Posted by
Wheelymate
18 yrs ago
ok, so mine is only 7 months old.
we have a cot from mothercare that has done a pretty good job. but it's got only 2 adjustable heights and we are already at the lowest. he can't pull himself up using the cot bars yet but it's only a matter of time.
the cot says it can be used until baby is approx 2 years but looking at how mobile he is now, i really doubt it....i would say we'll probably need to change at about 18 months.
so when do you know when baby is ready for a toddler bed? my friend says as long as when standing his armpits and not higher than the top of the cot bar it's still ok. i want to prepare for that before any accidents happen!
Please support our advertisers:
some kids don't learn how to climb out and so they stay in the cots for longer. My little circus acrobat mastered the leg over, flip, and fall on your back maneuver at 19.5 months. VERY surprising. One day she was just there and the next day she wanted out, and made it out. This is one of the reason Gina Ford recommends the sleep sacks as with a sleep sack you can as easily manage to hoist a leg over to leverage yourself out.
Mine went to a mattress on the floor afterwards. It's not easy reasoning with a toddler about the new sleeping arrangements - no bars generally means that they are free to roam and so that can be stressful. (I have an older post on this - i'll send you the link.) From my experience it's easier on the mom if you can keep them in cots longer as they will reach the reasoning period and THEN you can move them to the toddler bed. I slept on the floor outside my daughters room for about a week to teach her how to stay in her bed - not that fun as I was 8 months pregant. But she did it, and in about two weeks was good to go. So if you can, get sleep sacks for your child to stay in as long as possible and Penelope Leech says don't every give a child a reason to come out to find you - in other words, meet their needs in the cot before they decide they need to hop out.
Please support our advertisers:
hkcc, thanks for the advice. 19.5 months so i guess we still have some time more to go!
we use a grobag so hopefully that'll keep him from doing any dangerous acrobatic acts for some time...
Please support our advertisers:
My boy climbed out at about 18 months despite grow bags. Like you, my cot only had two heights, but there was still plenty off room at the bottom before the bars stopped so I got a handy man round and he drilled some new holes about another 2 inches down. It kept him in for another 5 months or so (either the two inches made a difference or the falling out was such a shock he didn't want to try it again - not sure which - I did put pillows under his cot for a few days in case).
So I moved him into a bed just before his second birthday. When I did I was still worried about him rolling out so got a really good wodden set of bars from IKEA. A piece slips under the mattress and then bars about a foot high run along about 3/4 of the bed. If he wants out he knows he can just go down to the end of the bed and climb out, but it stops him accidently rolling out in the middle of the night.
Please support our advertisers:
Every child is different....mine is nearly 3 1/2 and still happily in her cot. I ask her if she'd like a big bed like xxxxx (nearly anybody) and she says no, she likes her bed. Her best friend is also still in his cot, with a chair next to it and he climbs very capably into bed in the evening and back out again in the morning.
I think it's mostly a matter of safety. If they're being dangerous about climbing out, and won't mind when you say "no" to that, then you have no choice. I'd make sure his room is completely toddler proof and put a safety gate on his door straight away though, the thought of most toddlers wandering unsupervised at night is a bit scary....
Please support our advertisers:
I moved my first kid at 2 years old, since the the second was coming, she never climb out of her cot. She sleeps in the same room as the helper now
But our second kid started to climb out of his cot at about 16 months, at first he was a bit clumsy, but now at 18 months he mastered the art already. When he wakeup in the morning he will retrieve my glasses and hand it to me, so I need to get up too ha ha.
Please support our advertisers:
woody,
sounds like you've got a little gymnast at home!
tigger 64,
the thought of drilling more holes has crossed my mind. but my hubby sees himself as the family handyman but i have my doubts...i fear we might wind up buying a new cot if he decides to drill the holes himself! LOL
my thoughts,
yes, i agree with you about safety gate...we're definitely getting one!!
Please support our advertisers:
Totty
18 yrs ago
Move them whenever they're ready. My first moved to a cost at 18 months (in prep for the new arrival) and that new arrival wanted to go in a bed (like her big sister) at 13 months, so just go with flow.
The only other thing i would say is if there is resitance make them part of the whole bed choosing process, making the bed, etc.....it makes them feel very special. Oh and good luck!
Please support our advertisers:
My first moved at 20 months.......actually it helped that we had a new baby and could tell him that the cot was for the baby and big boys slept in beds. What I did that absolutely worked was put the cot right next to the bed, so it was like a gate, and if he got out of bed by crawling to the end more than once or twice I told him firmly that he would have to sleep in the cot again because he couldn't stay in bed like a big boy. After two nights in the cot he didn't get out again.
I kept the cot there for a few weeks and eventually moved it to put baby in it.
Worked like a charm and he never fell out of bed or anything after that.
Please support our advertisers:
You must be logged in to be able to reply.
Login now
Copy Link
Facebook
Gmail
Mail