Cot to bed? Timings and How to go about it?

[benjaminty]

Hi All,

Daughter is 21 months, we've recetnly been on a holiday where our usually sedate daughter copped a major fit every night she was put to sleep in a cot and ended up sleeping in our bed each night.

Upon returning home and thinking all would be OK back in own cot she promptly threw herself out of her cot (in gro bag).

We took the decision to convert her cot to her bed immediately.

Trouble now is keeping her in her room.

After a few days of walking her back into her room 60 times a night (no joke) we've put a stair gate up on her doorway and are now using controlled crying technique; which worked very well in the past at 12 months.

Anyone gone down this route?

Concerned this might be too much upheaval in such a short space of time.

[nylonmeals]

Our little one started climbing out of his cot bed soon after his little brother arrived, probably around 21 months too. We then got him a toddler bed and had issues like you so fitted a gate on his door. Once the gate was shut we didn't go back in. Sounds silly, but someone had given us a balloon so we tied the ballon to his bed, he had a duvet cover and pillow which pictures on that he loved and was surrounded by his favourite toys so we tried to make it into a special occassion, a "big boys bed" not a baby bed. Took a few days of gate rattling and crying but within a week (in fact less than a week) it was totally fine and after a month or so we just removed the stair gate and he has never once left his room. I know all kids are different and I feel for you, but I bet that it will be better so soon! Good luck.

[lucyA1308]

Hello there. in despair, as I have just spent an hour and 3/4s going back and forth putting my 2 and a bit yr old back into her big girl's bed. My husband has now taken over. i asked for tips on this a few weeks ago, but unless I am actually there, to hold her hand while she drops off, she just gets in and out.

She was a wonderful sleeper before, but now the nights are lighter, and also she knows that she can get out of bed whenever she wants.

I have watched her eyes droop, and think it is safe to leave the room, and then before I know it she is wide awake again, and has a gling ot mischeif in her eye.

She was so good in the cot, and it is so frustrating to have regressed.

We also have a new baby in our household - which probably doesn't help, as she sees this time as time when she can get my attention all to herself, but she didn't fuss like this in the cot.

i feel totally wiped out, because by the time I have got her to bed, my baby is wanting her next feed, and I still haven't had my supper yet.

i think the stair gate sounds like a good idea.

[amydown]

Our 2.5 year old has been in a big boy's bed for months now. Never used to get out of bed but since the arrival of his baby brother, he now won't go to sleep unless one of us sits outside his room until he goes down. We are trying gradual withdrawal (started with lying next to him, to holding hand, tO sitting nearby, etc etc). Had a heart stopping moment yesterday when baby let out a cry. Went to nursery to find our toddler had got out of his room, taken his duvet and pillow to baby's room and had managed to climb into baby's cot to lie next to him!

Once I got over the initial shock, did see the funny side of it and very sweet but did make me realise how much he hates going to bed on his own....

[lucyA1308]

Aaaaarrrggggghhhh. 2 yr old was back to her good old self, and fell asleep before I had even finished reading her the story, but on the way up to bed, ran into the baby's room, and woke the sleeping baby up, so then had to go back and put a wide awake baby back to sleep. If it's not one, then it's the other.

[nylonmeals]

Lucy, get yourself a stair gate on her door! Think that there were a few in the Classified section yesterday. Good luck!

[dulwichgirl2]

By the way, when they are just "free" and able to enjoy going around their little bedrooms investigating toys etc if they want to, you must check that there is nothing with a cord available. This transition time is the worst for these awful toddler accidents with blinds, heavy things falling down on them and attempted climbing accidents. Please NM, be VERY careful with your balloon tied to the bed. (I wld not leave a toddler with a balloon on a string far less overnight, personally. I hope no-one is offended by my saying this. It was too important a point to ignore.)