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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

when should i move my 20 month old daughter into a bed

18 replies

mummysue · 24/08/2007 21:59

hi my 20 month has never slept well and in her cot she moves around that much she is constantly banging her head or arms and legs and that wakes her.if i put her in our bed she sleeps perfect.i dont thing]k its cos were there its just that shes comfortable and can stretch etc.my mum thinks shes too young.her cot goes into a bed.so when should we do it.also she is a very active 20 month old and into everything so would i need to take out the furniture as ive sets of drawers etc in her room which i know she climbs on,and opens and closes even though i tell her not too....im a first time mum so dont know what to do reallyany help would be great

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orkmum · 24/08/2007 22:06

We too had a cot bed and converted it for dd1 when she was around 24ths. I know many mums who swear their kids sleep better in bed as you say they have more space.

They do fall out a lot, so make sure you put the bed against a wall and use a bed guard for the first few months.

Move any dangerous items out of the room and make sure the door is shut or a stairgate is on to prevent midnight wandering!

We were lucky as dd1 is 4 and still has not relaised she can get out of bed herslf and shouts until we come into her room.

Oh yes you get to buy cool bedding!

Good luck

Flibbertyjibbet · 24/08/2007 22:09

DS1 had the side taken off his cot bed 2 months ago. Previously he was all over the cot but we toilet trained him and I wanted him to be able to get up and go to the loo in the morning instead of lying there shouting me!
Anyway the first night he fell out of bed 4 times, 2nd night twice, then about once a week for a few weeks, till he learned to stop rolling around so much. His chest of drawers gets climbed on, the baskets of shoes etc under the cot got pulled out and emptied for a couple of weeks, and sometimes he goes around collecting stuff to throw in his brothers cot!
Don't take out the furniture, you just have to wait till she gets bored emptying it .
Some of my friends had their kids in beds at 18m and we were about the latest. I don't think I will leave it as long with ds2, he is only 16m younger and I feel like I just want to get all the emptying and climbing over and done with!

Flibbertyjibbet · 24/08/2007 22:12

oh and we don't have a gate on the kids room as he needs to be able to get to the bathroom, but we have one at the top of the stairs. Forgot to lock it last night, when we got up he had been down to get 'breakfast' for himself and ds2, poor baby was sitting in a cot full of dry weetabix bits!
But you have to let them do it, its all part of growing up - maybe he will make breakfast in bed for me tomorrow???

beautifulgirls · 24/08/2007 23:09

We are about to move DD#2 into a bed at 17 months. She loves to snuggle in her sisters bed already at bedtime during a story, and she also is an all over the cot sleeper. She already uses a small cushion as a pillow, but I shall get her a bigger pillow once we turn the cotbed into a bed for her. If you haven't already tried a pillow I would as it made a huge difference for DD#1 when she had one, and some difference for DD#2 with the little pillow.
With DD#1 we used a rail for a couple of weeks, but it was kind of in the way too and still a bit cot like on a cotbed, and by then she had stopped shifting about as much. We bought a couple of beanbags and put them next to her bed so if she does (rarely) fall out she has a soft landing a few inches away. We will probably use the rail again for a short time with #2 then do the beanbags for her too after that.

ebaldy · 25/08/2007 14:13

Only joined today but after reading everyones comments on moving a 20mth into a bed you have made me feel so much happier. Have a 20mth boy who has just started to climb out of his cot it took me about 20 time of putting him back into his cot last night to get him to sleep and this lunchtime I have given up! I think we are going shopping this weekend for a bed for him.

hifi · 25/08/2007 14:23

put dd in full size single bed at about 22 months, made a big fuss, new bedding etc, john lewis do thin pillows which they recommend for young children they are about £4. i put her bed to wall and just tuck her sheet in and put another pillow on floor.

gillhowe · 25/08/2007 17:46

Has anyone tried putting them on just their mattress rather than a bed?

LazyLinePainterJane · 25/08/2007 17:49

We moved DS about 3 weeks ago, he has just turned 2. Was very worried about him falling out and refusing to go to bed and all that. It took about a weeks adjustment but he is fine now and he loves his bed.

Also, did not get a bed guard, seems like a massive waste of money as they will not need it for very long. I folder up a blanket and tucked it under the open edge of his mattress to raise it slightly. This helps keep him in. Put a pillow or two on the floor.

good luck

mummymagic · 25/08/2007 17:55

Hey, we have just put our 16mth old dd (very active) in a bed. She loves it! Yes, there is the learning to stay in it (rather than get out and explore) but that comes at any age IMO. It helps that she enjoys going to bed and takes us up to her bed when she is tired (although doesn't sleep through on her own yet).

We got a cute and wide toddler bed from Ikea. Its called Vikare. We have got the bed guard cos she likes snuggling against it.

She is also spotting beds everywhere - on tv, in books - 'bed, bed'. Even a xylophone looked like a bed to her .

Original poster

mummysue · 25/08/2007 21:59

thank you all for replying,and the advice is great.im going to take the cot down next week and make it in to a junior bed,should be fun as ive lost instructions,and the key thing for the screws.i have a single bed,but that might be too high if she falls out,weve no carpet just timber flooring.

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scootermum · 25/08/2007 22:14

We bought our 21 month old a bed today, as her baby sister needs the cot now she is coming up for 3 months..so tomorrow, into the bed she will go..(and then no doubt back out of it again about 12 times in the night!)

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mummysue · 25/08/2007 22:17

was it a junior bed or a single

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scootermum · 25/08/2007 22:20

That little toddler bed from Ikea someone else mentioned earlier..it has raised sides at either end and we are putting a travel guard rail thingy over the middle bit at first to stop her falling out..Im dreading it TBH as have just this week got the little one sleeping through pretty much and I fear I will be up with the big one a fair bit whilst she gets used to the bed..

Original poster

mummysue · 25/08/2007 22:24

we havent got that shop here in ireland.i now live here,originally from sheffield where they do have ikea....

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Original poster

mummysue · 25/08/2007 22:26

my partner said its pointless using the junior bed as if i put one side against the wall and the other a rail,its the same space as a cotnever thought of that.any excuse not to put it together for me haha

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scootermum · 25/08/2007 22:35

Im from Chesterfield MummySue!(next to Sheff)But living down south nowadays..

Let me know how you get on with the 'bedding in' anyway..Good Luck!

sweetkitty · 25/08/2007 22:48

DD1 never climbed out her cotbed so on her 3rd birthday she got the bars off which was a big deal. I liked waiting until she was this age as she has a better understanding of staying in her bed. She has never fallen out and never gets out once it's bedtime although in the morning she comes through to us.

I say keep them in their cot as long as possible. I know friends who put their DCs in beds at 18 months and had poo up the walls/carpets and was up loads in the night takikng them back to bed.

mummymagic · 26/08/2007 10:11

scootermum, you might find she sleeps fine.

Our transition was EASY. We haven't noticed a difference in sleeping patterns (she always woke up and we always went to her), except she has slightly improved (and now we have big teething ), but we wanted her to be able to get in and out. We thought it was nice for her to feel independent and in control (and to be able to come and get us if she needs us - lazy mummy!)

Mummysue, they can still get out with a guard rail. It just prevents them falling out!

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