Rapid return....when?

[tefal]

DS is 2. We co-slept from 6 months old and it was perfect. He slept through almost from the first night we brought him into bed and co-slept.

When he reached around 13 months we decided to put him into his own bed and he'd spend around 3/4 of the night there but come through for cuddles early morning. All ok.

Roll foward to 20 months old (he's just turned 2) when coming through got earlier and earlier. We're now at midnight. He falls asleep but kicks, grabs, slaps and pulls our hair in his sleep. We're knackered but are about to return back to the UK (we live in oz) shortly so we're going with it although taking it in turns to co-sleep with him while the other gets a full nights rest.

So when we return we need to get him to spend the entire night in his own bed.

Is rapid return the best way and is he old enough at 2 to understand that bed is where he has to stay?

Want to get it right and not have to re-do mistakes we might make when we get back.

Any help you can give is appreciated.

Thanks

We went for rapid return combined with bribery an incentive. (like the moment we know dc is out of its bed we put it back in!) they don't carry it on for long because they know quite quickly what you're going to do. The incentive bit is that dd desperately wants her 'big girls bed' - a cabin bed thing, and some room make over stuff to go with it. We've told her that she has to stay all night in her own bed or there won't be any point in us buying her a new bed in a few months for her birthday So far so good

Like it but he's not at the bribery stage yet!

Thanks and good luck with DD!