Big Bed Questions

A few of us in the Dec 07 mummies are onto baby #2 and are wanting to kick #1 out of the cot soonish I'm not fussed if it doesn't work before #2 comes along, but would be good if we can start the process.

I have some questions that will hopefully help all of us...

-How did you know your child was ready (or was it a case of needs must?) and what age where they?

-What were the main concerns you had?

-What sort of bed did you get? (short one, one with sides still, normal big kids bed...)

-Did you transition ie. take sides off the cot first?

-Do you start with day sleeps and then move to night sleeps?

-What were the main issues? -Did your toddler stay in bed (or did you strap them in? ) -If they didn't, how did you overcome this?

-Did it make sleeping better or worse?

-How long did it take before the child was fully settled into the big bed?

-What advice do you have for us mums starting this journey soon?

My main concerns are obviously him falling out of bed (although pretty good with sleeping still(ish)), getting out of bed and not getting being able to get back in, throwing tanties, banging on the door for hours on end etc. Thanks oh wise ones

Oh, other mums, feel free to add your questions too. I'm sure I've left stuff out.

Oh that sounds gorgeous! OK so we have one positive story... just waiting for the bad ones now

Hmm Jack's not much of a climber but I was thinking I would put his wee step beside the bed (it's made of formula tins, padded then in a round shape - weird to explain but he loves it). I wonder if that would work. Hmm now on to actually buying a bed for him lol.

I wasn't really too fussed but he's been waking up and throwing bedtime bear out of the cot, then screaming because he can't get the bear back. He's also constantly trying to climb out of the cot (not that he can, but he tries). Plus he eats the cot but that's another story!

So glad to see it worked well for you guys.

We took the sides off the cot for a month or so and then put bunks up in Leahs room. Had to take the cot out completely or she wanted to sleep in the cot. She has never fallen out of the big bed (or the cot) but since before we started the whole process she has been waking screaming and comes running to our room. (this has been going on since before xmas and we only put her in a big bed 6 weeks ago hoping that a change would snap her out of it!)

The main reason we started it when we did was that she was waking and climbing out of the cot all upset and was falling and hurting herself.

She was 2yrs 4 months when we put her in the big bed but I have known people who have done it before 18 months, guess it depends on the tpye of child (a climber etc)

Edited by LeahandJoel

How did you know your child was ready (or was it a case of needs must?) and what age where they? Astin started destroying his cot to get out!!. He was 18 months old.

-What were the main concerns you had? him not staying in bed and ending up in my bed! and falling out of bed..

-What sort of bed did you get? (short one, one with sides still, normal big kids bed...)      normal wooden bed, we had lovely wooden bunks in Bays room and he just wouldnt sleep with the bunk on top and as they were also designed to be seperated we just gave Astin the other one!.

-Did you transition ie. take sides off the cot first?   nop straight for the bed

-Do you start with day sleeps and then move to night sleeps?   yes we did a week of day sleeps in there first but i must admit he slept alot better in there during the day than at night!

-What were the main issues? -Did your toddler stay in bed (or did you strap them in? ) -If they didn't, how did you overcome this?    At first we shut the door and he screamed so we left it open and he kept getting out, we overcame it by constantly puttig him back straightaway and sternly saying "it is time for bed Astin" kiss him then walk out, took a good few weeks of this before he got it.

-Did it make sleeping better or worse? When it all calmed down his sleeping was much the same.

-How long did it take before the child was fully settled into the big bed? without hassles??? about a month (my mind just went blank on that!!! gez!)

-What advice do you have for us mums starting this journey soon? be consistant for sure!!! and i also found that when DH was putting him to bed he would just put him in and walk out!!!! to which astin would cry but when i did it i would tuck him in, kiss him, cuddle him and say "noneye have a good sleep, see you in the morning, love you" and he settled alot better with the nice "send off" lol

WE had the bed set up in Blair's room for a week or so before we really introduced him to it. I was planning on trying day sleeps and then transistioning to night sleeps, but he wasn't sleeping too well in there during the day for some reason after 2 sleeps in it. Every night he would clamber onto his big bed for a couple of minutes, and one night he was still lying there reluctant to move when DH came in, so we left him there! He has a safety sleep on the bed, and we put a rail which is no longer than 1m in length as he has on occassion undone the STS. Since that night he has slept every night in his big bed, and after a week we tried day sleeps again. A week later (last monday) he sat on DH's knee as we took the cot down and helped us carry it out. (It's going back up in our room in about 8 - 10 weeks)

He's only got out of bed twice - during afternoon sleeps, once it was obvious that he wasn't going back to sleep, the other I stood my ground told him it was still sleepytime and walked him back to his room and put him into bed.

Oh and we've put a barrier up at night in our hallway so the only place he can go if he gets out is our room

How did you know your child was ready (or was it a case of needs must?) and what age where they?

