Moving from Cot to Bed?

[xstore]

I'm just wanting to some various thoughts on how I make the transition from Cot to bed in a new room also I have another baby due in 6 mths and I'm ready to move her now so there is a gap between the new baby entering the house. any ideas?? currently we play on the new bed and in the new room and she thinks it's fun to sit on it but won't lay in it? she is 17mths old, and is a great sleeper normally straight to the cot and down she goes, she does have a dummy & blankie.

[amheusser]

17 months is pretty young for a big bed, but I know it's hard with the new baby coming.  When we moved K (and plan the same with R), we got a readybed (it's a low, inflatable bed/blanket combo) and put it next to her crib.  She was so excited to be allowed to nap in her "princess bed" sometimes, and we worked up to regular naps then nights, and finally made it a big deal to move her into her new room with a big bed (with side-rail).  We moved her on her 2nd bday, about 3 months before R was born, and really played up the "you get a new room because you're bigger" so she never seemed to notice the baby going into her old room.  We had R in the bassinet attachment of the playpen for about 2 months, so that's something to consider if you're trying to buy a little more time before moving your older one out....

[deenz]

We moved dd1 into a bed just before 18m (baby was due in 2 months or so).  It happened that one night she was not very well, and kept waking up, so I ended up getting her out of the cot and slept in the bed with her.  So the next night I thought I would just continue on putting her in the bed.  She did get up and down, and I made sure she had a step to enable her to get back into the bed on her own.  She has always had her door shut, so we kept it shut once she moved into the bed.  We also taught her to crawl back up to the top of the bed and lay down on the pillow (otherwise she would just lie anywhere, and sometimes roll off onto the floor). 
About a week later we moved her in there for naps.... this was much harder, as it was light and she could see stuff to play with (only things in her room are books, soft toys and her chest of drawers with clothes in).  We had several days of no sleep (and still do on occassion).  But then she also used to skip sleeps in her cot.

hth!

[xstore]

Thanks so much for your input, maybe i'll hold off a little while longer and keep her playing on the bed and me lay down on it with her, it does have a side rail but I hadn't thought of the step.. good idea. I've plenty of time with baby in bassinett also after it's born. cheers.

[alyssa1]

Hi there,
I just saw this post and wow does it relate to our situation as well.  I have a 16month old and I'm due in 2.5 months.  We are moving our son to a new and bigger room but have decided to hold off on the bed.  We are going to set up the bed in the room but just keep him in his crib in the new room with all of his things moved into the new room.  I was thinking the same thing - the new baby will probably be beside me in my room for a little while anyways so we're just goign to let our son stay in his crib.  I don't feel that even when he is 19months that he will be ready and to be honest, I'm a little afraid to put him into a bed because I don't think he would stay in there.  If need be, we are going to use our pack-n-play for the new baby until he is ready.  I'm thinkikng when my son is 2 I will introduce sleeping in a bed - by then I think he will beable to understand that he needs to stay in it to sleep.  I have heard nightmare stories about putting them in a bed too early - yikes - not doing that to myself!

[aly74]

Hi, I have a two year old that we have just moved into a new room and BIG BED, as the new baby is coming in about 3 months. We had a few initial hiccups, but all seems to be going well now, except he always end up falling asleep on the floor at the door.  This happens at both Nap time and bed time.  He has always been an great sleeper and moving him is no problem, except getting the door open. Is this something I should worry about or try and change or do you think he will just out grow it?

[amheusser]

Can he open the door himself when he wakes up?  I'd just let him sleep there if it's otherwise going well, and let him know that he can come get you when he wakes.  If you're worried about wandering, you could put a gate on the outside of his door so he can open the door and call for you but not escape.