Moving into the big bed

Gayleen - posted on 07/06/2010

hi my wee man just got put in his big bed today started with the afternoon sleep hes in a safety sleep just gave him hes bottle at 1 30 told him nonzee and its 3 30 and hes still asleep i thought putting him in his big bed in the day so he can look around and feel sucare in his room im so proud of him he didnt even have a tantrum hope this helps good luck*

Adrienne - posted on 06/16/2010

I haven't switched my 18 mo old son yet into a toddler bed yet, but when he was having problems sleeping we bought "The sleep easy solution" book, and it helped so much! It walks you through the first 5 years of sleeping, including switching from crib to toddler bed. I swear by this book, my son went from sleeping in 2 hour increments (at 14 months), to sleeping through the night (12 hours straight) in less than a week with this book. It might help with getting your daughter into a new bed.Good Luck!

Cindy - posted on 06/16/2010

I switched my son's crib into a big bed at 12 months. He loved it. Then we moved and he got a car bed. He would always get out of bed and cry by the door for about 5 minutes, then crawl back into it and go to sleep. Now he gets in and out of it alot, i think he likes the freedom of getting in and out of bed by himself.

Charlene - posted on 06/14/2010

Hello I did the same thing with my daughter when I was about to give birth with her brother. She had no real issues just trying to keep her in the bed before she fell asleep and of course you have to be alot more alert of them getting out of their room in the middle of the night etc... I agree removing the crib out of her room setting it up in the new baby room, also having the bed up against a wall so they still feel safe and secure. She will get used to it before you know it! Now I have a 19month old boy and I am just having issues with putting him in a bed because he is my last one lol How things change! Good Luck!

Kelly - posted on 06/14/2010

After all the talking about beds,and taking in mind Billy was beginning to wake every night and hard to settle, and ending in with us so he didn't wake his brother 8yrs. I put his cot into the bed, got his bed stuff for him, the first few nights good.
I did this week ago now, we are having a little man not happy the last 4 nights, but the main thing if he wakes i stay 5 mins then he goes back to sleep. But i did have to put stairgate on to stop him getting out his room, and he doesn't like it.
But i'm sure with pateince and time it will be work, my husband ready to put it back to cot though, but I say no.

good luck
kelly

Susie - posted on 06/12/2010

When I moved my daughter in preparation of her younger sibling I spent a month talking about how she was growing up and how that cots were for babies. My daughter became so excited at the thought of independence and the ability to get out of bed on her own. We went away for a w/end and she refused the porta cot and slept in the bed. We came home and she never slept in the cot again. The power of positive suggestion can work a real treat

Carol - posted on 06/12/2010

i see your point not wanting to buy another cot. personally im not thinking about putting my girl in a brd until she is about 2. when my eldest was 2 and a half, i put him into a bed. my sister was after having a baby, and she needed a second cot, as she had another baby in a cot. by the time i had aoimhe, her daughter was 2 and a half, so she took her out of the cot, into a bed, just in time for me t get the cot back. aoimhe goes to bed at 7 at night, but might not sleep until 8, so that is 1 hour she sits in her cot with her teddy, and now, when it is bright at night, she would get out of a bed. maybe, when she turns 2, and it is dark at night, i will take down the pink peppa pig bed i bought months ago for her. also when november comes, i will be trying to take her doddy off her, as i feel if it is dark at bedtime, it might be easier to get it off her

Emma - posted on 06/12/2010

my 19 month daughter has been in a toddler bed for the last 4 months and she loves it we bought tomy side rails so as she did'nt fall out and she's been really great, except that now she does come and wake us up every morning before the alarm !!! but she's growing in independance and its the best thing we ever did, it may of been early but she was ready for the transition and even helped us put the bed together, and puts herself to bed every night so her dad and me can have some time to ourselves.

Sarah - posted on 06/11/2010

I didn't move my daughter til she was 2 and my baby was 5 months. I had baby in a crib in our room but wanted to move to cot at 6 months. So we got a new bed for Connie which we let her choose, she then chose her bedding as I read it is a good idea to get your child involved. It worked! She loved it and slept the whole night without any problems. We're now looking to put our 18month daughter into a bed but the cot converts so I don't expect any problems, apart from anything she loves lying in her sisters bed. The only issue I see is them getting into each others bed but that's no biggie.

I would suggest letting your little one choose bedding, move or collapse her cot or (as someone else said) wait and get a moses basket or crib for baby. You don't want to cause resentment, you want the baby to be seen as a positive experience.

Good luck!

Natalie - posted on 06/10/2010

I was contemplating putting my daughter into a toddler bed (her cot turns into a toddler bed also) but as we are moving to another place, this would disrupt her even more. I personally am not really ready for her to make the jump and I think she would get up and night and play up.
I might wait until she tries to climb out and then that will be my cue to transform her cot! Good Luck everyone!

Terri - posted on 06/10/2010

hi there i had the same ploblem with my second when i was prengant with my thrid so let her pick the bedding and 2 teddies to go to bed with which helped

Monica - posted on 06/09/2010

I too have a 19 month old and am 29 weeks along... We have done 3 nights successfully in her big girl bed. We have a toddler bed so she is able to get in it on her own. She will get out and cry for up to 10 minutes at the door, then crawl back into bed and fall asleep. It's been a great experience. We did set up the crib as a back up plan in the new baby's room. She is also starting to show signs of potty training readiness. From baby to toddler overnight. :) Best of luck!! Stick with it.

