The bassinet, the cot and now a bed. How quickly the seasons change. Moving your child from a cot to a big kids' bed can feel daunting. As parents, we get a sense of emotional comfort from those security bars so if you're feeling overwhelmed by more change, you're not alone.
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From my own experience, the transition from “baby jail” (as my husband calls it) to bed happened shortly after my daughter turned 2. I knew she was ready. She could ninja herself out of her cot, wanted to sleep in my bed and refused to get in her sleeping bag. Three obvious signals that it was time. The whole transition happened incidentally when we visited her grandparents in NSW over the Christmas break. Without a travel cot, we popped her on a mattress on the floor. This is how she takes her naps alongside other kids at Daycare so why should it be any different? As suspected, it wasn't. Kids are so much more adaptable than we give them credit for and after 8 nights of surprisingly consistent sleep, we returned home to Melbourne, ripped off the bandaid, and popped her on a king single mattress on the floor. Five months later we got her a bed base and she is now sleeping (most nights) like a little angel.
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If you’re nearing this stage, or this scenario seems familiar, here are some tips to see you through.
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Take your time
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The first sign for many parents is the climbing out of the cot. Toddlers are surprisingly agile, flexible and strong, and will eventually Mission Impossible themselves out. That’s a pretty big sign to transition for safety reasons. Steph Gouin, a qualified Child Sleep Consultant and Midwife says “no time before 18 months but any time after”. Generally speaking, this happens from 2-3years old. When you bring a second child into your family, this might feel like a natural progression once your new baby has moved out of their bassinet, so you won’t have to buy a second cot, which is much more cost-effective.
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Make it a big deal
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All toddlers love to be seen as big kids, so getting a big kid's bed means they have big kid status. So, make a big deal about it. Kids learn through repetition. Talk about it daily. Make it exciting. Tell your educators at Daycare, so it is normalised in all scenarios.
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Change up the space
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We brought our daughter new fruit salad bedsheets. She loved sleeping in her “pear bed,” so if there is a colour, animals, or print that your child is particularly drawn to, this is a great way to make it seem more inviting. Add depth to the space by inviting new and engaging things. A chair in the corner to read books, a splash of colour on the walls or even a reshuffle of the room's perspective. You can never have enough “new” for growing and curious minds.
