Will it work or make it worse?

We are moving house on the weekend, and will be setting up a big girl bed in DD's room (DD is 17 months old). We'll set the cot up too for just in case, but I plan to put DD to bed in the big bed and only move her into the cot if she's really not liking the bed.

She's been a bit unsettled in the cot for the past week, usually hits her head on the bars and when she sleeps with the top of her head right at the top of the cot there is less than 30cm between where she ends and where the cot ends - she's tall for her age.

I'm worried that moving her into a big bed wont help her be more settled, I'm worried that things will get worse? Is it likely to get worse before it gets better?
What's a usual transitional period before kids get used to a big bed?

Set the bed up as soon as you can on the day, place some toys on it and let her play on the bed. This will also help her get used to getting up and down from the bed. Get her to help make up the bed.
I wouldn't bother putting up the cot again she may be unsettled for a night but that might be because of the move.
Start selling the idea of her going into a big bed. If you are concerned about her falling out just put the mattress on the floor the progress to the rest of the bed when you feel the time is right.
All the best for tomorrow. :)

All kids are different, but if it were my DS there is no way I would be able to move house and put him straight into a bed for the first time. He would definitely need a slower transition.

Setting both up is a good idea, and you can gauge how you think she's coping. But if she's not keen on the idea of the bed, I wouldn't push it just now, let her have a little more time to adjust :)

DD1 'helped' Dad assemble the new bed and was sooo excited by the pretty doona and sheet set that it was honestly the first night she slept through in 18months! We had a few special butterfly pillows etc and made a really big fuss. She was so excited and happy she also refused to get up in the morning....unheard of! For a while she also thought she had to be lifted in and out like the cot which was VERY handy.
Happy moving!

i think Mak ahs put it well. If you make a big deal out of it and let her get really involved she will think it is a present and be more intent on sleeping in it. I wouldn't set up the cot if it was me. I would see how she goes for a couple of nights in the big bed and then if you're having no sucess set the cot up.

i think it would be to big a change all in one go..
moving house is HUGE in little ones...

we had no probs with DS going into the bed at night, now 4months on he still hasn't come out once...just luck I guess. But your DD is much younger & may not understand aswell so I would put the cot up also. I found my DS was not really worried about moving at all, a new adventure really so I would give the bed a go....something new to explore. But I would also put the cot up, if you are met with a battle you don't want to be wishing you had done it mid way through the night. Also I wasn't ready to give up arvo naps...so we left the cot up & he had them in there for a few weeks til he adjusted to it.
Also if you set the cot up too it will make things seem familiar & give her a choice. If the bed stresses her out you wont make it worse by not having something else to offer IYKWIM.