Moving a "climber" to a big bed.

[DoodleAlley]

So DS is 2.5 and still in his cot bed. This is partly because we want to move his room at the same time and can't afford to do the room up right now (I'm recovering from foot operation so DS is having extra nursery sessions to help me recover).

All of his friends (girls) are in beds but we've held back til now because he's well... enthusiastic about exploring every inch of a room. By which I mean he's a climber.

(And maybe there's a little bit of me that knows he wont be my baby any more when he's in a big bed!!!)

We've got a couple of trips over the next four months where we could put him in a single bed.

But I was just hoping to plough the collective wisdom of mn for recommendations/warnings/experiences about the move from cot to bed. Particularly for those with sons, and also climbers of either gender!

Thanks in advance.

My first was a climber. I kept him in a cot until he started climbing out of it. Strange how he was much slower to climb out of this than climb anything else!

I kept the room sparse. Bed and chest of drawers. Also toys in the room at ground level to entertain him. Don't position the bed near the drawers or anything else he could climb onto (window ledge).

If he doesn't climb out the cot I would be tempted to leave him, although I supppose 2.5 is getting quite old but maybe try him in the other bed on the trips and see how he goes? then just do the big bed when you are moving rooms, as you intended?
My ds was out of his cot well before 2 yrs because he just climbed out of it and used to jump over the side (well we just took the sides off, is still the same cot bed) but now at 2.8 I think he would prob benefit from having a bit bigger single bed, so would definitely say by the time they are getting towards 3 gonna be needing to have a proper bed.
Not sure about the climbing furniture etc as mine didn't really do that, but it was a nightmare with him keep coming out the room and not staying in bed, took quite a while before he got the message about that, which is why I'm thinking may be just easier to leave him for now if he is settling well with the cot sides on and not climbing out. Then hopefully being over 2.5 when you move him, would be more receptive to rewards or whatever else to motivate him to stay in bed, or may be just old enough to understand that he needs to stay there. For a younger toddler it just becomes a game for them and can end up being quite a pain

Pleiades how old was your DS when you moved him. My DS strangely enough doesn't climb out of the cot and its the only thing he doesn't. concerned we're leaving it too late.

Doodle- are you worried that your DS will climb things in the room at night because he can move out of a big bed?

My DD2 is a climber and very strong-willed and we put her in a big bed when she was just under two. We had a couple of nights of having to put her back into bed quite a few times. Then, on day three, she was not complying with our requests to get back into bed and we were so tired that we put her back in her old cot which was still in the corner of the room. She was so upset with being back in her cot and was so proud of her big girl bed that she has respected bed-time ever since. We have a lovely bed time routine, stories, kisses as have had no problems since.

I think that for us- having a clear set of bed time actions- bath, teeth, stories, cuddles, kisses and lights out and a no nonsense approach has really worked. But the shame of having to go back to her cot after a couple of days probably helped a lot too . HTH

FGM thanks for that. He's been potty trained the last few months and is really into being a big boy so that might work, keeping his cot there in case he's too "little" to use a big boys bed.

More than anything was just looking for advice and tips on what had worked. All of DS's friends are the kind of children who are pretty obedient on the whole bed time thing. DS, while generally chilled, is incredibly persistent and inquisitive. So just interested in hearing ideas like yours to have ready in waiting in case things dont go as planned.

Have a sneaking suspicion that if we use a big bed for holidays he might have a hissy fit going back into his cot bed on returning so might have to be ready to take the sides off!!

Yes, I think you're right to introduce a big bed before hols and returning. Treat it as a right of passage! Kids can be so proud of these things. We talked ab the "big girl bed" and got excited when it arrived, then we put it together in the room and I could literally see DD2's chest puffing out with pride as she pretended to screw bits together. Depends on what your DS is like(I have DDs) but you could get him involved in deciding on bed linen if you like- although TBH I'm sure he'll be excited anyway. Talk about your "rules" and yes- he really wont want to spoil the fun and end up in a cot again!!

DoodleAlley, DS1 was probably just over 2.5 years when he started climbing the cot and coming into at 5 in the morning. He was crawling just before 6 months and from then on it was a case of not leaving the room in case he climbed. The kitchen table was a favourite!

When we moved him to a bed, he was in and out of the bed for quite a while and then a friend suggested a travel gate at his doorway so that he could move around his room but not out of it. For a couple of weeks we put him to bed and he'd move around and play but if we kept a low profile he'd get bored and get into bed when he was ready. Then the gate was no longer required.

I'd leave him in the cot until he climbs out and deal with the wandering only when you have to.

Thanks. I do feel very blessed that the cots the one thing he hasn't climbed. This evening was a proper test of it as he's currently in nursery full time while I recover from a foot operation and didn't want to go to bed because he wanted to be with us. There was much thrashing and wailing and gnashing of teeth but no climbing out. Phew!