Big Bed - When and How?

[sandraorion]

We are considering moving Adrian to the big bed soon. I would like him moved since it's one less specialized item he would need, but dh is concerned about him not staying in bed. Obviously, we would need to tweak the routine. So, I have questions...

When and why did you transition your lo to the big bed?

How long did the transition take?

What is your bedtime routine for big bed?
    Right now, after doing the bathroom thing and get pj on we read while Adrian is my lap (and he is getting too big for it). Then I take him to bed, kiss good night, turn lights off and leave. Would I lay him down and read to him while he is bed?

    Last several times we traveled, he was sleeping in big beds and was very excited about them, but one of us had to be there with him until he falls asleep to make sure he doesn't escape, because that's what he was doing (this might be partially due to the new environment). While that was fine for travel, I don't want to do that day after day at home. Once asleep, he was sleeping through, although he had several roll over accidents. (One night, I found him under our bed  )

Any other insight?

Thank you so much!

[kim&savannah]

Only have a second, but this is always my response to people wondering about moving their LO into a big bed (and you can find a few other threads about this on here!):

Don't do it until you absolutely have to!!!!  IF things are working well right now, I wouldn't change it.  We transitioned at 26 months (long story, but she was fine in her crib and it was only necessary because of a move and some other things), and it was AWFUL.  Her naps have been a mess off and on for the last 5 months!  Nights aren't quite so bad, but it definately seemed to start taking her longer to go to sleep sometimes, and many days she never falls asleep for naps.  We kept her night routine exactly the same (bath, stories, songs, into bed, night-night).

~Kim

[Mum to Ella Rose]

Well we moved Ella the night of her 2nd birthday as she finally launched herself full force over the top of the crib that morning.  Thankfully dh caught her.  She also chose that day to learn how to open her door. We set the bed up during the day and had all kinds of talks about it. We examined it, made it together, etc. It has Dora on it, whom she is obsessed with so that helped a lot too! That night we kept the routine the same, tucked her in and said goodnight. We sat in the family room close to her room and sure enough after about 5 minutes, she had gotten up, opened her door and was strutting towards us, proud as a peacock, saying "nap finished!" We just took her back and said "it's time for sleep sweety" We also put a gate on her door so she can open her door but can't get out. Their is a staircase right by her door and I am scared she'll fall in the middle of the night.

Anyways, long story short... sometimes she has a party in her room, sometimes she sleeps on the floor, etc etc. But it's gone really well! I expected worse! We just don't make a big deal if she says she is going to sleep on the floor. We also took pretty much all her toys out of the room. Just left some teddy's and some books so she can play quietly. We just operate like we did before. If she is upset, we go in and tell her it's time for night night. Otherwise it's okay if she plays quietly.

Could be a coincidence, I don't know, but she has started dropping her one nap.  She sleeps 12 hours overnight though...

Hope this rambling helped a little! 

[esthere]

We just moved H last Sat, here is our routine, it has not changed.
pjs-
brush teeth-
up to bed-
into bed -
stories-
then onto potty-
put night nappy on-
hugs kisses and music box.
Then I / dh stand outside he will only call once or twice the odd time, and then we just go in hug him and leave.
He slept well before this so did not know what to expect, so far so good. He has recently dropped his nap, so has 1 hours quite time, again he will lie in his bed and read. BTW I start this routine earlier now due to the dropping of  the nap, he gets v tired now in the evening.

[sandraorion]

Thanks for the repsonses. Keep them coming.

His nights are good now, but the naps are a nightmare. I think he is ready to drop it, but since I work I don't want him asleep too early at night, and the daycare wants him to sleep too. Maybe we'll just drop naps on the weekends. Is that too selfish? 

[Carter'sMama]

We started Carter with just naps in his big boy bed back in Oct (mainly because I couldn't bring myself to tinker with his fabulous night sleep).  He loved sleeping in the bed and at first took 3 hr naps.  Then he realized he could get out of the bed and he only slept 1.5hrs (still not bad!).  Just before Christmas we switched him to the bed for nights too and only for a week did we have him coming out of bed.  We shut his door at night so we would just hear his little footsteps running to the door and as soon as we opened the door he would run back to bed.  We were very consistent with putting him back in bed so it only took about a week.  Then he had a week of early wakings but I attriubute it to him waking up, seeing his toys and wanting to play rather than putting himself back to sleep.

As it stands now we put him to bed (after we read him stories in bed ... very uncomfortable considering he's in a little toddler bed!) and then leave, shut lights off and door.  We usually have to go in one more time but he's not out of bed, just calling for us.  I would say that he has more night wakings now but it is usually just to cover him up and he goes right back to sleep. 

I am very glad that we moved to the big boy bed.  We wanted to get him used to it before #2 comes in April.  I guess we didn't really "have" to as he never tried to climb out of his crib or anything.

I don't think you are being selfish at all!  I am dreading the day Carter stops napping! 

[Katet]

We did the transition with ds#2 (19mo) 1 week ago & apart from some early wakings & him out playing to start the day/after naps, it has all gone pretty well... on mornings like today when he was up at 5.30, I told him it was still night time & took him back & put him in the cot (still up) & he slept until 7am (late for him).
Anyway I wrote a diary that is a sticky.
I honestly didn't think it was anymore of a problem than with ds#1 who was 26mo & certainly we had less problems than a few people I know with older children... I actually think as they get older they are more determined & also less wanting to please Mummy & Daddy, so it becomes more of a power struggle

[evanskimberley]

We've reallynot had any problems at all and I would say that Holly's sleeep has been the best she's ever been since being in her bed!
We began by taking the bars off her cot bed, but this was only cos we hadn't got her toddle bed at the time. We had a few incidences of her falling out, but not many. When she went into her Toddler bed we had no problems at all, it has a slight side to it at the top to stop her rolling out.
She uses a big single duvet, much too big for the bed, but she loves it cos it doesn't roll off or get tangled up like her toddler duvet!
We've never had any problems with her getting out of bed, in fact you have to coax her out of it in the morning! When we've been away and used the ready bed she's got up out of it twice, but thats over about a year of using it regulary and normally at nap times.
She just calls out when she's ready to get up and I go into her.

We have bath and kisses, then DH reads her a story in bed, turn the lights out and thats it. I think it helped that we started using the ready bed so early that she didn't comprehend that she could get out of it, so got used to the fact very quickly that a bed is for sleeping in and once we've said goodnight then you stay there till morning.

With the next one I plan to do it even earlier (Holly went in her toddler bed at 2 yo + 3 months) cos I really think that helps.

Good luck!