Kristi - posted on 06/08/2010

My son has been in a toddler bed at his dayhome for the past 3-4 months ... but is still in a crib at home (bad mommy and daddy). My husband and I just bought a captains bed for Wes to move into at home (will give him more space to play in his room too). The advice about taking away the crib completely makes a whole lot of sense to me, I think we will try that one too.

Christina - posted on 06/08/2010

My husband and I moved our daughter to our toddler bed at 1 yr old. About 2 months later we put her in a lower twin bed (so I can cuddle with her on rough nights) and then about 1 month ago (at 18 months) we switched her again to a captain bed. We thought there may be issues with the captain bed but none- she has figured out how to get in and out by herself. She sleeps so much better in a bed then a crib. We do not even have a rail (she does not fall off bed- and she is a big mover) We do have a body pillow on the floor in case.

Deanna - posted on 06/07/2010

We just went through this. We bought my daughter a toddler bed at around 13-14 months and just had it in her room beside her crib, she could lay in it if she wanted, kinda checked it out and got used to it being in there and then we would slowly transition her into it, put her for naps in the toddler bed etc. Then around 18 months we started to put her in her toddler bed full time at night time but we left her crib set up in her room. She got mad when we took her crib out this past weekend (shes now 19 months) and put it into the other bedroom (im 23 weeks pregnant) but she loves her bed and has taken everyone who has come over since the weekend to show them her bedroom without the crib. It wasn't too bad.

Keri - posted on 06/07/2010

We moved my eldest daughter into her big girl bed at 15mos. I too was pregnant and didn't want her to feel displaced by the baby. Also they share a room so I did not want her to think of the crib as hers anymore. We made a big deal out of the new bed and redecorated the room (partially to make room for the new baby). Since we were leaving the crib up anyway, I let her nap in the bed and sleep at night in the crib for a week or so just to get used to it. Then we made the switch full time. She asked to go in the crib once or twice after that but we just explained that the bed was where she slept now and it was never a big fight. By the time our second daughter arrived a few months later she loved her bed so much there was no jealousy at all. My second daughter just moved into her big girl bed at 17mos.and couldn't be happier.

Kelly - posted on 06/07/2010

Hi all, well with my other children I waited untill they where trying to climb out of cot, and when they didn't seem to want to go in it anymore.
So with Billy i'll do the same all mine have slept well,and I found that waiting for them to be ready worked brilliant.
Noami, your little girl isn't ready I think,

Rachel - posted on 06/06/2010

I personally have not moved my twin 18 mo old girls to toddler beds yet as I don't believe that they are ready and I personally am not ready! LOL But I totally understand the want of getting her into a big bed so that you don't have to go out and buy another crib. They are expensive. one of my friends wanted to put her girl in a big bed and she is 2 wks younger than my girls. She didn't like the bed at first, but then they gave her a pillow and she sleeps like a "baby" in the big girls bed. Good Luck!

Nicole - posted on 06/06/2010

As your girl is such a good sleeper, I wouldn't move her from her cot. Buy another one for your new bub (you can always sell it later). My older son climbed out of his cot at 20 months, so went into a big bed, but y younger son, whos 18 months, will be in his cot for a while yet, as hes not ready to move. Whow yur daughter big beds, and when shes interested, move her.

Deborah - posted on 06/06/2010

If it is an issue for her I wouldn't force it. If you do and the new baby come and gets to sleep in he crib, it may make her jealous and resent the baby. My son is in transition and he is 18 months old. He likes to sleep in the "big boy bed" but I have a hard time getting him to sty in it

April - posted on 06/06/2010

We're getting ready to take the sliding side off our daughter's crib. She's 18 months old and she gets up and down off our bed perfectly fine. I think you should try to make it fun for her to sleep in somehow.

Paije - posted on 06/03/2010

my son is 18 months and he's been in big boy bed for a while now... well sorta. When I got him his crib I made sure it was a 4 in 1. After the crib stage you can lower the mattress down as far as it will go and one of the sides comes off. He's comfortable with it because it is still the bed he's used to, but at the same time it's a new experience and he loves it. I put a little step stool at the far end of the bed so he can get up like a big boy to! It may sound a little unorthidox but I went out and bought a large dog pillow for the floor just in case he rolls off he has a safe landing!

Natalie - posted on 06/03/2010

I to switched my daughter to a big girl bed at 18 months and every night we would both go in there I would put her in bed read her a book and then I would turn the lights off and sit by her bed and if she got up I just put her right back down. At first I use to tell her night night and I love her but then while watching a nanny show once they recommended to sit in the middle of the room and just keep laying your child back down when they get up but do not say anything, then they get bored and sleep. This has worked for us very well ; )

Sarah - posted on 06/03/2010

Hi
I put my son in a "big boys bed" at 18 months - what we did was take one of the sides off of his cot so it was still his cot but more of a bed - we then put a small barrier up to stop him falling out. We then took off the other side of the cot so it is now like a bed and when we move him into a bigger bedroom he will "hopefully" go straight into a bed!

Naomi - posted on 06/02/2010

I hadn't thought of taking the cot apart and away. Might give it a go. Thanks.

Jessica - posted on 06/02/2010

I just switched my 18 month old to a big bed. I am also pregnant, 33 weeks.

I had no real issues at all, but i did take the crib down completely and put it in another room where he can't see it. I was worried about him getting out of the bed, but he doesn't get out until the morning when he wakes up... At night when I lay him in the bed, I tuck him in, say night night, he blows me kisses and as soon as i turn off the light, he is out. If i didn't turn the light out, he would most likely get up and play. He can't get into the bed on his own, as it is high off the ground.

I think that he completely forgot about his crib, and its only been a week! Out of sight out of mind...