Am i doing the wrong thing? - ie big bed

[PinkPalace]

DD is almost 18 months and has been sleeping in a portacot for the past 9 months.

We have the bigbed in her room for over 2 months now and we have trying to put her in there - she will read her night time book and have her milk but wont stay in there.

We even bought her a special Dora step to get up and down easier.

Today I took her portacot away and left the little mattress on the floor.

I put her in her big bed and she climbed out screaming and crying. So i put her back in and sat on the floor with my back to the bed and she climbed out again.
she put her pooh bear on the small mattress ont he floor and i said that is ok you can sleep there if you like and left and she is in a huge state of tears atm.

is she just not ready or will it be this way regardless of when you try big bed?

I dont want to put her portacot back up as i have down this b4 and i feel i am making it worse by confusing her (up down up down etc)...

am i going the wrong thing. SHould i leave her in the portacot?

[Trillian]

She's not even 18mths old so I would be inclined to leave her in the portacot for a while yet. It makes the transition a bit easier when they are older and better able to understand what's going on kwim? I put all of my older children into a bed at 2yo (no choice - needed the cot for the next baby) and that worked well for us as they were able to understand that this was their new bed etc. It's probably a security thing for her too - being in an open big bed probably makes her feel a little insecure and scared kwim?

[Janie]

I don't know hun. She's still pretty young. Is there a reason you don't want her in the cot? I'm sure she'll adjust, but it might be nicer for all in the meantime if you can let her sleep in the cot. Life's too short for sleep battles that you don't need to be having!

[PinkPalace]

one reason is she wont sleep at cc unless she is in a cot. and they dont have cots.
so i was getting a feral child home who wouldnt sleep all day! this is why i thought maybe see if she can sleep on the mattress ont he floor

And Dh and i want to start camping again and we cant have her in a portacot in the tent if that makes sense as well.

there is no reason why she cant stay in the portacot
damn i knew i was doing the wrong thing

[alioops]

Do you have one of those fold down rails for the big bed hun?

I can understand that you need the cot for DS, and Portacots are not recommended for long term use.

You are not doing the wrong thing by trying to ensure your DD can sleep at Daycare hun

I know if I was her having to climb up into her bed might scare her that she will fall out if she has no rail.

Good luck hun.

[PinkPalace]

we have the rail there.
DH has been moving her into the big bed at night after she has fallen asleep so she wakes up in it and climbs out int he morning happily.

She is asleep now on the portacot mattress on the floor - she took herself there.

Would it work if i slowly by slowly moved the mattress closer to her big bed and then put in on her big bed then take it away after a few weeks?

and should i keep the door shut? (she always had the door shut)

[alioops]

When we moved Sarah to a big bed we started with the matress on the floor and then after we moved we put her bed up and put the matress on there. She has been fine. We shut the door but now Sarah has learned how to open it and regularly comes out. We need to put a safety gate back over her doorway, so she can't leave her room without permission.

I think we started the move to a big bed sometime between 18 months and 2 years. We are going to start putting Em on a matress at around 18 months as we will need the cot not long after she turns 2 and I dont want her to associate the baby with stealing the cot.

[PinkPalace]

Thanks ALi for the support.
It is so hard when they are so upset if you are doing the right thing!

[visitor1]

Chelsea done the exact same thing when i tried taking her cot away at 18 months old.....so until the last few weeks when i thought bugger it and removed the cot...she is now in her bed and not a tear in sight since the move.

I put it down to her not being ready to go into a big bed. We always have the door shut as thats what she was used to

[alioops]

It is a big change for her, and Adults dont like big changes much either She will get used to it, and if you feel the need to comfort her, then do so.

She is re-learning how to fall asleep. Many kids do something with the side of the cot to settle themselves and when the cot is gone they dont have their old comforter with them. I have a video baby monitor I have watched both my girls play with the side of the cot. We introduced a blankie not long before moving Sarah and Em has had her blankie since birth.

[PinkPalace]

she has her pooh bear which she has had since birth with her.
i think i need a night light though

[Trillian]

Oh hun, you're not doing the wrong thing at all I'm sorry if you thought I meant that. You could have been having this issue if you waited till she was 2 or even 5 - some children just need a longer transition time than others.

[PinkPalace]

trillian - i didnt at all take your post that way.
i am more battling with my own emotions of doing the wrong thing.

*hugs*