How do you know when dc is ready for a bed?

[sarahloula]

My dd was two in April and is still in her cot. She goes to bed at 6, sleeps through until 6 and seems happy enough in her cot. When she wakes in the morning she will play quite happily with the cuddly toys in her cot for half an hour or so. She likes reading before bed and still has warm milk but find it a but difficult in her cot so we do that on the soda, I get her to sleep and put her in her cot but she is now consistently waking up before I get her to her cot. Should I just out her in her cot awake or change the routine and buy a cot bed. I know I will have to eventually but she still moves around a lot at night (head the other end of the bed) so worry about her falling out and she sleeps so well I don't suddenly want disturbed nights.

I'd put her in a bed with a side bar

I have 3 dc, the first 2 went in a bed (with sidebar) at 2 and a half. the third is still in his cot and will be three in November. tbh I don't feel in any rush to move him as his brother is still in the toddler bed and everyone is cosy and happy and sleeps well. will probably move him on the next few months. I think they can do it anytime but you just need to deal with the consequences of them being fully mobile (eg in our house we have no stair gates so will have to remember to double lock the front door as he can reach the handle etc)

We changed DS1 in march at 2.5. He still would sleep all over the bed but the act of removing the cotsides and giving him a pillow and duvet instead of a sleeping bag made all the difference.

First night he tried to sleep sideways on his pillow and refused the cover so we just waited for him to sleep and moved him then. We put a temporary bumper bar thing on the side and laid a duvet on the floor, he fell out twice but soon got the hang of staying in bed. It took about a week of pulling up the covers and turning him round in the night and that was it.

DS is 18 mo and just went in his toddler bed with a rail he's been fine not fell out even through he rolls around all night and getting him in the bed is so much easier.

Ds is nearly 23mo and still in his cotbed. But, he's just started to seem scared of being in it at night and has been a nightmare to get down (previously went down awake and no problems since 4mo, then slept thru since 15mo or so) So we're going to try taking the side off and getting a guard as he is also a massive wriggler.