How to prepare toddler for toddler bed?

[AhaShakeHeartbreak12]

Hi,

I have an 18 month old. He's usually (apart from the odd bout of teething) a great sleeper. 7pm-7am and sleeps in a sleeping bag

However, I'm 25 weeks pregnant and huge. I'm struggling to lower him into his cot, I'm thinking it's time for a toddler bed.

We can convert his cot into one, I've bought a duvet and pillow. I'm also going decorate his room in the upcoming weeks but I know this is a lot of change at once so would like to ease him in / prepare him

Does anyone have any tips?

Thanks in advance xx

We took the side off the cot and squished a bed guard under the mattress which folds down so I could put him in the pop the side up. Once he was used to that, we moved him into a single bed with the same bed guard and had no issues. Good luck

Good luck. We're just thinking about doing the same thing (although DD is a bit older). Thanks for the suggestion SenoraSurf

We didn’t do much preparing.
We took him to the shop when they opened again for a duvet and pillow and he got to chose his own cover.
Then we asked him if he wanted a big boy bed (I was all for leaving it for a cot as long as possible) he said yes and we did it at the weekend.
He loves it.

Not much... DD helped build it (ish) and we put a pregnancy pillow under the sheet on one side to stop her rolling out. All good. Oddly she still (at 3.5) doesn’t get up by herself but lies there saying “Mum... I want to get uuuup...” in an annoyed voice until we retrieve her in the morning.

Don’t need to prepare just mention they’re getting a cool new bed and stick them in it one night. Don’t make it a giant deal

We put a baby gate on the bedroom doorframe and a rolled up towel under the sheet at the open side to stop him falling out. I've heard pool noodles work well too.

Was a bit different for us as we had a separate cot then a single bed already in the room and he asked to sleep in the bed so that made it easy!

Like pp said, it took him ages to figure out he could get out of bed without us being there and always used to shout! Eventually he began to get out and play when he woke in the morning but we always knew he was safe and couldn't get to the stairs / bathroom cupboards etc. so we got a bit of a lie in.

Following as I'm thinking I need to do the same, for the same reason! I've delayed because I haven't bought a bed guard but am intrigued by the DIY versions- I have a pregnancy pillow that I hate so I could use that 🤔 do I need to worry about her squishing her face into it though? She'll stay in a sleeping bag for purposes of transition but she likes a snuggling under a blanket now so it won't be long before we need a duvet too!

@8dpwoah

Following as I'm thinking I need to do the same, for the same reason! I've delayed because I haven't bought a bed guard but am intrigued by the DIY versions- I have a pregnancy pillow that I hate so I could use that 🤔 do I need to worry about her squishing her face into it though? She'll stay in a sleeping bag for purposes of transition but she likes a snuggling under a blanket now so it won't be long before we need a duvet too!

Can you leave the bottom end of the sleeping bag open? I'd worry about the little one getting up and trying to walk then falling over.

Handily she's got the Tommee tippee/Gro ones that have individual feet (managed to pick some up in sale as they are outrageously expensive otherwise)! But yes normally I'd be worried about her trying to do the sack race in the night😂, good point!

I made it exciting that she was having a big girl bed and got grandparents on board to be excited when we told them and just went on about how great is was. She settled without a problem although we introduced a duvet before the bed.