Need help moving an, ahem, "spirited" toddler from cot to bed...

[greyhairsahead]

I've been putting it off for as long as possible but fear I can't put it off any longer!

DS is 2 1/2. His brother came along 6m ago, and we're hoping to move soon. I didn't want too much change in one go and he was fine in his cot so I was going to wait till we were in our new place then go from there. Unfortunately this week he's started climbing out of his cot. Until today it was just at daytime nap time. But tonight he climbed out once he'd been put to bed, DH put him back, he climbed out again so we left him to it with his door "locked" (a mop handle resting on the door and let him get on with it, hoping he'd just fall asleep on the floor in the end. He didn't, and I finally went in there to find him sitting on a big pile of old clothes he'd emptied from a box rummaging through his socks .

So, time for the cot to go, I think. But, the process is really worrying me;

He's a little whirlwind. There are no toys in his bedroom (just books and teddies) as even one toy in there causes huge distraction at bed time, and massive tantrums if we try to take them off him once he's spotted it and started playing with it. So once the bars have gone, it's going to be a nightmare keeping him in bed.

Because of odd crap door frames, putting a safety gate on his bedroom door (and any other door) is going to be really tricky. We're in a flat and I have visions of him wandering around at nighttime causing mischief!

He's still in a sleeping bag and moves a lot in his sleep. Do toddlers in beds still have sleeping bags or should he have a duvet and pillows then? I worry the covers will get kicked off and he'll get cold.

I know these concerns are probably not unusual, and that we have to do it at some point. But I also have a teething baby who is up quite a chunk of the night (even when not teething his sleep is rubbish) so the thought of dealing with another non-sleeping child fills me with dread! (DH is fab, he helps with nights where he can so would be dealing with DS1 though I struggle to sleep if there is anything going on).

So, how's best to do this????

Bump?

What can he do?
What are you worried he'll do?

Never go to sleep again????

No seriously, I'm just worried that he's going to take hours to get to bed each night, and that he's going to get up in the middle of the night and wander round.

I just really don't feel like going through this atm with the non-sleeping baby...!

I totally understand that you want him to sleep right now.

But I'm guessing you'd settle for him staying put in his room.

This may be a more realistic and safer goal right now.
I am with you on the distraction issue.

What I gave found helpful is having a pop up or bed tent in the room. Will he stay put in a bed tent? And if not, what about putting a battery nightlight with a 3 or 4 of his toys into a pop up tent in his room.

That way, if he can't sleep, his private space is interesting enough to keep him in his room until you fetch him. You could try using reward charts (when he stays in his room) and allow him to pick 2 toys to put in the tent himself. He's probably really smart, creative and determined, so try to make this work in your favour.

Also, be aware that he may have some insecurities. When he leaves the room, go up. Let him know that you're there and diminish your engagement with him each time Super Nanny style.

Stair gate on ds' bedroom door kept him in his room even if when he fell asleep he was often found on the floor. he was in a safe place with minimal stimulus. Expect it to take a while to settle though. Alternatively, can you just not lower the side of the cot so if he climbs it is from a much lower height but still cot like. then take cot side away and then go to proper bed?