#1 was 23 months and #2 was 2y 2m

-What were the main concerns you had?

With both I was worried about them getting out of bed and banigng on the door. It's never actaully happened yet! Although when Jake was ready to get up after naps and inthe morning, he would climb out and knock. Missy just calls out to me like she did when she was int he cot. They both get out and "play" but put themselves back to bed

-What sort of bed did you get? (short one, one with sides still, normal big kids bed...)

Just a normal bed, and after #1 was in the big bed for about a year and circumstances meant he had to go into a smaller room, we bought him a very good quality king single with a rollaway underneath. We figure that should last him till he moves out of home.

-Did you transition ie. take sides off the cot first?

No. With both of them we bought special duvets etc and had the bed made up in their room and read stories etc on it to get them used to beign on there

-Do you start with day sleeps and then move to night sleeps?

No, I actually found day sleeps were the hardest, both still had day sleeps in the cot for about a week after

-What were the main issues? -Did your toddler stay in bed (or did you strap them in? ) -If they didn't, how did you overcome this?

No issues, I made a real big fuss about a big boys bed etc and staying in there all night etc and so far no probs with either

-Did it make sleeping better or worse?

a MILLION times better!

-How long did it take before the child was fully settled into the big bed?

About a week, once the day sleepos were ok. Night sleeps were no problem right from the get go.

-What advice do you have for us mums starting this journey soon?

Don't rush them unless you really have to. With a cot, you know where they are, lol. With falls etc, plunket told me just to put the side on the cot down to make the fall less distance, but neither of them fell out of the cot, well, C did once. Mainly htey just climbed, lol

I also didn't want J to feel he was being moved into t he cot for C, so I let him stay in the cot til he was ready. C slept in a bassinette for a bit, then in the portacot with the base moved up and a good mattress till the cot was ready for her.
C would still be in the cot, actually except 3 weeks ago she took her nappy off and wet the bed, so she had no choice in the big bed matter, but it worked out fine to go in the "princess bed"

My main concerns are obviously him falling out of bed (although pretty good with sleeping still(ish)), getting out of bed and not getting being able to get back in, throwing tanties, banging on the door for hours on end etc. Thanks oh wise ones   

Probably the only bug bear of mine is that if they get out and play, it often involves emptying all the drawers......

Good luck!

How did you know your child was ready (or was it a case of needs must?) and what age where they?
Sienna was 16mths and we kicked her out cos I didn't want to buy 2 new cots for the twins!
Noah and Lola were 16mths to just because we thought Sienna did that then so they could to.

-What were the main concerns you had?
Only with Noah, I knew he would be a little bugger and get out all the time

-What sort of bed did you get? (short one, one with sides still, normal big kids bed...)
A normal big kids one

-Did you transition ie. take sides off the cot first?
Nope they all just went into beds and the cot was taken down the same day

-Do you start with day sleeps and then move to night sleeps?
Nope all with night sleeps

-What were the main issues? -Did your toddler stay in bed (or did you strap them in? ) -If they didn't, how did you overcome this?

girls were good, got out a few times then gave up, Noah still trys and gets out a month later

-Did it make sleeping better or worse?
Girls better
Noah improving

-How long did it take before the child was fully settled into the big bed?
Girls a few nights, noah as I said we are still having getting out of bed issues so we lock the door until we go to bed then unlock it

-What advice do you have for us mums starting this journey soon?
Good luck and be paitent

-How did you know your child was ready (or was it a case of needs must?) and what age where they? Both Brae & Kal would jump out of their cots or in Kalz case, rattle it across the room to reach stuff he wasnt meant to. Both before 18mnths

-What were the main concerns you had? injuries from jumping etc / safety

-What sort of bed did you get? (short one, one with sides still, normal big kids bed...) Normal single bed & I purchased a side barrier for it so they wouldnt fall out. They would also use teddies or cushions to get up for the first while

-Did you transition ie. take sides off the cot first? straight to big bed for Kalz & Brae was still in cot with new bed in the room for a few nights, then day sleeps in big bed, then the whole hog

-Do you start with day sleeps and then move to night sleeps? Brae day sleeps at first. Kalz was both day/night straight away

-What were the main issues? -Did your toddler stay in bed (or did you strap them in? ) -If they didn't, how did you overcome this? Brae was great. Kalz, I had to tie down I shut the door & made sure he couldnt reach the handles, he was fine in the dark LOL

-Did it make sleeping better or worse? Better, way better (once Kalz stopped trying to get up)

-How long did it take before the child was fully settled into the big bed? Brae was within the week. Kalz was maybe a couple of weeks

-What advice do you have for us mums starting this journey soon? Being patient & consistant. All the best

Both my boys love their Cars toddler ready beds, they are great for sleep overs, & so comfy. My 4.5yr old wanted to sleep in his forever - so he said.