Moving Your Tot from Cot to Bed
Young children go through many milestones and as they grow up one of the biggest ones is recognising when they are ready to move from a cot to a bed. As a parent you will know when it’s time, but here’s our Parent Panel dad Ben Wakeling with his tips on making the transition as smooth and as stress free as possible.
There will inevitably come a point when your child will grow too big for his cot, and you have to make the transition to a bed. You’ll be able to tell when this is by simply observing your little one when he or she is in the cot. If he’s unable to stretch out, so big he fills the mattress and cannot move, or is telling you in a low voice that he’s 15 years old now and could really do with a bed, then it’s time to dismantle the cot and start the arduous trek around Ikea.
I’m kidding, obviously. But there are a few pointers to look out for to give you an idea as to whether or not it’s time to make the change. If your little one is able to climb the sides of the cot, or is bashing limbs whilst asleep and waking himself up, it’s time to move to a bed. There’s no set age by which your son or daughter must be in a bed – it’s different for everyone – so don’t worry if you haven’t made the switch whilst every other parent you know has.
Moving from a cot to a bed can be a big deal for the child involved, and so it is important that you time it right. Make sure you avoid making the switch when your child is unwell or going through a period of change, such as when a new brother or sister arrives on the scene. Instead, get them as heavily involved as possible: choosing bedsheets, for example, no matter how garish or cheesy they might be (although I draw the line at my sons picking out ‘My Little Pony’ duvet covers). It is also a good idea to position your child’s new bed in the same spot that his cot used to be, to make the transition all the more smooth.
A suggestion that takes a bit more time and organisation is to throw a ‘big kid’s bed’ party, where your son or daughter’s friends and family come over to get collectively excited about the new bed. What you’ll often find, though, is that your kid is so excited about having a new bed that everyone who enters your house will immediately be dragged upstairs to ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ over the new arrival, complete with Spiderman bedsheets – therefore, no need for all the hassle of a party!
Before you know it, your child will be feeling like a ‘big boy/girl’, and will love the feeling of maturity that having a bed brings. Plus, you get to look forward to being woken up in the middle of the night by the crumpling thud of a child falling out of bed.
As well as being a big deal for your child, the transition from a cot to a bed is a big deal for you, too. It’s a sure sign that your child is growing up fast, and a reminder that you should treasure every moment, especially considering the grumpy acne-ridden teenage years will soon be upon you.
Has your tot just moved to a big new bed? Tell us about your experience and we’ll send a Twist N’Pop straw cup to one person who leaves a comment.
We found that baby slept better in bed after she had picked out her new duvet and pillow. And also much more comfortable for dad when he gets kicked out of bed!
my middle son is 2 in june and hes still in a cot as im terrified he’ll hurt himself . my oldest who is now 4 had a nasty fall out of his bed when he was 2 its made me a little over protective of middle one x
i made a massive mistake with first one and let him sleep in bed with us , it was a nightmare and wouldnt go into his own bed, 2nd one had no choice lol she is currently in a cot but is almost ready to move to a bed hoping she takes to it easy
No problems putting my 2.5yr old (now 3.75yrs) daughter into a bed. She came with us and helped choose the bed and new bedding, so couldn’t wait to use her big girl’s bed. As we have restricted space it’s not quite a full size single (16…5x70cm) with a moveable guard rail and also not very high off the ground. She’s very good and doesn’t get out of bed once in although we are trying to enourage her to get up if she needs the loo (the ensuite is in her room). To be honest lengthwise there probably isn’t any more room than the cot gave her due to the number of stuffed animals that also occupy the bed
Lol Sara! It definitely helps to get them involved, I did the same with my son and it worked a treat x
Hi Babycrazzee, that’s understandable. Have you thought about getting a low bed and using a safety rail? I just used a travel one for a while with all my kids until I was sure they wouldn’t fall out x
Good luck Twinklenicci, sounds like you’re on the right track x
Kirsty, my eldest and youngest are like that with their toys, they make sure the toys are all comfy and tucked up everynight and only leave a little gap at the edge of the bed for themselves! lol x
i found no difficulty with my kids, , if anything i was scared of the falling out of bed so i placed a mattress or duvet on the floor incase but never needed too as they slept peacefully agfter a warm bath sum supper and a bedtime story x
my little one is 16 months old and still in his cot, i dont think hes ready for a bed yet
We are going to start transitioning our son into a toddler bed and I was just trying to find tips and tricks to help him get used to the new changes….I am excited to find this article!!
I put my daughter into a larger than normal sized single bed (wooden winnie the pooh bed)when she was 14 months as she HATED her cot. would never settle and would end up in a state with both her knees trapped beteen the bars. so we just put the bed against the wall and used a bed guard. Also to help her get in and out we put a step thats ment to be used to get up to the toilet or sink at the end. From day one she has never fallen out and from the 1st night we put her in it she slept all night long which she had never done before! I think she just enjoyed the space to spread out, Our son is almost 13 months and quite tall so we are thinking about doing the same with him
x
[...] Sara wins a Twist N’Pop cup for commenting on Ben’s Moving Your Tot from Cot to Bed [...]
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