Ideas from the creative minds please

[Matryoshka]

I am making a story book for DS which i plan to read to him before the upcoming transition to a single bed (has been co-sleeping with us from birth). I plan to make it very simple, basically it will involve himself and his special side kick "Rabby" (his comfort rabbit) and i will illustrate it showing him going from sleeping with us in to his own bed. However I'm after some ideas about how to word the text for the pages showing him sleeping with us and then on his own. I want to avoid using the phrase "big boy bed" but not sure how else i can convey the transition in a positive light... i was thinking perhaps something like: "No DS & Rabby start their big adventure in their own bed" or something?? Not sure! Any ideas appreciated thank you!

[cruemum]

maybe you could try, "DS and Rabby are making a new friend, called comfy the bed. They all had a night to get to know each other before starting their journey of friendship together'
Or something like that!
Good Luck!

[Matryoshka]

Thank you girls, those are great suggestions!! I was also thinking of perhaps going off on the tangent of the "magic" bed which entails him going to sleep and having funny dreams...

We do find that story telling works really well in explaining things to DS, he seems to be very visual (like myself) so going with an approach like this we figure will be better for him than simply telling him about the new bed.

[*Efjay*]

Wow, almost time for a new bed already. Lux is getting so big, I can't believe how fast it has gone.

We have a story that DH tells the boys every night after they have their book. So its a book then lights out & then DH tells them another story while they go to sleep.
Its all about "Evan the Robot" Every story starts the same but the adventure they go on is something different each night, usually something Evan has suggested.
So it goes like this

Once upon a time there was a Robot named Evan. Every morning when Evan the Robot got up he would have his breakfast. He had Yummy Nuts & bolts for cereal and motor oil for milk. Then he would have a nice tall glass of grease instead of orange juice.
Once he was finished with breakfast he would brush his big robot teeth. He had a special wire brush & polish for his big metal teeth. Evan the robot was now ready to start his day.
Then it will go on to anything from Evan the robot having to fix something thats broken to building a new house to live in. Evan the robot has his friends too, we have Glenn the robot, Isla the robot, Mummy Robot, Zoe the robot dog & Honey the robot cat. AND (lol) Daddy the elevator (??). Evan created the story & we have just let it evolve from there. Now that glenn is able to understand & talk better he also makes suggestions on what Evan & Glenn the robot will get up too. Its very cute & something I plan on turning into books for them one day.

I think its a fantastic idea you have to help Lux move to his own bed. Maybe something you could add to the story is that DS & Rabby are always welcome to come & visit mummy & daddy in the big bed for cuddles. I think having something like that will help Lux understand that he isn't being kicked out of his bed with you. I think its important for kids to make the move when they are ready so hopefully Lux will cope with the move well. Evan & Glenn didn't really move out of our bed until we got the bunk beds for them last year & now they sleep together on the bottom (its a double). We had tried to move Evan, he even had a super car bed but he wasn't ready, he always ended up back in our bed.

I had a client at work tell me about her 4 kids & that the youngest was the only one that co-slept & did so till she was 4 when she moved to her own bed on her own accord. Apprently out of all 4 of the kids she is the most well adjusted adult of them all & the mother believes it to be because she was allowed to move on when she was ready.
This has stuck with me & I have made the choice to do the same for my kids. they can move out to their beds when they are ready & comfortable that we are still here for them when ever they need us & that out bed is always open for them to come back & snuggle if they need too.

Anyway I am rambling on now LOL.

[Jac]

Hello,
I would keep the wording very simplistic and true to life as children his age won't fully understand long sentences/complex ideas such as "adventure" ect. I would also word it in the first person, so from his perspective with sentences such as;

- I sleep in bed with mummy, daddy and Rabby (picture)
- Rabby and I are going to sleep in a new bed (picture)
- Mummy and daddy will still be close by (picture)
- I am excited about my new bed (maybe have a special new blanket for it or something with that 'wow' factor so he thinks it's great) (picture)
-I will have a story before bed (or whatever current routine is) (picture)
- I will cuddle my Rabby as I sleep (picture)
- I will stay in my bed all night (picture)
- I will give mummy/daddy big cuddles in the morning (picture)

Of course, this is just a suggestion. I would also use photos to demonstrate the story with you and your son in them as this would be fun for him and make the story easier to understand.

Good luck!!