Bed guards - worth buying or not? Advice needed cot- bed transformation

[estobi1]

I am just going to try to get my dd into her first bed from a cot.

I am expecting (due in October) so thought it would be a good idea to do this sooner rather than later so that I have a cot ready for the new one.

I have bought her a balamory duvet cover to help to bribe her into her new bed and new bedroom and I was going to make the room as lovely as possible with her favourite toys plus a few new ones.

I thought I would start by putting her in her bed for her daytime nap and then gradually try her at night time to see how she responds.

Did anybody bother with bed guards - I can see that there are loads for sale on ebay saying hardly used so I wondered whether it is worth bothering?

Any tips or advice would be appreciated.

DD is 2 years and 3 months.

Many Thanks

We had one for DD that we will use for DS now.

I always found them handy for when you go away to visit friendsand relatives or go on holiday as it gives that extra reassurance if they're in a strange place, higher bed than usual etc.

You can always sell it on afterwards.

We put our dd in a big girl's bed a few weeks ago (she must have been 2.4yo) without any guard. She's been fine from day 1, actually likes it better this way. I would try the simple approach 1st and buy a guard only if you find she needs one. You may as well avoid spending more money than necessary.

have never used a bed guard

my children have bed under beds and I just pulled the bottom bed out so if they fell out they'd fall on the bottom bed then roll onto the floor

you could do the same with a duvet on the floor

I do feel that bed guards are an invention that don't really help as the children just sleep pressed up against the bed guard

DD has never fallen out

DS did it about 3 times

they don't hurt themselves

Actually Twiglett you just reminded me of one time when we were away on holiday and the bed was extra high.

We had taken the bed guard but somehow DD managed (in her sleep)to push the bed guard part of the way out from the bed and fell through the gap between the bed and bed guard landing with an almighty thud!

All 3 of my dc went into full size beds at 19 months, I never bothered with bed guards at all, they fell out once or twice and that was it.

At 2.3 yrs i wouldn't bother, unless the bed is very high? Pile the floor with spare pillows, duvets etc to soften any fall. Bet she'll soon get the hang of it. Assume one side is against a wall though?

yes the bed is against a wall. I was just thinking that a guard might give her that extra bit of security - hopefully she will be too chuffed with her new bedroom to worry. Thanks for all your tips x

we never used one with dd - she went into her new bed aged 2.3. She fell out about 5 times in total and she never even woke! We found her asleep on the floor!!
She has been in other beds too at other peoples houses and never needed them.
Hope she likes her new bed!

We used one for our son when we moved him into his big bed last year and he still uses it. I think it does give them a little bit more security, especially if they are a bit anxious about changes. However I do think it creates a new challenge when you remove it as they can sleep against it.

we've just put DD 2y2m into her 'special dora bed' last saturday. and we got a bed guard and the wall on the other side as she's a real wriggler when she sleeps. we've kept her cot in the room too - just so that if she wanted to go back to it she could. so far she's been happy to sleep with dora and boots the monkey though.

We have one on DS2.10's bed, which he's been in since about August.

We didn't start with the rails but he did fall out a few times, and he went through a stage of wanting to sleep on the floor (before we got the bedrails) - so I think he must have got a bit of fright (he would cry in the middle of the night and I would rush in to find him on the floor).

Now he is really happy sleeping in the bed, and can't fall out!

If he hadn't been distressed about falling out, I probably wouldn't have bothered with the bedrail....