When did you move your toddler from cot to bed? Any advice on making the transition?

[Daffodilly]

DD is 2.1 and we are expecting a new baby in Feb. We won't need a cot immediately as expecting baby will start out in moses basket.

I can't decide if it is better to move her to a bed now - before it could be seen as taking HER cot for the baby. Or wait until we actually need it and she is older.

She sleeps well in her cot now and really likes it.

Any advice or benefit from experience?

I moved DD when she was 20 months. With a bed guard it's quite easy really. She's in a low bed though and she can get in and out very easily. We did it as part of a 'you have a new and decorated bedroom with all your things in it because you are a big girl' day and spent most of the first day letting her play in her room. Now you can't get her out of there but she sleeps much better. We had three tough days though and I think that's about normal. There are loads of threads on this subject if you do a search

DS is 2.7 months - baby no 2 due in feb too (come join our Fab Feb thread - look out for Jingle Bells thread in antenatal club).

We moved him to his bed a month ago - we took the side down off the cot a month before that (when he was 2.5) and got him used to being able to get in and out and set up the bed in his room after a couple of weeks and practiced putting his toys to bed in it. We then put him in his toddler bed and dismantled cot with no problems. We were really worried as he loved his cot but he loves his bed too - and loves his grobag duvet set and being able to snuggle down under the duvet in the mornings like mummy and daddy.

If you can make the transition well before the baby arrives, may be easier for you to do the change before a time of great change comes for your DD.

We moved DD1 at 18 months to have the cot for her sister. Also it was a smallish cot so wouldn't have seen her through for much longer. She is in a full size single and just uses a box to climb up. Transition to bed was ok although came at same time as her molars which was interesting. She is 2.1 now and rarely gets up

Definitely move now, the idea is that they forget that the cot was theirs, although my 2.1 year old still thinks the cot is hers even though its down and she has been sleeping in a full size single bed for the last two months. I hope she forgets soon.

No trouble with transition at all - lots of you are a big girl and need a big bed now, cots are for babies talk. We did buy quite a low bed so she can climb in and out. We got the grobag duvet set to zip her in and decided not to use a bed guard. She has only fallen out once and that was for daytime nap.

Only downside is that daytime naps are even more difficult than they were but it might be that my DD has outgrown them.

I used the bed linen for the bed in the cot so DS goy used to it. Then when I moved him I made sure his cuddlies and baby bedding came too for comfort.

It worked a treat

20 months. He didn't stay in it much for first couple of weeks, but slept on the floor where he fell asleep or fell out of bed. I kept his room warm.

Thanks for all the replies. I haven't heard of the Grobag duvet set - but it looks like a great idea. I am torn between the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" idea and leaving her in the cot for now - vs. making the big move before the baby arrives.

I don't hold out much hope of her forgetting it was her cot though - she has the memory of an elephant!

Hi Daffodilly,

Ive not done this yet as my DS is not quite a year yet, but i would suggest doing it before your new baby arrives. You are more than likely to have a few sleepless nights with her until she gets used to a big bed, and if you wait until your new baby is needing to move from moses basket to cot, you could possible have both awake at random times in the night, even having one waking the other.

Im sure with a new baby you are going to be sleep deprived enough as it is, so do it now to save yourselve from being even worse!

pick out a bed with her, and let her pick some new bedding for it, then she will WANT to sleep in it.
def do it now, my LO is 18months we are expecting our third we have started by taking the side of the cot off, so she gets used to being in an open bed. will be switching her to a full sized bed in the new year, along with her brother who is currently in a toddler bed. (we are buying separtable bunk beds which are both going on the floor)
in my experiance first few nights can be tough as LO will fall out a few times, but they do get the hang of it quickly, and if my DC can do it at 15 and 18 months, then u should be fine with your 2 yo.
good luck!