Is 17mths too early to move from cot to bed?

[onadietcokebreak]

My DS stays with his dad 1 to 2 nights a week. He is now outgrowing his travel cot.

I'm thinking about making the move to a bed due to this as his dad has a spare bed. Am thinking he would need to get bed rail.

Is this too early? My son doesnt speak much but does seem to understand what i am saying.

Am thinking that I will start him 2 days a week at home with his day naps and try and put him in a bed. Or shall I just go for the big bed from the start?!!

Any suggestions or tips??

You need a stair gate on the bedroom door right from the very first night....once a dc discovers the freedom to roam they never stop....

And a duvet on the floor by the bed - in case they get out/roll out/scramble out over bed guard - and end up snoozing on the floor

We did about this age as we arrived at a holiday cottage without a working travel cot and just went for it. She actually fell from the low bed a few times without waking but we got a rail and was fine

I put dd1 into the bottom bed of bunk beds when she was 16 mo old - this was because her little sisters arrival was imminent! She arrived when dd1 was 19 mo, but I wanted her to have a few months to get used to new bed, so she wouldn't think dd2 had nicked her cot.

Moved dd2 into big bed when we moved house, simply couldn't be arsed to put cot back up, she was 19 mo. Seh got out more and came downstairs, but we just let her get all the way down, then took her back to bed saying nothing. She soon worked out it wasn't worth it !

I have ds now who is currently 21 mo, and still in his cot. I think this is because we have no need to change it, and also he has not even remotely tried to get out. DD2 had been throwing herself out prior to us moving !

Anyway, my point is, I am sure he will be fine. It may take some getting used to, but I would definitly reccommend just silently returning them to bed if they do get out.

I moved my son when he was 16 months - he hated the cot anyway and we co-sleep for most of the night anyway.

He was fine. He loves being able to scramble onto his bed to read and play during the daytime. We put cushions on the floor in case he fell out but he's only fallen out a couple of times and he didn't even wake up one of them!

We have a stairgate on the stairs but not on his room. When he wakes he just calls for us and rarely ventures off the bed for some reason. I'd quite like him to wake up and just come into our bed though! Would save me having to go and fetch him in the middle of the night.

I probably wouldn't have moved him if he was happy in a cot, but if your circumstances mean it makes sense I would say go for it.

These stories are reassuring! Thank you everyone.

I wasnt expecting to need a stairgate on room but seeing that he surprised me this week by mastering door handles I think I will get one.

I have a bed rail brought already so will put that on bed this weekend so he gets used to seeing it. Then will see how a couple of naps work. I have a week off at the end of March so will do it full time then if im likely to get broken nights!

I will have to blitz his road as currently its a dumping ground of all sorts!

Thinking of using small duvet he has in his cot along with his blanket. Does he need a pillow yet?

My DS has a pillow on the bed, but I push it to the end just to cushion it if he bangs his head on the headboard. I don't think they really need pillows. He lies flat on the mattress still.

I moved my DS at 12 months because he is bit of a climber. We had a bed rail for a while but then progressed to cushions on the floor because he was having fun climbing over the bed rail. I never bothered with a stair gate on the bedroom door, just made sure the one at the top of the stairs was always shut. He didn't work out he could get out of bed for quite some time! Go for it, it'll be fine.

We moved DD from her cot when she was approx 13.5mo. We put a stair gate at the top of the highest part of out landing (2 tier landing) so DD could only get out of her room and into ours. And we also put a bed guard on the side of the bed so that she doesn't fall out.

She loves it.

We did start the big bed from the start at the weekend and have never looked back. We kept the cot up for a week in case of any problems but never needed to use it again.

Oh and we never got broken nights with DD, if anything she slept better, although she has always been a very good sleeper. We get a full solid 12 hours 9 out of 10 times.

Shall I let his Dad trial it this weekend and save me the grief??!!! I know its a bit naughty but will sell it as a one of the "firsts" he can experience!