Move into a big bed, sharing a room etc.

[Freddiecat]

DS - currently 21 months - sleeps in a nice cot bed in his room. There is also a single bed in there and we cuddle up on there and read him a story before he goes to bed. Often if he is tired he reaches out for his cot.

In July we have a new baby due (DS will be just over 2). They will have to share a room. We need the spare room for friends/family visits and we have to dismantle the cot to move it every time which is a right hassle. Given that loads of children share rooms I don't have a problem with this anyway. However, Mumsnet advice needed on the following points:

1. Should we try and move DS into the bed before the baby is born and take the cot down for a few months?

2. How should we move him into a bed?

3. Any advice on toddlers sharing bedrooms with babies ( DS cannot sleep in the cot room at nursery as he chats and keeps all the others awake - however once he is asleep his is fairly unwakeable).

Thanks!

Can you not see how it goes? My ds is 2.4 and definitely not ready for a bed yet - he can only really sleep in his cot and says he doesn't want a bed. If your ds is like mine, I'd buy a cheapo cot for a while. However, lots of two year olds seem to relish the chance of a big bed. I suppose it depends on the child. Or you could borrow a moses basket/cot/crib and keep the baby in with you for the first few months which is advised anyway, so your ds gets to keep things the same when the new baby arrives to minimise any upheaval. By then he will be more than two and a half and may be more keen to move into a bed.

Freddiecat - email me - i have lost your email address - only have the old work one!

Hi Freddiecat! We have 22 months between our two boys, and they've almost always shared a room, (since ds2 was 6 wks old). In response to your queries:

1. We did move ds1 before ds2 arrived and dismantled the cot for a bit, but I don't think it was really necessary ... ds1 was so young he wasn't bothered about the baby 'having his things'.

2. DS1 was never a great sleeper - didn't particularly like his cot anyway. If your ds is happy in a cot, I'd leave him in there a bit longer. (DS2 stayed in til he was nearly 2.5). Can you borrow a cot for no.2 - will they be in your room for a bit anyway?

We took him shopping, chose Tweenies duvet cover, and made a big thing of it. He was delighted, and much happier to be in a bed. We put a stairgate at the door, so that he had to stay in his room, and so that we knew he was safe.

3. For us we've found the best way is to get one to sleep first, then let the other go. (Sometimes this has been ds1 going to bed first, depending on their current routines). They have never woken each other up, but if they both go to bed at the same time they sometimes disturb one another, so we usually let one settle first.

With a fairly new baby, I would suggest putting ds to bed as normal, let him get to sleep, then putting the baby down after their late evening feed.

Good luck - hope it goes well for you.

I love having the boys sharing, there are lots of advantages. They now share a tiny bedroom with bunkbeds, wardrobe and chest of drawers; so there are no distractions, and they both go to sleep quickly, and sleep very well. (Now 4.5 and 6.5).