Co-sleeping to own bed - our journey

Hi guys just wanted to share our co-sleeping journey (especially new parents to co-sleeping that feel that their child may never sleep on their own). we have co-slept with all three boys. Josh moved to his own bed when he was about 2 1/2, Zak was about 3 and oscar has recently decided at 2 & 1/2. when our boys each turned 2 we but up a bed in a room opposite ours. we talk about the bed discussing with the 2 year old that they will be their bed when they are ready for it. as the months progress we go and choose a doona cover that they love and put it on the bed making it ready for them when they are ready. We then play games during the day putting babies to sleep in the bed or oscar putting me or daddy or one of his brothers to bed. we play pretend games that oscar is going to sleep in it and we read stories and then he goes to pretend sleep and gets up and we play all over again. we talk about the bed every day in light positive tones and always reassure that it is only for when he is ready. around christmas time oscar decided he would like to try his new bed, went down and we all clapped as he hopped up happily, read his stories and stayed with him until he went to sleep and he has been in his own bed ever since. he obviously was ready and we had gently introduced the idea for about 6 months. oscar comes in for a breastfeed at about 5am and snuggles with me until it's getting up time but he generally goes to bed around 7pm and stays there all night.
So we have successfully and gently transitioned all 3 of our kids to their own beds, we are so happy we could do this for them all.
AND what was that i was told about that rod for my own back! No sleeping problems here!!! lol.
thanks for reading
love beckles

thanks beckles! lovely to hear. ds is co-sleeping with us and we love it. there are a lot of knockers but we've learned just not to tell anyone. great to hear how you have achieved the move, atm it suits us fine but obviously it's not forever.

Thanks for sharing beckles.
I always love to read your perspectives on parenting.
I was just think a day or so ago that I haven't seen much of you lately so it was great to see you had started a thread.

Thanks for that Beckles - We've just bought a bed for DS and I think your template for moving to his own bed will be very useful!

Was wondering if anyone had some advice about co-sleeping with 3 children?

We have a 4yr old, a 2yr old and #3 due end of April. At the moment all four of us only just fit in our bed, with the usual bed hopping occuring through the night. The girls usually get more sleep than us but we haven't been successfull in weaning ourselves off co-sleeping. I am worried about sleeping the baby in with the older girls but DH doesn't want to be in separate beds. I have set up another bed in nursery for bub and me but feel awful that this would exclude him and the girls.

Help! Would really appreciate some advice from anyone else who has similar experience.
Thanks x

No rod here either! :)

DS got his own bed when he was 13 months (when he could safely climb off) but then we headed into winter and he was cosier in our bed.. and of course I was pg so too lazy to help him stay in his own bed. DS has always been easy going and flexible, so sometimes he was put to bed in his own bed, other times in ours. We didn't do any transitional stuff like playing on the bed or making a big deal of it.. I just put him there one night LOL. Now he gets put to bed in his own bed every night and if he wakes, he comes in to us, so is still welcome in our bed :)

Fairy Princess - Have you seen the Arms Reach Co Sleeper Bassinet? It attaches to the side of your bed, so it's like an extension of the bed.. that could make room for your new bub. Don't know if that's co-sleeping enough for you tho.. it suits me, coz I'm too nervous to have a newborn in with me, so this is perfect having her right next to me, yet separate, if that makes sense. Check it out, it's on the Mother's Direct site.

Thanks Liz, I will check it out. I was ok having a newborn inbetween DH and I for first. Then when second came along we just made sure toddler was on other side of one of us so newborn was still safe inbetween DH and I, but when there is three we just won't have room!

We have even looked at getting a bigger bed but it just wasn't practical x

chloe thanks for missing me :), i don't go on the internet much when the boys are on school holidays, too much to see and do! now that they are settled again i have oscar's nap time to play again!
beckles