, it doesn't seem to occur to her to get out of bed.

We have a really low bed guard from Ikea which is just enough to stop her rolling out without creating an exciting obstacle that could end in tears.

DD could climb out of her cot a while before we put her into a bed so we have a gate over the door so she can't get out. Works fine, sometimes she bumbles about in her room before getting into bed and falling asleep. Def gate on bedroom door though.

I waited till age 3 to take the cotbed sides off with both my older two, and will be doing the same for 2yo DS3 (unless the little sod attempts to climb out!). I don't think it's 'late' go make the change at all. Much more sensible than doing it earlier IMO.

My two top tips for a smooth transition-

1. Get a bed guard (do an amazon search, they have some nice wooden ones that are compatible with cotbeds). Really helps them feel secure.

1. Leave them in the sleeping bag if they're happy in it - DS1 was really spooked by the idea of a duvet and slept very happily in a sleeping bag, in his sides-off bed for at least six months!

We had a very smooth transition both times. I think by the time they hit 3, generally speaking DC are just that bit more mature and ready for the change (and more easily bribed to stay in their bed!). Good luck OP.

Thanks all and dietcokeandwine thank you for the tips, makes perfect sense, I think we will leave it a few weeks yet and take the plunge on a week I've a few days off work

I put down extra pillows on the floor during the transition from cot but luckily dd has never fallen out of her big girl bed. Initially I used to tuck her in as was worried about her moving around but now aged five she just has a loose duvet and it's fine.

After an aborted attempt when ds was 2.5 we waited till he was 3 1/4. We did loads of talking about it beforehand & the pirate Pete book worked wonders. By the time he moved he totally wanted to be a 'big boy' & knew the rule was he had to stay in bed. We did a star chart for the first few weeks to reinforce staying in bed. Even now 3 months later, with a new baby in the house, he's 'got it' & knows he has to be invited into mummy & daddy's bed & realised its a better place to be cos daddy snores

We took the side off the cot, didn't discuss it just took it off - just one so like a day bed.

I would honestly say no rush, leave them where they're happy and sleep!

RandomMess I like that philosophy - why rock the boat?

My little loved the book princess pollys new bed

We took off one side and then several months later the other. We also left my DS until 3. He didn't get out

Mine were all getting on for four before they went into a bed only ds1 ever climbed out of the cot so we just left the side down which acted as a bed guard. By the time they went into a bed they old enough to know to stay there. They all had quilts in the cot from two. We had a gate at the top of the stairs but not on the bedroom doors.

We have a stair gate as DS is the kind of child who could create havoc on a midnight rampage. We did have some problems initially with him getting out of bed before going to sleep but we just put him back in bed with minimal interaction repeatedly until he got bored and went to sleep. It took two or three nights but he got the message and is now fine.

One thing I would suggest for the first few nights is putting in a bit of effort to plan your day for 'optimal tiredness' i.e.pretty bushed but no so tired she's lost the plot by bedtime - lots of fresh air and exercise, nap at appropriate time, that sort of thing. And do have a plan in place in case it all goes tits up. Whatever you decide to do, consistency is key as faffing around trying to decide how to handle getting out out of bed will just be giving attention to unwanted behaviour. Lots of people opt for just repeatedly putting them back in bed with minimal fuss and it seems to work for most toddlers as long as you're prepared to stick with it for a few nights. Good luck.