Cot or cotbed

[Tnib]

Yesterday my daughter figured how to climb out of her cot at nap time, she was overtired and wouldn’t settle and then climbed out, today she was tired but not over tired at nap time and was fine. Last night and tonight again dramas at bedtime getting up…so wanted to know if you did change to a cotbed if your little ones could climb out of their cot? My daughter is 2 years and five months. My understanding is they don’t have impulse control yet so would keep getting up. DP is with my daughter and will stay with her until she falls asleep now. We’ve also have a video monitor.

We’ve not long started potty training so bedtimes are prolonged at the moment. Advice much appreciated on the best way forward and or what you did.

Thank you

Hi OP we never had a cot, but once they could climb out of the cotbed we took the sides off and put a gate across their bedroom door. They didn't stay in bed but at least they were contained and we knew they were safe! They slept on the floor a lot at first but did eventually learn that was uncomfortable!

I moved my dd out of the cot just before she was 2. She just seemed ready to have a little bed, a pillow and a duvet. Since she moved into the bed she sleeps a lot better! She can climb out anytime she wants and can now open the door to leave her room but actually found she rarely does it, only times has been a very bad dream or she’s unwell.

You have to change if they can get out, there’s too much risk they hurt themselves

A friends daughter was moving into a double bed and looking to Home her amazing fairies and unicorns bed and offered it to us, we couldn't say no as the youngest had loved it when we visited.

I don't remember how old she was (shame me I know) but well under two?? we pushed it against the wall one side and put a mesh side on the other side. She was a proper little pain in the arse the first couple of nights, we remove the mesh side and she was happier to stay in it a bit more, but still in and out and there was a lot of shouting up the stairs to get back into bed unless she wanted to go back into the baby cot. It seemed like bloody forever at the time, but I think it was probably only a week until she decided that there wasn't much point in getting up when you could put all your cuddly friends in bed with you😵‍💫😵‍💫🙄& loads of books!!

She only slept on the floor once, and it was summer so no bother!! she didn't bother after that. At some point.(little negotiator.) said she promised to stay in bed if we would take the baby gate off her door. So we did and she did!!

(we still had the staircase at the top of the stairs!!)

Other children at other ages & various other reasons, which ever way you do it whenever you do it, it all works out in the end!!

In your situation, I just start off by taking the cot side off if you can

Mine were out of the cot at 21mo and 18mo. Both slept in a bed at nursery from 15mo. Never bothered with a stair gate across the door (never had a stair gate at all for DC2). Both slept better. And no early morning crying to be let out. My youngest is now 21mo (having been in a bed since 18mo) and he understands he sleeps in his bed. I know "they" say that young children don't understand but they're human beings, they're learning but they're clever little things. Yes, we have early starts sometimes, but that's par for the course.

For clarity: floor bed at nursery, single bed at home. Skipped the "toddler bed" altogether for my eldest.

Thanks. We room share, so we’ve stayed in the room until she is asleep for the past couple of nights, and we have a video monitor too and when she wakes in the morning she doesn’t climb out of bed, not sure why. I think because she knows we always tell her to stay in bed a bit longer as she’s up before 6 a lot and she’ll speak but not try to get out, but think it’ll occur to her soon enough to get out the cot one day so we do plan on taking the side down soon. Due to room sharing it’s a bit difficult in terms of space…

Thank you that’s so useful to know.

Once my son had figured out how to get out of his cot we got him a low bed and high safety gate on his bedroom door. We figured it was safer this way.