How
to transition a Toddler from the cot to a bed
Sooner or later, you are going to need to
take your child out of their cot and you are going to need to begin the
transition process to a bed.
How you do this will be completely up to you. However, we figured we would put
together a guide which would give you a few hints and tips on ensuring that the
process is as smooth as possible.
When
is your child ready to upgrade from their cot to a bed?
You will know that your child is ready to
upgrade when the following happens:
-
They have started to climb out of their cot, or it looks like they will be able to do
so soon.
-
They are toilet training.
Tips
on ensuring that the transition is safe:
-
It is important that you keep
the bed away from walls. This helps to reduce suffocation risk. Granted, it is
a small risk, but do you really want to take any chances?
-
If you can, opt for a bed with
bed rails. It will keep your child falling out of the bed. It is important that
you select a bed which has closed bed rails.
-
Ensure that the areas around
the bed are clean. This will ensure that there is no tripping hazard in place
when your child climbs out of their bed.
Making
the Move
Your child is probably going to be a bit
reluctant to make the move to a new bed at the start. This is fine. Perhaps the
best thing that you can do is offer them tons of praise. Let them know that
moving into a big bed is part of growing up, and that now they are an old
person!
In addition to this, you may want to ask
your child whether they can help you set up the bed. In fact, you may want to
ask them to help you choose the bed. Again, this is going to be incredibly
important. You want them to get as excited as possible about moving into their
new bed!
Just before your child goes to bed, you may
want to have a bit of quiet time. One of the main purposes of this quiet time
is to help clear toys away from the floor. It will also start to tire your
child out. When your child is tired, they are less likely to ‘escape’ from the
bed. They will too tired to care that you have moved them into a new place.
You may also want to start to introduce
your child to a new bedtime routine. You want them to be as independent as
possible when it comes to climbing into bed. Let them do it themselves, and let
them use their own bedcovers and the like. It will help them feel more
comfortable. Plus, they are going to need to do this sooner or later anyway, so
you may as well teach them now!
