From Cot to Big Bed

[jenjen25]

Hi,

We're going on holidays soon and I can't take the portacot with me, my Mum thinks my just turned 2 year old son would be fine on a mattress on the floor, but he's still in a cot. Should i just put the cot mattress on the floor and see how he goes?

We thought if it goes well we'd put him in a single bed, but he's still in a sleeping bag. Do i keep the sleeping bag on him or move him to a doona?

So many things to think about, he's not climbing or hating the cot so i'm a little reluctant to move him, but at the same time we can't take the portacot on holidays so i have to come up with an alternative. Also he's never slept with us in our bed, so i don't know if that would work either.

Thanks and much apprecaited.
Jen

[sloane]

i don't have any advice re-the transition because my DS has pretty much always either slept with one of us or on a mattress on the floor (until he went into a single bed at about 19 or 20 months). but he did always use a sleeping bag - both co-sleeping & on the mattress. he'd still be in one now but he decided all of a sudden that he didn't want to use it anymore & wanted a doona instead. maybe keeping the sleeping bag will ease the transition to a mattress/single bed?

maybe he could stay in his cot at home though - he might accept the change in a different environment better than he would at home?

[AliMoy]

Hi Jen... I think he would be fine. I would say keep him him the sleeping bag while away if the mattress is on the floor coz it'll be a familiar thing for him and hopefully help you/him to sleep easier but definitely take him out of the sleeping bag if he goes on a proper bed so he can be freer to get his barings. We took DS bed shopping and let him choose his quilt cover etc so he was a part of it all and, my word, he was excited (and still is!) about his bed and going to sleep in it! At two he will have enough spacial awareness to be safe ( I still padded the floor around it for the first few nights jic) and if he does fall 2yos are robust enough not to damage themselves- and will learn quickly lol. Hope that helps! Ali x