FROM COT TO BED

Tips to ease the transition

If your little one has spent his life in a cot or even your bed, the adjustment to sleeping in his own bed can throw him quite a curve ball. However, it is one of many changes in your child’s little life. Some children adjust well to sleeping in a bed, while others struggle with the change. For example, your firstborn is more likely to resist the transition, whereas younger siblings often have an easier time as they want to be just like their big brother/sister.

IS IT TIME?

There is no set age to move a child from their cot to a bed, but it usually happens between 18 months and three-and-a-half years. If you’re thinking it’s time to make the move, be sure to look out for signs that your tot can handle it:

1 2to do is climb out – and stay out – –o of bed, he’s probably not ready. You’reYo likely to disrupt everyone’s sleep if you put your child into a bed before he can understand that the confines of the bed offer an unseen boundary that he has to stay within for the night.

3

also delay the switch until the new baby is three or four months old: the newborn can spend the initial months in a bassinet or Moses basket and it will give your older child time to adjust, making the transition that bit easier.

Lastly, if you’re potty training your child, consider getting him to sleep in a bed so that it’s easier to get to the toilet when nature calls.

MAKING THE MOVE

For some children – especially a toddler who is feeling anxious about leaving his cot for a real bed – you will need to make a special effort to hype up the move from cot to bed so that the process runs along smoother. For example, throw a big bed party. Ask your child to help pick out his new bed and bedding, and create excitement around the event in the week running up to the purchase. On the day of the big move, have a little party and invite your child’s grandparents over – the excitement will probably overshadow the negative feelings and help him feel more settled.

If your child doesn’t seem to be too worried about moving to a bed, a big fuss is not really necessary. Those who are ready for a bed will relish the change in status. Either way, be sure to place the bed in the same position as the cot was in the room, and use your child’s old cot blanket to provide a sense of continuity. As with everything, safety is paramount so no matter how prepared your child is, always use a guardrail to help prevent any falls.

STAYING PUT

If you move your toddler to a bed when he’s not ready, things won’t go well. If your child doesn’t take to the bed don’t be afraid to bring the cot back. Just be sure to present it as another exciting change, and not as a punishment or as a step back.

All children eventually sleep alone, but when you begin the process of him sleeping in his own big bed, it might be because you feel bed sharing needs to come to an end. If your child comes to your room at night, you can walk him back to his room, give a kiss and leave the room. No snuggles or post-bedtime drinks – take him back to his bed as many times as it takes for him to stay there. When your toddler cries, shouts and resists, carry him to their bed and when he gets out, do the same again – you won’t sleep, but the message will eventually sink in.

In the morning, if your child didn’t sleep through in his own bed, keep encouraging and reminding him of the rule with a big bed. If your child made it through the night or made improvements, praise him. Toddlers and preschoolers thrive on pleasing you.

Lastly, remember that this is a milestone in your life too. It’s another sign that your baby is growing up. Reflect on when you first set the cot up for your little one and how far you have all come since then, and have a private celebration of your own. YB