[lsolaBella]

Another who waited until later.

22m between the boys and I got a 2nd cot. DS1 was happy in his cot and it was very comforting to know that he was contained in his cot in the morning until I went to get him (especially since when he moved to a bed he started being a 5.30am waker rather then a 7-8am waker). He never tried to climb out. We transitioned to a single bed at 33m taking the side off the cot and moving to a single bed at 36m.

DS2 was 2yrs 4m when DD arrived so he moved straight to a single bed (he also started to share a room with DS1).

DD is 2.25yrs and we have no plans on moving her out of the cot.

[Rumply]

We moved our DS into a bed about a a month ago, he was 20 months.

I am also expected #2 in July, so I thought giving it a nice big gap between the new bed and the baby taking his cot would remove the association. Fingers crossed this works.

I went and got a bunk bed from Fantastic Furniture. I have set up the top bunk only which has rails all the way around it with an opening to get in and out. There is very little threat of him falling out.

Only on 2 occassions has he been so upset that he has climbed out and both these times we had the port-a-cot set up and we put him in that for the rest of the night. Have had to do some CC to get him to sleep... but he does have sleep issues still and frequent waking, so that is a whole other kettle of fish.

Good luck!!

[JBaby]

We moved our DS into a bed about a a month ago, he was 20 months.

I am also expected #2 in July, so I thought giving it a nice big gap between the new bed and the baby taking his cot would remove the association. Fingers crossed this works.

I went and got a bunk bed from Fantastic Furniture. I have set up the top bunk only which has rails all the way around it with an opening to get in and out. There is very little threat of him falling out.

Only on 2 occassions has he been so upset that he has climbed out and both these times we had the port-a-cot set up and we put him in that for the rest of the night. Have had to do some CC to get him to sleep... but he does have sleep issues still and frequent waking, so that is a whole other kettle of fish.

So your not quite 2 year old sleeps on the top bed of a bunk bed?? Or did you mean to say you only set up the bottom bunk?

[Ruffles]

I'm an 'if it isn't broken don't fix it type of person' Our toddlers were more than happy to be in their cots and I saw no reason to get them out.
I had 3 cots going at one stage. I think they were all in cots for at least 2.5-3 years.
Those who climbed out just did.

I'm with STBG.

I had a similar age gap to you, OP. (15 months). Personally I found it much easier to have DD "confined" to a cot. It meant at times I knew she was safe playing in her cot while I was doing things with the baby. I could choose when to get her up after a sleep, rather than have her come out whenever she wanted to.

Hoever my DD was very happy in her cot and slept well. I might have done it differently if there were issues.

DD was almost 3 when she moved straight into a big bed, with no rails or anything.

[Becstarinator]

14 months. Before that DS was sleeping in a port-a-cot. Santa brought his toddler bed to him. Upgraded to a full size bed at about 2.5 years old.

[sophiasmum]

Personally I wouldn't do it, I would get a 2nd cot (borrow?). In fact, that's what we did when DS was born & DD1 was 2 yrs old.

[Tesseract]

I agree that if it ain't broke don't fix it. But for us it was broke - she hated the cot, so we moved her out at 13 months. Best decision ever. It is so much easier to settle her now that we can lie with her. DH has been settling her in her bed and she's started STTN!!! OMG!!!

As I said, we have a floor bed (that's a fancy name for a mattress on the floor!) so falling out isn't a problem. In fact she can crawl onto it, which I think is great, she loves it so much. She plays on it during the day etc, for her it is a happy place, whereas the cot was the screaming place! (Note we co-slept a lot, maybe that's why she never liked the cot.)

We have a gate on her door (although we usually close it during the night because she sleeps better due to the backyard/light/road being close to her door).

In the room she only has access to her bookshelf and a few teddies. If she wants to "read" or cuddle teddies in the night then I don't have a problem with that. But funnily enough she doesn't get out of bed during the night really. When she wakes up she cuddles the teddies she has on her bed and calls out for me until I get there. Once I took my time and I found her at the door, but she certainly hadn't destroyed anything.

I also have her in a sleeping bag so I guess that makes it harder for her to get around, although not impossible lol!

[tamjk]

Was stalking this thread as planning a 2 year age gap, but am AMAZED at how early some PP's kids took to a bed!

How does that work? Do you have a baby gate at the door so they can't get into the rest of the house if they get up? Do they not get into everything in their room? Or is their room 100% baby proof and they just play nicely?

No babyproofing here. And no DS didn't just play nicely!

I removed the side from his cot at 17 months. I would sit with him until he was drowsy enough to not climb out of bed before I left the room. Some nights that meant four stories and an hour of lullabies but it has resulted in a child that not only has never climbed out of his bed but one that views bedtime as a pleasant thing.
He's 3 now and will actually ask for his pj's and a story when he is tired now.
When DD was born we purchased a Junior bed from Ikea and set that up in his bedroom to allow him to transition when he was ready for it. He did that at about 26 months with no hassles at all.

We had such success with that method and DS that we are planning it for DD. She'll be making the transition at an earlier age because the little monkey is already climbing out of her cot!

[fezzy]

Both my girls went into a bed (mattress on the floor with a bed rail) at about 8-9 months because they refused to sleep in the cot but woukd happily sleep in the bed. I can't remember what age I put the mattress onto the bed base though.

[3 boys + 1 girl]

Just wondering when you transferred your toddler to a bed. I am currently pregnant with number 2 and my DS will be a 16 months old if I go full term but it might be earlier since DS was born at 34 weeks.

I have a basinette which I will use but since we will be moving DS to a new room was thinking it might be better to try and put him in a bed as well? You can buy toddler beds but I don't really want to buy one and then a bed. I certainly don't want to get another cot.

Any experience appreciated.

Hi, We moved my son when he was 20 months old to give him time to get used to the fact the cot would be his sisters. I wish now that I had of forked out the extra money and got a cheep cot for him. He was a wander from the minute we put him in it and just wasn't ready I think I think all kids are different he was my third son and I didn't have the trouble with the first 2. He started sleeping in our bed and we just couldn't break that cycle with him so now 22 months later he's a permanent fixture in my bed.