Cot to bed transition

[cluelessFTMhere]

Hi all, DS is coming up to the age of 2 and starting to wonder about when I should make the transition from cot to bed. Thinking about starting off by taking only one side off and using a bed guard to begin with. DS is getting to the stage where he’s climbing the cot and it’s breaking my back lifting him in and out of the cot all the time 🤦🏼‍♀️. When did everyone else make the transition and what signs did your DC show to know it was the right time?

Is the cot base at its lowest level?
My ds stayed in his cot until he was 2½

I moved my oldest ds when he was 20/22 months ish because I was pregnant with DS2 and couldn't bend over the cot with my bump anymore.

I also wanted to move him rooms and into a bed before DS2 arrived and have him settled before baby came so that was a factor too

Lowest setting. Luckily he’s not managed to fully climb out just yet but he’s giving it a go

We moved both DDs at about 22 months. The only reason was because we were going away on holiday at around the time each one turned 2, and a bed was easier than a travel cot. DD2 was moved just a few weeks ago.
We didn't really have any problems with it either time. We didn't bother with a bed guard - just a large towel rolled up and put under the sheet at the edge of the bed as a "bumper" stopped them rolling off - even DD1 who was a massively wriggly sleeper never fell out. We had to sit with them until they fell asleep for a bit, just to stop them getting out of bed. But they got the hang of it in the end. If he sleeps in a sleeping bag I'd keep him in that at first, before switching to a duvet, just so it's more familiar.

Also make sure the room is totally safe (all furniture attached to the walls etc), and consider if they can get out of the room.

We moved my DS a little younger than this I seem to remember, because my back was killing and I couldn’t get him safely in and out of the cot anymore. His was a cotbed one so we changed it to the toddler bed configuration, which is super low to the ground, I wasn’t worried if he fell out (which he did a couple of times and stayed asleep throughout!). Onto carpet from that tiny height it’d be nigh on impossible for him to hurt himself.

yes we just made sure his room was safe, kept the monitor on so we’d be able to check on him. Tethered the chest of drawers to the wall just in case. Always tidied toys up before bed so he wasn’t (as) tempted to just get out and play. He loved it, it went really well.

similar age for DD, maybe she was just gone 2 because I remember it was during potty training g and because she wanted to be able to get out of bed to the potty in the night. No issues with her either! We moved her into a normal single at 2.5 (because we moved house at that point and knew we’d soon need the cotbed back for DS. Easier to change to a big bed because of moving than because of baby!)