Moving DD into own room at weekend

[AppleOrchid]

Hi there,

My LO still sleeps in my room in her cot next to our bed. She's two and I'm expecting another baby in May, hence the move.

She's always been a fairly poor sleeper, which is why she's in with us. She wakes several times in the night and usually just wants reassurance that I'm there. I'm aware that all the parenting books probably say I should have moved her out of our room ages ago and have probably established some terrible sleep habits . But if I'm honest, I like sharing a room with her and it feels right for us.

I'm only moving her now because I need to get her used to it before the next baby gets here.

I'd really like some advice or tips about how to make the move as smooth as possible. I'm getting a bit worked up about it because her new room isn't very well insulated against noise from neighbouring house. Also, I like being close enough to reassure her when she wakes without getting out of bed!

I'm going to move her cot at the weekend and have bought some new 'big girl's bedding' as she's used to being in a grobag and I thought I'd try and give the move a sense of occasion. Also planning to decorate room the room a bit and make it really cosy. Can you think of any 'must-haves' for her room which will make her happy to sleep in it?

Thanks

I put a mattress with bedding on the floor next to DDs new bed. When she woke during the night DH would sleep on the mattress (I was pregnant then) and throw a hand up to resettle her.

We had her involved in getting the room ready so she couldn't wait to move in.

I have a thermometer in the room to keep my mind at ease about the temp, added extra clothes to her when it got too cold.

She was 18 months at the time and transitioned better than I expected. I moved her into a proper bed too as we needed the cot for no 2.

Don't make it a big occasion.

Just do it - she'll take the cue from you. If need be, set up a bed in there with her if she's really unsettled but act confident and happy so she knows that it is ok.

Thanks for the advice, Iggly and Absinthe (combined you sound like a retro punk band!)!

Oohhhhh spooky, our DD is similar age and i'm also due in may with no 2 and we're moving her into her own room tomorrow too!

We put a toddler bed in her room a few weeks ago and she's been having her afternoon nap in her "new bed" and lots of fuss about it being her room and she seems to love it and associates it with sleeping.

Fingers crossed after a tiring day tomorrow and some familiar stories at bedtime it should go ok.

We're aiming to keep her bedtime routine as normal as possible and act as if it's normal to go to bed in that room, ie favourite story and cuddly toys etc.

Fingers crossed!

Good luck tomorrow, Monkeychops! I hope the move goes smoothly.

Being pregnant with number 2 certainly makes you step things up a notch when it comes to these things doesn't it? I was breastfeeding DD until a few months ago, and then only stopped so I could get LO into proper bedtime routine (I was feeding her to sleep until that point . I was so worried she wouldn't sleep without bedtime feed and would miss the closeness etc, but she was absolutely fine. Took me a couple of weeks to adapt though!

How did the move go, monkeychops?

After reading your post, we decided to order a toddler bed and get her used to daytime naps before trying it out at night. It arrives early this week, so here's hoping the plan works!

DD sleeping terribly right now anyway, so delaying the move by a few days is probably a good thing. She was up at five this morning. I'm very tired!

Hi sorry for the slow reply.

It's gone prety good. Third night tonight and she's just fallen asleep. She didn't question going to sleep in her toddler bed at all, I think because it's so familiar for naps and we kept her bedtime routine the same (stories then I sit next to her til she's asleep). She slept all of both nights in her own bed, but I did have to go and settle her/cuddle hera few times both nights when she woke but only took a few mins each time.

So we're pleased with howbit's gone so far. I was the same as you with bf, I stopped in sept so we could ttc and until then had fed her to sleep. I worried she'd not settle but she was fine, it was me who felt sad! Moving her into her room was similar feeling, I was teary all the time sat eve at thought of "kicking her out " :) but it was more the thought of it, now she's moved I realise she's ok and I'm ok :) plus thisway we have 3 months to deal with any setling issues (I'm happy to take it slow).

Good luck it'll be fine :)

Sorry for all the typos I'm nit very good with the tablet keypad.

Good luck with it all, I realky think extended sharing a room with us andbf for 18 months and general attachment parenting type stuff has made dd more confident then I gave her credit for.

We're expecting lots more night settling might be needed but I'm happy to do thst if she's happy iyswim.

How is your dd with naps generally? Dd would never self-settled in her cot for naps I'd have to lie with her but since moving into her toddker bed I can leave her to drift off as long as I keep popping my head in and letting her know I'm upstairs. So hoping we can gradually do a similar thing in the evenings

Thanks for the reassuring words

I felt exactly the same about weaning DD - and also about putting her in own room. But as you say, it's kind of necessary and leaves three months to get her settled. For us, the attachment parenting thing has also been the natural way to go.

Her toddler bed has just arrived and she seems excited by the idea of having a big girl's bed of her own, so we'll see. Providing we get it put up tonight, I'll try her nap-time in it tomorrow.

On the whole, she's better at going down for naps in the daytime than bedtime at night. I've recently started to let her settle by herself in the day, but it doesn't always work - today I had to stay with her (and I promptly fell asleep before she did!) and at bedtime her daddy usually stays with her until she goes to sleep, and that routinely takes up to half an hour.

I hope she can settle in her own room. I imagine the fact that she'll be able to get out of bed may be a problem and she's also a real wriggler so I have difficultly imagining her staying put in a toddler bed. Committed to giving it a good go now though, so we'll have to see how we get on!

As you say, the idea of it makes me feel sad, but progress is progress!

I think establishing daytime naps in the big bed is a great idea. DS has always slept in his own room since day one (I slept with him in his room for first 6m). But the transition from cotbed to bed at about his second birthday was harder than I imagined. Those bars give a huge sense of security. Also, this is just the age when fear if the dark and imaginary creatures arise. You may need a night light, or ideally something in bed with her that will light up, but you'll soon find out if she's bothered.

It took us a couple of months to get DS to stay in his bed at nighttime, but I have a softly softly approach!
Good luck with the move.

Third night went ok, happily went to sleep again. Had to settle her three times (one took about half an hour, 2 mins all other times). Happy to take the time to settle her so she builds the association that we're still here for her. She then happily tottered into our room at 7am for morning snuggles :)

Good luck with it all, remember 3 months is a long time so you've got time to go with the flow and see what works for you.

If I'm honest we'd put it off as I wasn't ready but it wasn't half as upsetting (for me!) as I'd feared.