cot to cotbed help please!!!

[neverlookback]

our ds is 2.4 years and we have taken one side off his cot on Thursday and we have put a child gate on his door, the first night he got out of bed around 8 times playing with his toys and getting his books out so i took them all out, i thought it went quite well,and only half an hour later he was fast asleep but every night he is constantly out of bed opening the door,chucking things around, getting in the wardrobe etc he emptys his drawers and is obsessed with trying to get underpants on himself!! he thinks its a big game, we have been putting him back in bed or telling him to get in bed (or should we just ignore his messing around?) and he does eventually tire out and go to sleep, but at around 9pm, tonight was really bad as he really disturbs his older dd and she was really trying to get to sleep, in the end dp shouted at him, which shocked him and he did settle down.

Will this pass and the novelty wear out or should we take everything out, or should we just put the side back on and try again in a few months??? we were wanting to do it now as he will be changing bedrooms shortly and was going to keep the cot in the nursery for dc3 who is on the way.
any advice please.

i would just keep sending him back or putting him back, it is a game for them but just try to keep it boring for him and the novelty should wear off. my ds was a nightmare when we took the sides off, but as he had climbed out didnt have a choice about putting them back on, eventually he got used to it and now he doesn't really come out at all at bedtime, aslong as he is tired he will just go to sleep so they do get the picture eventually.
is your dd in the same room as him? if not i would possibly just ignore some of the messing around in his room as long as he doesn't come out and would take himself back to bed soon enough?

hi, no dd is in the room next door but she likes her door wide open so she can hear everthing and ends up shouting at him too so once he knows he has her attention it keeps him at it for longer! im just trying to get him to have his nap which since we have took the sides off he has lied down and gone to sleep no problem not got out once but today he is messing about, i can hear him opening his drawers no doubt trying to get a pair of undies on over his pants!! i think i might bring him back down and see if he will go without a daytime nap then he will go to bed earlier and quicker? or he will fall asleep on the sofa at 5pm and never go to bed! aargh this awful stage, im sure dd breezed through most of this, or maybe i have erased it from my mind. thanks