Into the 'Big Bed'!

Hi, We're preparing Kai for the move into his 'Big Bed'. What I'm wondering is . . . any tips for getting him to stay in bed and not come wandering out all the time? Thanks!

Jaapie, I might need the same question answered soon. With DS1 it was amazingly easy. I was expecting that to be a problem and it wasn't. After a week he worked out he could get out of bed and come and see us, but after we put him back 3 times he decided it wasn't fun anymore and stopped.

Unfortunately I am pretty sure it won't be so easy with DS2. He won't even sit still anywhere, let alone lie down. So I don't think the transition will go so well. One thing I am considering is a child gate for his door. We have one one DS1's door atm but he can open it, so we will probably move it when we convert the cot to a bed pretty soon.

We sit at the end of the bed while they fall asleep. Or on a chair next to it. If they sit up we say gently "head on pillow" Matilda would be totally excited about us even speaking so we tried not too and to face the other way. Jovie will lay there & smile at you for hours, but if you look away or close your eyes its only minutes for her to fall asleep. She went into the big bed heaps easier than Matilda did. Matilda used to take 45 minutes, the first 20 of repeatedly putting her back into bed & saying "Stay there" and she would make it into a game. If she sits up now, the rule is we leave for 2 minutes and then come back. But she is 4. Jovie is 19 months, but doesn't fight it as much. She loves having us sit near her while she goes to sleep. Its getting less and less everynight. ATM it takes us 15 minutes with Jovie, and 20 with Matilda :rolleyes:. Jovie co-slept until she was 6 months and then she would start in her cot & come in when she woke up, at 10 months she started sleeping through and would stay in her cot all night. When Jovie hit 18 months, Matilda got a new bed so it was time to get rid of the cot & move Jovie into it. She's slept better.

Stair gate for us here too.......for Olivia. We had one for about 6 months with her, to cure her of the night wanderings.......which didn't actually cure her, but at least we felt safe knowing she couldn't wander!

As soon as she was night toilet trained we had to take the gate away and we had an interesting few months of her night wanderings. But now she has dropped day sleeps she sleeps better at night and they have stopped again........

As yet we have never needed one for Charlie........he loves his bed and never gets out.