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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 to move toddlers into bed?

15 replies

Payney · 16/12/2004 12:13

When is the "ideal" time to move toddlers from cot to bed? Are there any tell-tale signs that they are ready? My ds is a good sleeper so I am happy to leave him in his cot but I also don't want to keep him in it for longer than he should be. I've just had a look at the Q&A with GF and she recommends 3 yrs which seems quite old to me - at what age did you introduce beds?

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MerryTissMas · 16/12/2004 12:24

My dd is nearly 3, and it hasn't yet occurred to her to try and climb out of her cot, so that is where she's staying for the time being!

Actually, we've started to suggest the idea of sleeping in a bed to her, and we're going to buy her a new duvet cover set for her birthday to encourage the idea. For us there's no rush, though. Dd is still in nappies at night, so does not need to get out to go to the loo. She never wakes and asks for a wee(although she does wake for other reasons!). She is safe in her cot and we do not need to worry about her sneaking downstairs when we're asleep to watch TV!

DoesntChristmasDragOn · 16/12/2004 12:25

Keep them in the cot until they start climbing out or you need to evict them.

Petesmum · 16/12/2004 12:53

I'm at the opposite end of the scale, we moved DS into a bed (with bed guards on either side) just before his first birthday. Not becasuse we needed the cot or anything but because he kept banging his head / arms / legs on the bars and waking himself up. He loved the move. And now he's got used to a bed, we taken off the guards. One or two tumbles initially but now he's absolutely fine - and we're happy to visit friends / let him sleep over at Grannies etc...without packing a ton of safety kit ot the travel cot (which he's too big for anyway!)

We have a stair gate at the top of the stairs to prevent him coming downstairs without supervision (he's nearly 2 now)

DaddyCool · 16/12/2004 13:10

We've just moved DS into his own bed (with a guard) and he was 16 mths. One fall so far but he's been in the bed about two months.

StNickschik · 16/12/2004 13:27

We moved dd into a bed at about 2.8 (about 2 months ago) cos she was getting too big for the cot and kept banging her head when she rolled over! She absolutely loves her 'big girls bed' and was so pleased with herself and hasn't fallen out yet! Makes it so much easier going to stay with family/friends!

MrsBigDrumsADrumming · 16/12/2004 13:31

dd was about 18-24 months we removed her sidebars and just slightly tilted the mattrass so she couldn't roll out. We did this because she kept waking herself up when banging against the bars... she's a mover that one!

Then when I got pg we bought a bunk bed and before ds arrived transferred her into the 'big bed'. No looking back since then... she sleeps better than ever! yippieh!

Basically take the cue from your ds... you could always try to put his mattress on the floor surrounded by cushions and see whether he'd fall off...

nailpolish · 16/12/2004 13:32

i moved dd out of her cot when she was 18mths cos i wanted the cot for dd no. 2! i also thought she was ready, i made a big deal of it and told her it was a new surprise bed. she was delighted. cos she was so little i got a bedguard but i actually now think she didnt need it.

she loves her bed and when she wakes in the morning now (shes 26 mths) she climbs out of bed, gets a book off the shelf and climbs back in! she shouts to me 'mumm im reading in bed' and i take her juice and a bit toast then she gets up.

its such a lovely routine, esp cos sometimes im tied up with feeding the baby, and dd1 will just read her book til i go in!

i also got her a nemo duvet cover to make it extra special for her and she didnt miss her cot one bit

ChristmasBOOZA · 16/12/2004 13:37

With DS we did it at 2.3 because he had got too big/heavy for his travel cot and we took him on holiday in a caravan and he had to go in a bed (used a rail because caravan beds are very narrow) and did very well so we thought we might as well be consistent and keep in the bed when we got home.

Hulababy · 16/12/2004 20:16

We moved Dd into a toddler bed at 18 months. She simply did not like her cot at all. Once in her bed, she loved it. Had no major problems with the move at all and she was very excited about her big girl's bed.

Piffleoffagus · 16/12/2004 20:27

my dd is 26 mths and appears ready for a bed but she is such a petite little girl.
I saw a little bed at Ikea with padded head and feet with guard rail it looks perfect, am shopping for it in January assuming we are fiscally viable after xmas
She is only just wlaking (badly at that) but seems "ready"
My ds was in bed from off as he slept in my futon from birth and migrated to larger bed at age 2... waterbed it was I think?
He loved it

mishiclaus · 16/12/2004 20:33

hi
i mved ds into a toddler bed when he was 12mths only because he was trying to haul himself over sides. He is now 14mths and although we had a weird first week mainly due to his new found freedom he is now fab and loves the fact he can crawl into his bed himself
take care

RudolftheredPOSEYreindeer · 16/12/2004 21:24

Moved dd out at 20m as she was getting a "new" bedroom and seemed sensible not to put the cot in there. No problems there.
Ds moved at 14m. Very early but he was sleeping so badly. He does nighttime gymnastics and just kept waking himself up by hitting the bars or getting his feet stuck through the bars. His bed is in an alcove so enclosed on 3 sides. The other side has a bedrail so he can't fall out. We have had absolutely no problems, in fact quite the reverse as it improved his sleep.
My nephew is 22 months, and just about to move as he's started climbing.

blossom2 · 16/12/2004 21:41

i think DD was 18mths when she started climbing out of her cot and squeezing herself through the bars!!!! Moved her into a futon at 20mths and took her shopping for bed at 2 years.

I think it really depends on how active and determined your child is at climbing!!!!

MarsselectionboxLady · 16/12/2004 21:56

We moved each of ours as soon as they started to climb out, which was between 15 and 18 months. We decided that a bed was closer to the floor and so it was better that they fell out of that than a cot. Have no idea what to do with DTs, will take our cue from them.

kid · 16/12/2004 21:59

I moved DS into a bed when he started to climb out as he landed on his head . He was about 13 months old and we used a bed gaurd

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