From Cot to my OWN Bed
Suddenly your little one has discovered she can climb over the rails of the cot & escape, ending up in your bed, or worse still, playing unsupervised in another part of the house while everyone else is asleep.
You’ve tried
putting her back into her own bed, but she thinks it’s a game & within minutes is back in your bedroom, giggling & wanting to play… all you want to do is sleep…
What do you do?
1. My Solution…
You can try giving her a toddler bed & encourage her to sleep in her own BIG person’s bed ALL night. A bed guard placed on the side (or alternatively an old blanket rolled length ways & placed under the mattress by the edge of the bed) will help stop the little one from rolling out while asleep.
For the more adventurous child that has discovered that they can gain access to various parts of the house & play unsupervised, try using a barrier at the bedroom door. This can prove to be a terrific deterrent preventing a child from roaming the house or gaining access to their parent’s room during the late night hours.
Some children will make a BIG deal out of this, putting on a real show for mum & dad often screaming for some time in order for them to come to their rescue… or in other words… ‘BAAHHH. Let me out of here or I’ll make your life a misery’
We allowed our kids to scream for awhile as our Paediatrician at the time told us a child will only cry for so long, they will eventually tire themselves out & that the exercise is good for 'strengthening the lungs' - Bear in mind I'm not talking about letting them scream all night at the expense of either your or your neighbours sleep, but sometimes kids need Mum & Dad to be able to just 'TURN OFF' so they learn... you may have to put up with a couple of nights with a child crying the house down for half an hour or so at bedtime. I think they call it controlled crying these days...
We need to be wise in deciding how to deal with each individual situation… some children can be calmed by sitting on their bed for an extra few minutes until they feel secure enough to drift off to sleep. I am a firm believer in parents following their own instincts when it comes to their child.
Other Ideas to Ponder
Usually around 2 - 3½ years small children move from their cots to their own big bed.
Some like my own children can be a lot younger… my son had modifications made to a single bed when he was only 18 months old. We made his whole bedroom into a giant playpen because he was a ‘little night owl’ that wanted to play every night… no-matter what we did we couldn’t break the habit so met him half way by making his room a safe place for him to play. This does not work for all parents.
It’s important to remember that the decision on when to undertake this transition should be left entirely in the parents hands as each child has different needs.
Often parents will leave the child in the cot as long as they are happy there.
The shift to a bed can bring about a few new bedtime battles, so a parent may want to choose the best time to deal with these. Eg… if the parent has a holiday period coming up when it won’t matter if their sleep pattern is interrupted by a crying child;
Why Move to a BIG Bed
- Is the child climbing out of her cot…? The child could fall & hurt themselves.
- Does the child shake the cot…? This could cause the cot to topple over.
- Is the child toilet training…? some young children really do want to get to the toilet themselves. (Both of my kids & my Grand-daughter were fully day & night-time toilet trained by the age of 2).
- Is there a new baby on the way who will need the cot? It’s often best to move the child a few months before a new baby arrives or alternatively when the baby is a few months old so that the little one doesn’t feel that their world is changing because of the baby. Children can get resentful towards a new brother or sister if they feel they are more important than them.
The Child’s Bedroom – Safety Check
This is the first thing you need to think about BEFORE you even consider a BIG BED. The little one will no-longer be safe behind the bars of their cot, rather they will be able to get out of their bed & do whatever they wants in their own bedroom.
In order to try & prevent accidents remember to check:
- Electrical… Always use socket safety guards in plug sockets & any electrical cords that must be used in the Childs room should be safely secured out of reach. I always placed a wardrobe in front of the electrical outlets as an added precaution in the bedrooms. Adhere to child safety standards when purchasing lighting, etc as little children love to explore.
- Windows… make sure windows have operating safety locks which only open a few inches. This is so that a young child can’t climb through the window. This is especially important if you live in an upper level of a building.
- Curtain & blind cords… Use caution as dangling cords could strangle a young child, so it is advisable to shorten their lengths if possible.
- Stairways… Fitting child-safety rails to the top of the stairs is a great idea, however, I’ve personally put these rails on my children’s doors rather than just the stairs… Why? My thoughts are if a child is a climber there’s always a possibility they could attempt climbing the stairs & fall in the dark or when she is drowsy.
- Safe Toys… I made it a point of ensuring that only safe toys & objects were available for my kids to handle if they woke up, so a quick ‘safety check is always advisable before putting the young one to bed. An older brother or sister may have dropped a Lego block or other small toy part on the floor earlier in the day, so it is always advisable to ‘re check’
Settling In To Their New Bed
What an exciting time it is for our little ones as they take this first step toward becoming either a big boy or big girl. By showing our excitement during this time & letting the little ones both SEE & HEAR how proud we are of them, the move from cot to bed becomes a ‘fun event’ for our child.
- Allow them to help plan their new room
- Let the child be involved when choosing their new bed.
- Some children like to help move the furniture around… My kids used to ‘help me push’ the furniture & used to feel so important. Allow them to help move their clothes or toys.
- Simply allowing the child to pass the screwdriver, spanner or hammer to you makes them feel involved..
- Some parents ask other family members over to help celebrate the first night the little one sleeps in their own bed… If you’re lucky, this can help tire the child out allowing the child to sleep soundly until morning.
Everything is different now, so it’s good to begin any new routine immediately.
BIG BED Routine:
- Pack away toys
- Quiet time before bed.
- A blanket from the old cot or their favourite soft toy may make the child feel more secure & comfortable.
- Reading a short story to the little one can help them to settle. This can become your ‘special time’ together. In years to come this time can transfer into a special sharing time allowing a more open dialect between parents & child.
- Say goodnight in a clear & positive way, ‘It’s time to go to sleep – see you in the morning,’ makes bedtime seem less scary.
- Tun off the light… In some cases you may decide to use a night light, but this needs to be your personal choice.
If she comes out of her room
- Immediately help her back to bed.
- Remind her ‘It’s time to go to bed – see you in the morning,’ & leave the room.
- Repeat this process until your child stays in bed or settles.
- If she becomes distressed, a quiet cuddle may help.
- See more tips on getting your child to stay in bed if getting out of bed becomes a consistent habit.
Sometimes we may have a child that refuses to stay in their bed…
this link http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/calling_out_at_night.html#out%20of%20bed at the Raising Children Network has an article titled ‘Calling out and getting out of bed’. Some parents may find it useful.
