Tips on moving from cot to bed?

Hey all!

I'm wanting to move DD into a bed before bub arrives - she is 19mths old. Has anyone got some tips for me? Is it better to have a night light or not?

Anything will be helpful :) TIA!

Oh I'm getting on this train!!! I was wondering if I would be able to get my dd (also 19 months) out of her cot. So yes, bring on the tips .... PLEASE!!

Firstly ... how do you get them to STAY in bed??? I know my dd will be up and out and in the TV-room before I can even blink my eyes and how do you keep them from FALLING out?? And what if they get up and go mess around in the house at night?? Being paranoid you ask ... YEAH!!

We did this WITHOUT any lounge visits or falls.

1. make sure she cant open her bedroom door. If she can put a safety gate in front of it so she can open the door but not get out without you letting her out.

2. start off with the mattress on the floor. you can even set up a video camera in the room to watch what they get up to and see if they roll out of bed during the night.

Once you know they are staying on the mattress all night you can set the bed up. when she no longer wakes or fights going to sleep, or knows how to open the safety gate, remove it.

My SIL took her DS shopping to pick out a new bed. She thought that helped him make the transition as she was able to get him excited about. I know she had a small issue with him rolling out of bed but ended up buying a safety rail for one side and pushing the bed up against a wall.

Good luck with it and keep us informed as to how it all works out.

we're starting to think about this now too - i know ds is a little young (14mths) but we're thinking of number 2 and would like to have him in a bed before #2 arrives (so probably around feb/mar - 19/20mths) so i too will be watching this thread closely

Thanks for the tips allioops ...

Is 19 months to early??

I dont think 19 months is too early. some kids never go in a cot. As long as they are safe (having the mattress on the floor is very safe, they can fall far enough to hurt themselves) then they can sleep anywhere.

Oh my, I feel bloody bad .. Sneaky ... I totally went and hi-jacked your thread :redface: So sorry hun, have some cake ... *hands sneaky some moist freshly home-baked chocolate cake* :angelic:

I think they have moved her to a mattress at day-care. I might benifit from talking to them and hearing just how they get her to lay still on her own mattress with all the other kids in the same room ... :think:

I really liked the idea of having a safety gate at the door for her ... and about the fighting to go to sleep .. oh boy :wall: Would it be really, really idiotic to lay down on the mattress with her??? My head says yes, my motherly hearts say .. nah, cuddles-cuddles-cuddles :lol: See we are going through what I am diagnosing as teething (????) and she is really having a tuff time going down .. even when I strech her to past her bedtime. Maybe not the right time to start her getting out the cot ... ??

Hey Nadine - thats ok, loving that chocolate cake! ;)
Here's my update:

Well we have had 3 nights in the new room, in the new bed. So far - not too bad...

We had taken her shopping for her "big girl bed" and doona etc, and we set up the room a week or so ago. She would walk past and get excited saying "bed!" when she saw it. We have a low bed pushed up against the wall, and have a safety rail.

The first night I put her cot in the room and was all prepared to let her sleep in there for a few nights but she asked to go into her bed! I lay down next to her till she was pretty well asleep. She only woke a few times in the night - never upset, and never tried to get out.

The next night she woke at about 3 and couldn't get back to sleep - we have a night light in there (just a little round one you plug into the wall) and I think it was keeping her awake so I turned it off.

Last night wasn't so good, she woke at 1 screaming and it took me ages to settle her... I have no idea what was wrong - I ended up putting the night light on again and that seemed to help.

So... I don't know, any extra advice anyone has would be welcome :)