Making the transition to big boy bed

[fluffyanimal]

OK, so we're all ready for getting ds to make the move from cot to bed. DS is nearly 3 and we hadn't really rushed the big boy bed thing because it is a cot bed and plenty big enough for him, he never tries to climb out so doesn't hurt himself. But now I'm pg and we will eventually need the cot for dc2, and anyway he is a big boy. So we have the bed, we have bed linen with his favourite characters on, we have a bed guard. All this is currently waiting in the spare room.

So what next? He is the type of little boy who is a bit resistant to change and likes familiar things around him, only partially receptive to the whole "I'm a big boy now" thing. How to make it a painless transition? Should we just move the new bed into his room and go for it, or make it up in the spare room and hope he is curious and wants to have it in his room? And what should I expect - did anyone have teething trouble with this? All my friends with dc of the same age did it without any trouble.

I'm just worrying in a pfb type of way aren't I?

Hi fluffyanimal - watching this with interest as DS1 is 3.1 and we are thinking about moving him into a bed - like your DS though he is resistant to change and he also just started nursery in January and has just started to settle in and I didn't want too much changing at once for him. I have asked him if he would like to sleep in a big boy bed but he said he likes his cot so I wondered whether I should try him in a bed with the promise he can go back to him cot if he wants (but hope that he doesn't or wait for him to ask to move into a bed. All my friends with toddlers the same age moved their lo's into a bed ages ago and I feel that he is ready to make the transition.

I think I am being a bit pfb about it as well if that helps

Is there room for both cot and bed in his room? It's useful to have the cot in case a) he wants it or b) you need to threaten him with it if he keeps getting out of the bed

The only tips I can give you are, once you make the decision to move him, stick to it, don't go back to the cot. Let him choose his new bedding and maybe help to make the bed. Think about putting a gate on his bedroom door if you're worried about him wandering about the house.

All of those things helped when we moved DS into his "big boy" bed.

It's not pfb-ish at all! Btw, he will fall out a couple of times! Don't worry, don't make a big deal and just put him back in minimum fuss, we just make a big joke of it.

All I need is advice on ditching the night time nappies!!!!

Here is what happened with us last weekend.

Friday: I decide to make up the bed in dds room with a lovely pink duvet cover etc.
Friday night: She is delighted when she sees the bed and tells DH she want to sleep there now. I say well only big girls who don't need a dummy sleep in big girl beds. In she went and has been there every night since. No problems whatsoever!

DD is 3 in May and I hadn't really intended her going in the bed yet, as she was still fitting no prob in the cot and wasn't trying to climb out or anything.
I can't believe it has been so simple, tbh, and the fact we have finally managed to get her off a night-time dummy too is an added bonus.

Oh and a night light was helpful too

Good luck and I hope your ds is happy in his new bed.

We put DS1's proper bed together in the spare room first for a couple of weeks so he could play on it, lie on it, get used to seeing it etc. Then bit the bullet and moved it into his room one Sunday night. I was terrified but he was fine [phew].

Thanks all. There is just about room for both in the bedroom. if we put both in, I guess I could make the cot look less appealing by making sure all his zillions of teddies were in the big bed too, so that the cot was left rather bare.

I'm not too worried about him wandering about the house, although he may suddenly discover newfound liberty! he's never tried to get out of his cot so it may not occur to him to try to get out of the bed.

I bought DDs bed on a whim because Ikea happened to have all 3 parts in stock. then I decided to build it anyway and she just went straight into it without any full a couple of months or so after she turned 2. She's never fallen out. DSs both moved to mid-height loft bed from cot with no hassle whatsoever at some point before they turned 3.

I don't think any fuss needs to be made at all TBH. I think we over analyse this kind of thing now.

I find it amusing that dd still shouts for us in the morning, it hasn't occured to her that she can get out her bed