Transitioning from cot to bed: the highs and the lows
Ah the moment every parent dreads! Your little one was once a cute little immobile newborn and now they’re a lively toddler busting out of their cot, climbing over the sides and causing chaos in their wake. It’s time to transition from cot to bed. There is no set time for this change to happen but typically its between 18 months to 3 years. It might be that your child has simply gotten too big for their cot and they’re able to scale the sides. Or it might be that you have a new arrival, and you need to free up the cot for them (in which case start the process about 6 weeks before they land!).
We did this with Eddie when he was 2 years and 5 months old. Paddy (his dad) was a reluctant player. He couldn’t face the upheaval, the sleepless nights, the chaos. I on the other hand just wanted to get it over and done with. The process was easy with our eldest Molly (although maybe my memory has dwindled with age) so I was confident Eddie would adjust in much the same way. And in many ways, he did! He loved his bigger bed, his duvet (which we introduced a few weeks before in his cot) and the freedom to get his own water bottle in the night. He didn’t fall out and going to bed was straightforward. The problem came however when it was lights out. We had already anticipated this side of his personality and installed a child gate across his door to stop nightly escapades, and this did the job, but it didn’t prevent him from taking all his books off the shelf, emptying his drawers and posting toys through the bars of the gate. He seemed happy enough, but he was clearly excited by this new found freedom. This went on for weeks. We tried to stop it with words, discipline, but he (as usual) ignored us. But slowly slowly the novelty wore off, and the books/toys stayed where they were. He likes to come to open his door, peer out and then close it again to go back to bed. He likes to pretend to need a wee in his potty numerous times before sleep. But mainly things have returned to normal.
Some kids will find it easier to adjust than others, but there are plenty of ways that you can ease them into the transition:
Talk to your little one about the transition a few weeks before it is going to happen so that they’re not blindsided, and they can build up some excitement!
Put the new bed in the same place as the cot and put familiar soft toys nearby. You could even use the old cot blanket as a comforter.
If your child is a little bit older you might like to let them help choose their bed or bedding.
There are lots of beds to choose from, your old cot may simply convert to a bed by removing one of the sides (ours did this), there are beds that are lower to the floor, or you could brave a standard single or double bed. Some toddler beds have guard rails, but if they don’t you can purchase these if you like or use a pool noodle along the open sides under the sheets to prevent roll outs. You could place some cushions on the floor in case! Move other furniture away from the bed to avoid injury if a fall occurs.
It’s really important to consider the safety of their bedroom now that they can get out of bed independently. There are lots of articles online to help with this and we recommend you refer to the Lullaby Trust Safer Sleeping for further guidance.
Give your child lots of reassurance and fill up their love tank before bed! This is a big deal, and they need you to be confident in your decision to make them feel secure. Kids take their cues from you so if you remain calm, they will likely be calm too.
Stick to your normal routine and use your normal settling techniques for wake ups.
We’d love to hear how well your child has transitioned from a cot to a bed. Leave in the comments below.
