Author Topic: 2 years old - transitioning from crib to BBB  (Read 2667 times)

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Offline ishkin

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2 years old - transitioning from crib to BBB
« on: February 21, 2009, 18:41:36 pm »
Hello all,
I could really use some advice about transitioning from crib to toddler's bed!

We're expecting our #2 in mid May -which leaves us around 3 months for DS to get used to his new bed, since we need the crib.

This weekend we purchased the new bed, put it all together in his room (he was very excited about it, helped with putting it together, helped with bringing in the mattress,jumped up and down on it etc. )

Then we took out the new sheets we bought for the occasion - I found ones with cars, which he just loves.

For now both the crib and the bed are in his room, we are gently suggesting to him to sleep/nap in his new bed...We were planning to leave it that way for a week or so, and next weekend just take the crib apart and put it in storage for a couple of months, so he doesn't really have a choice where to sleep...Eventually we plan to put the crib back, and for our DSs to share the room.

So forth he is not agreeing to sleep in his new bed, only in the crib.

So I need advice/ideas about several subjects:
1) Do we indeed take the crib out on the weekend? Is one week enough to get used to the idea of a new bed? Or perhaps we should do the other way around and took the crib out right now?

2)Also next week he is transitioning to full day in his daycare - till now he has been there for half days only, didn't nap there (well, he did when he had 2 naps...). So is it a good idea to put all those changes on him at once  - both new bed at home and change in his daily routine? Perhaps we should leave both the new bed and the crib for a while more and let him first get used to a new situation in daycare? If so - what is the acceptable amount of time to wait, since we only have 3 months...

3)Last question is about pillow - we purchased a small pillow for him for his new BBB. Is this safe enough for a 2 year old? Somehow I never read/saw anything about introduction of the pillow - what age is considered appropriate for this to be done? Any special do's/don'ts on this subject?


Thanks very much in advance!  ::)
Inna



Offline momtonb&ab

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Re: 2 years old - transitioning from crib to BBB
« Reply #1 on: February 21, 2009, 18:46:59 pm »
Hi there!

I don't have any advice on the crib/bed thing, but am going to lurk as my guys are almost 2 and I would like to get them out of cribs into beds soon to give us some options for traveling and such. 

I can however tell you that after about 12 months introducing a pillow is acceptable according to our paed.  We actually introduced pillows at 11 months (kids were using stuffed animals as pillows by then so we figured the pillow was safer).  They are almost 2 now (will be in a month) and they sleep with a child's pillow all the time.

Good luck!

Offline Fiver

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Re: 2 years old - transitioning from crib to BBB
« Reply #2 on: February 21, 2009, 20:08:50 pm »
Again, just tagging on to see what advice you get :)
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Offline MasynSpencerElliotte

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Re: 2 years old - transitioning from crib to BBB
« Reply #3 on: February 21, 2009, 22:03:49 pm »
Hi!

We transitioned Masyn to a BGB about 2 months ago....we actually bought the baby her own crib as Masyn's is a convertible one. We did it for two reasons, she was close to figuring out how to climb out and she kept pointing out that she slept in a bed at daycare!

I would say leave the crib and bed for a bit longer, until he's had a chance to adjust to full days at daycare. We actually have a twin bed in Masyn's room too, so she always knew that she would use a bed eventually. Maybe a couple of weeks? I wouldn't go any longer, b/c you probably want to give him awhile to forget about the crib before the baby needs it. 

I think we started with a pillow at 18 months....she was using a stuffed animal too, and now she uses a regular pillow.

HTH
Heidi
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Offline ishkin

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Re: 2 years old - transitioning from crib to BBB
« Reply #4 on: February 22, 2009, 06:20:01 am »
Thanks for the advice  :D
This is kinda what I figured out - wait a while longer to get him through the changes at daycare, and then just go cold turkey and remove the crib, even if he hasn't agreed to sleep in the new bed till then....
We will see how it goes..
Inna



Offline MasynSpencerElliotte

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Re: 2 years old - transitioning from crib to BBB
« Reply #5 on: February 22, 2009, 15:13:27 pm »
Hope it all works out okay for him! (maye he'll surprise you - Masyn made the transition without any fuss at all!)

