What would you do??.. Toddler travel bed

[OzMummy]

My DS has just turned 2 and is still very happy sleeping in his cot at home. We will be going to Australia to stay with my parents at Xmas and staying for 3 months. They have a travel cot there for him but I'm afraid he might be too big to sleeping in it.

He likes to stand up as soon as he wakes up and a very mobile sleeper, so I'm worried about moving him to a big bed. Also the room we will be sleeping in is quite small so there won't be room for 2 single beds (ie mine and his). I've looked at travel bed alternatives but I can't see him staying in any of them.

What would you do? Should I bite the bullet and move him to a bed or is there something out there that someone could recommend?

Also, should I plan the move before we go? Or wait till we get there?

Thanks.

[Kimberly®]

what about a playpen? Thats what my friend uses for her LO when he stays here. Its big enough for him  to sleep in and still keep him from climbing out. Sorry no other advice.

[Florencia]

I found the pack and play to be too small for ds too but if I make it cozy enough, he'll sleep ok in it (and he's almost 2 years and 5 months now... although I must admit he's a skinny and short toddler so you have to consider that too). What I do is to place a soft and warm blanket under pack n play mattress (it seems too hard for me to sleep nice there) and then i put another warm and big blanket around the sides (sort of a bumper) so if he rolls etc he'll find a warm thingy to hold on to. I take stuffed animals and his ocean wonders aquarium to recreate his crib and the same sheets and covers and that works well even if the space's too small. Try that scenario at home for a nap and a night's sleep and see how he does. If he does fine, then by all means try that for your travel so he won't get too upset with all the changes.

HTH!

[evanskimberley]

Are you talking about not staying in a ready bed? I was really surprised that Holly ever stayed in hers, she was such a mobile sleeper too, she'd be upside down and turned around in her cot, but she never moves in her ready bed. they smaller ones have slightly raised sides to help with this.
They re noisy though! If you blow them up too much they squeak like hell! Most of the people I know (loads on here) who have got them love them to pieces but my godson can not sleep on one at all, he ended up in his mum and dads bed this weekend when they were with us, his dad slept in the redy bed!!!!

[esthere]

We have used the ready bed,it did the trick but bring an extra blankie as the one attached is not so warm, I could not believe Harry stayed in his. I was a bit worried about him rolling out so folded a quilt and placed it on the floor beside the ready bed 

[esthere]

Oh and if you do move him into a bed you could get one of those bed guards ??
Have  a good trip

[OzMummy]

Thank you for your replies!

I have looked at the ready beds as well as a few other portable beds. It looks like it will be the best option if I can't convince my parents to keep a cot at their place for DS. They have so many things there for us already that they are reluctant to store a cot too. My mother wants DS to sleep on a trundle or mattress on the floor but I don't think it is going to fit in the room, I won't be able to open the door!!!

We won't have to worry about the warmth of the blanket on the reaybed. Xmas is the middle of summer in Australia!!! Besides DS HATES being covered by anything, must be because you'll never need a blanket in Singapore unless the air-con is really cold.

For those of you that have used a readybed, was your DC already in a big bed or was this there first time out of the cot?

[esthere]

First time out of the cot for me

[Deb_in_oz]

if it isa only a few months you can find cheap 2nd hand (but not too old) cot sets on ebay. as long as you are not going for an expensive brand they might find a good deal.  ready beds in Oz costs $60. they could use the cot and matress (you coudl bring your own sheets for it) and then sell it again in ebay and recoup some of the money.  otherwise you can check out hiring one for a few months and see how expensive that is.  there are quite a few hire companies here.  bubhub.com.au is quite a good resource for that kind of info (it is an australian based parenting online community somewhat like BW but broader)

[evanskimberley]

Fisrt time out of cot for us too. She went in her ready bed last Dec and has only just gone in a big bed in Oct.

[Pigeon]

Hi,
We use a ready bed for DD and it is fabulous! She, like your LO, was far too big for a travel cot. She wasn't out of her cot when we started using it and we were sure she would get up and start walking around in the middle of the night, but she didn't! She loves her "Noddy bed", as she calls it.
HTH

[OzMummy]

I think I have managed to talk them into getting a convertible cot from ebay. I'm also going to looking into renting one. I don't think a ready bed would work for us, DS would be up and out the door in a flash. (and the dog would probably end up in the the bed instead  ) Also it would be a lot of changes for him, new bed, different house and country and no Daddy for a while