Two year old bedtime from cot to bed...

[Fijifish]

Hi there,

Any tips or book recommendations on transition from cot to toddler bed and keeping him in there once bedtime comes! Thank you!

[KikiMac]

Is he still in a gro-bag? If so, keep him in it! Should deter too much wandering...

[nylonmeals]

Ours moved at a similar age - we had to stairgate his room at first to stop him wandering around the house

[Convex]

We just did it with basically no preparation and it didn't make any difference at all.

He could climb out anyway. If he couldn't climb out we wouldn't have done it - I would have kept the side on for as long as possible.

[AnyaJoeli]

Second the grobag idea...we moved ours nearly a year ago he was about 2 and a half, and to be honest I dreaded moving him to a bed as I assumed it would be a nightmare involving huge sleep disturbance as he's historically been the worst sleeper known to man and after a LOT of work he finally loved his cot, but actually it was totally painless, the first week or so we'd go to him to find him crying lying on the floor as he'd fallen or climbed out of bed and was a bit disoriented and shuffled like a caterpillar around the floor (once found him having wriggled underneath his bed bless him), but he's never done the wandering around the house thing. Always still calls for us rather than gets out of bed to come to us.

I think it must be the grobag that helped with that, and even now he's too big for a grobag he still stays put. So it might be a lot easier than you're expecting.

[echo]

I have no idea!! Basically I had to hold hands, cuddle, stroke to sleep for years- otherwise they were like demons dancing around the room, bouncing on bed etc etc.. Also had to use the monster detector to make sure none where left in the room, especially in the corners, have rituals about magic dreams, put every doll and teddy in the bed with them and more?..

They are now 6 and and 4 years- much much better. We now have quiet time after stories when they can do something like 'read a book, play with lego, colour for 10/15 mins on their own in their bed. Its like golden time at school, which is is very important for my 6 year old. Then BIG cuddle and then I leave them to go to sleep- with door open, lights off.

I look and feel years younger!

Anyway I thought I'd share, good luck. The moment for going to sleep can be really stressful for small children and it shows how much they need and love you that they struggle with it on their own. But it will change, they really do grow up:(

[Fijifish]

Hi all, thanks for your thoughts, ITs appreciated. It's v early days but like you echo we have a very active don who just dies not want to miss out on anything, even though he us almost asleep standing up!

Unfortunately we can't do the gro bag, he loves to walk and he will try and climb even with it on. He tried to climb out of the fit with it on and could escape the got in seconds with no gro bag, hence the move!