Good Luck,
Heidi
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Offline deckchariot

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Re: 2 years old - transitioning from crib to BBB
« Reply #6 on: February 22, 2009, 21:13:28 pm »
Here's some links to stories from other folks who've made it that may also be helpful:  http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=81192.0
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=113115.0

hth
michelle
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Offline ishkin

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Re: 2 years old - transitioning from crib to BBB
« Reply #7 on: March 15, 2009, 10:22:51 am »
Hey all, wanted to give an update about the BBB transition .

DH put up the toddler bed together with DS, he seemed to be very excited about it (or at least about helping to put it together). We introduced the new sheets with the cars, which are very popular with DS, and made a huge deal about it being a bed for big kids, as opposed to the baby crib he used to sleep in till now.

We left it up to him to decide where he wanted to sleep , and for a week he seemed undecided, asked me to transfer him from bed to bed each bedtime etc. It seemed like he was interested in the new bed, but was reluctant to try it out. We urged him to try it out , but without pressure, and we kept talking about it being a BBB etc.

After a week of him choosing the crib over the new bed, I decided it is time to do something about it, and came up with the following strategy:
our bedtime routine includes us cuddling , reading a book and singing a couple of songs while sitting in a rocking chair. Lately it has become pretty tiresome for me , since I had to lift him up and put him in the crib, and due to the pregnancy its pretty hard thing to do. So I decided to kill two birds with one stone, and told him one night that we are going to read the bookie and sing in his new bed. I put him there, sat on the edge of the bed with him ,and we did all our routine there. When I was ready to wish him good night and walk out , he asked me to transfer him to the crib. So I told him that he was pretty heavy and because of the pregnancy it is hard for me to lift him, so I promised to tell his father which was showering to come and see him the moment he was done. By the time DH got to him he was already asleep. 
The next night I did the same thing, and he again asked to be transfered but I advised him to try to get his favorite bear to sleep in the new bed by singing him a couple of lullabies. He told OK, and I heard him singing for a while and he was asleep in 15 min.

From that night on he stopped asking about the crib.

The next weekend he got to nap in his new bed for the first time- it was the first nap in there, cause he usually naps at daycare. I thought he might ask for the crib, but I guess a week of sleeping in his BBB was enough to get him used to it.

So yesterday, after he slept a whole week in his new bed, DH and DS took the crib apart and we transferred it to storage. We told DS that his crib was very grateful to him for his sleeping in the new bed and giving it an opportunity to "rest" and so it asked to give him a present - a new car set, what else  ;D

That's it, all'n'all it was pretty relaxed and unexciting transition. Now all is left to see how he will react when we open the crib for the newborn in a couple of months... We will wait and see I guess  8)


Inna



Offline Fiver

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Re: 2 years old - transitioning from crib to BBB
« Reply #8 on: March 15, 2009, 18:23:05 pm »
Fab!  Glad it went so smoothly for you!  We've bought some car sheets too and DS is very excited about them, but I haven't got the nerve up to take the sides off the cot bed yet and DH is away this week, so I'm reluctant to go it alone with the BBB!!!
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Offline chanashleigh

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Re: 2 years old - transitioning from crib to BBB
« Reply #9 on: March 16, 2009, 09:07:18 am »
Hi Ishkin, glad that things are working out for you! I read your post about how you told your LO that you were giving his cot a chance to rest, I thought that was such a great idea that I have done the same! We took apart the cot this morning and DD helped Mum and Dad which was great. I told her that she is getting such a big girl and getting too heavy that the cot needs to have rest etc...she seemed to listen, understand and agree so fingers crossed. Its only day one though so see how it goes! Just wanted to say thanks for the idea!  ;D

Offline ishkin

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Re: 2 years old - transitioning from crib to BBB
« Reply #10 on: March 16, 2009, 10:51:44 am »
Good luck with the transition ladies!
BTW, DS is not a very heavy sleeper, he turns all over the bed in night, so he almost fell out on the first night. He has a toddler bed off a similiar design: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10747229, so he can still fall out from the unprotected areas. So now we put up cushions etc to create a barrier near the unprotected areas to stop him from falling out, so far so good. That doesn't prevent him from moving the cushions and climbing out on the morning, so its just our precaution.
Inna



Offline Fiver

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Re: 2 years old - transitioning from crib to BBB
« Reply #11 on: March 16, 2009, 18:48:53 pm »
I saw a suggestion somewhere of putting a rolled up sheet/blanket under the sheet on the mattress to produce a lip that it's harder for them to roll over in the night.  Also doubles up that they can't move it themselves.  Don't know if that would work for you?
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