Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

Flip

Original poster

When did you move your toddler to a bed?

22 replies

londongirlinaus · 30/11/2021 22:53

Hi!

When did your toddlers move to a bed? We are expecting our 2nd child when our eldest will be 23 months. Are we best putting him in a normal bed or leaving him in his cot (which also converts to a cot bed) and investing in another cot for the newborn? Thanks

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Notdoingthis · 01/12/2021 03:36

First 2 children at 18 months as a new baby on the way.
Third and last child at 3.5 years.

birdglasspen · 01/12/2021 03:44

As late as possible....near 3! So much easier when in a cot as long as they aren’t climbing out. The last thing you want is toddler wondering through during night when your up feeding baby! I bought a 2nd hand cot for £50. When will baby use cot, immediately or 4...6 months...wait till then to buy another just incase older child has naturally progressed out of cot.

everdaymumma · 01/12/2021 04:06

We were in sane position, just moved into single bed at 2yo and is sleeping through night happily in it. They say not to make big changes 3 mo before or after baby arrives so toddler doesn't associate it with baby. We didn't want another bulky cot and as baby in with you for 6 months have time to make transition slowly. Good luck!

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Babies & sleep Baby & toddler products Children's sleep Families

Esspee · 01/12/2021 04:27

Moved my first when he started climbing out of his cot to go to the toilet at about 15 months. Can't remember with the second.

Twixxed · 01/12/2021 04:37

Just 2 (but for an unadventurous child!)

Raggeo · 01/12/2021 04:44

My son is nearly 2 and I have a 7 week old baby. I had the same deliberations when I was pregnant but I decided to keep my toddler in his cot for now. He sleeps really well and I didn't want to risk changing that while pregnant. I wanted my nights sleep. Also I didn't want him to be potentially running about at night if disturbed by newborn. Another reason was to try limit the changes for him, and to not make it seem like the baby was taking over and taking his things.
For the baby I looked at small cribs and small sized cots. In the end I got a next to me style crib second hand. That style of crib was a lot bigger than the more traditional ones I saw available. I'm hoping we can use it for the baby for 6 months, and then switch the beds at that point.

SecondhandTable · 01/12/2021 04:46

DC1 is 3.5 and still in her cotbed with the bars up! She's only a dinky little thing though so lifting her in/out isn't too much trouble. She's always been a decent sleeper so we've been reluctant to change anything that might alter that! She's also never tried to climb out nor expressed any desire to convert the bed. She's been toilet trained since she was just over 2 but still wears night nappies and has no interest in using the toilet at night so far. We had DC2 6w ago so we didn't want to change anything for DC1 around that time either. Planning to take the sides off the bed and replace with bes guard in the spring sometime. We are going to get rid of her night time dummies at Christmas and don't want to do two big changes right close together. DC2 sleeps in a next to me in our room, but hes huge so he will probably have to come out of the in a couple of months. Luckily a friend is getting rid of their cotbed so we can take that so I don't have to chuck DC1 out of hers for DC2.

Original poster

londongirlinaus · 01/12/2021 06:32

@Raggeo he is a great sleeper too so I am hesitant to change it if it then might change that!

Thanks everyone for all your thoughts. Super helpful x

OP posts:

20viona · 01/12/2021 06:37

I seriously recommend waiting as late as possible! My daughter is 2y 4m and it's taken us 2 months or persuasion and taking her back to bed to get her to enjoy it. Hard work!

shoulditravel · 01/12/2021 06:39

My first was in a big bed (a double) at 1 year, and my second moved into his at 9 months...is that too early?? It just made sense to us..

user159 · 01/12/2021 06:51

My 2year 9 month old is still in a cot. She has never tried to climb out so we've just left her to it. She's potty trained now and will call me if she needs to go or she still wears a night nappy. Seems to work for us - we will do it around her birthday and make a thing of it. I'm nervous at the thought of her roaming around though!

InTheLabyrinth · 01/12/2021 07:04

The day they climbed out - so 2yr and not very much, then 18 months.
They stayed in the bed bit of the cot bed til nearer 4 tho.

MistyFrequencies · 01/12/2021 07:09

18 months for the first. Second is 3 and still in my bed.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 01/12/2021 07:10

At around 16months since the bump was getting in the way trying to get her in and out. Didn't put her in a single bed until the baby was outgrowing the moses basket at 5 months though. (She was 2 and a quarter by then).

DD2 we had the cot up against our bed with bars removed in an effort to get her to sleep in it. She never did. (She had a lung infection at 8 months which led to night coughing)

Fallagain · 01/12/2021 07:14

DD1 was 23 months and DD1 was in a bed from day 2 when we still in hospital. I wouldn’t be making any big changes just before a new baby is due.

RedwineforSantaplease · 01/12/2021 07:19

2 & a bit when she climbed out of it

EnidFrighten · 01/12/2021 07:29

There is no benefit to going to a bed early, it just makes bedtimes harder. You can buy cheap cots/cot beds secondhand so I wouldn't do it just because of the cost (get a new mattress obv)

Ds is 2.5 and has a cot bed with bars, he climbs out in the morning but doesn't for naps and overnight, for some reason!

SeaToSki · 01/12/2021 07:46

As late as possible. A second cot is a small investment in months of better sleep for you.

ElephantOfRisk · 01/12/2021 07:53

Mine are 13 months apart. Eldest moved to a toddler bed at about 15 months, he was climbing and youngest had outgrown the crib by then. Youngest was a similar age, also climbing. At that point he moved into the toddler bed and eldest into a single bed.

I never had any issues with them not sleeping or getting out though.

ElephantOfRisk · 01/12/2021 07:55

I should add that we put a stair gate across their bedroom door so they stayed in their room regardless. Funnily they never tried to climb that.

gogohm · 01/12/2021 12:22

15 months, could climb out of the cot

Bigoldmachine · 01/12/2021 12:39

Depends on the child! Not necessarily always a harder bedtime / worse nights sleep.

My DD was very almost 2 when we converted the cotbed to a bed. She loved feeling grown up and never even once tried to get out of bed or mess around at bedtime. Still called us through when she woke up, didn’t even attempt to get out of her bedroom. She slept better too in the bed. Then at 2.5 we put her in a single so we could reclaim the cotbed for baby (obviously didn’t frame it this way to her, it’s because she was such a big grown up girl and ready for a big bed).

DS is 16 months now and he’s a different kettle of fish! I’m going to be keeping the sides on for as long as possible to contain him! Unless he starts with the climbing I guess.

Ooh also my DD with night time toilet training, we put a night light on and a potty in her room so if she needed the loo in the night she could just get there really quick. Worked a treat.

Flip