We bought a mattress to convert my 2 1/2 year old's crib to a "big boy bed" this weekend. I'm nervous how he will do. He is potty trained and wakes us every morning with "MOOOOOOMMMMYYYYYY, I have to go potty!!!!" so we think it's time we converted his crib. Any tips to keep him in there and how to get him to fall asleep in there? Right now, he falls asleep in the living room every night and we transfer him to his crib. (Unfortunately I didn’t get the memo about putting them to bed BEFORE they go to sleep when they are babies, so he never has done that) Any advice on how to make Saturday night go smoothly would be great! :)
Thanks for all the great advice. Unfortunately when Braden came home from his grandmothers house, he was sick. He has an awful cold and an ear infection. So needless to say he hasn't been doing much sleeping at all! He does love his new bed, he thinks it's cool that he's a big boy now. I think once we get over this nasty cold, he'll do fine. He slept from Midnight to 6am last night...so that's major progress! :)
My little girl just switched to a big girl bed (from a play pen) and we talked the first night on how she needs to stay in her bed and she stays. Haven't had any issues (besides kicking the wall or getting up to play in the middle of the night).
What we did with our girls is had them in the room when daddy was converting the bed, so they knew it was still "their bed" it would just look at little different. Keep the same bedding as much as possible so it still feels like his bed and be excited about it, let him call grandma or someone to tell her that he has a big boy bed! As for sleeping there...I dim the lights, read a story and sing (sometimes endlessly) to my 2 year old, give her a kiss and say goodnight-recently she's gotten up after being tucked in, I just put her back in bed and tell her its time to rest-sometimes I have to do that 2 or 3 times before she's asleep. For awhle you may need to sit by his bed until he falls asleep and gradually move closer to the door each night. I love my girls coming to our bedroom in the morning and saying, I had a good nap! Enjoy it! God bless.
Does he take naps? Nap time is a great way to introduce sleeping in his big boy bed. Also, try reading a book to him while he lays in his bed.
If he's asleep when he gets put to bed how will he know? LOL.... anyway, we didn't make a big deal out of it. Is it just a toddler bed? (Same sheets, blankets, place in room, etc...) Or does it convert to a twin? (Let him pick a set, just wash them first, new sheets have sizing in them, they can be scratchy and may not feel good).
J just went to sleep in my lap like regular and we put him in the toddler bed and he hasn't ever made a fuss. He's pretty amiable so it was no big deal.
I think you should institue a bedtime routine now. He's not too old to learn, and why would you want to miss out on this great time of reading, singing, talking to your kid, not to mention cuddling and making sure his teeth got brushed.
now, we moved ours into twin beds at about one year old, so our situation was kind of different, but we just explained to them during the day that they needed to stay in their beds, and for the most part they do. i never put mine down awake alone either, and we started out by laying down with them til they went to sleep, then transitioned into sitting in their rocking chair while they fell asleep in their beds. now we are in the process of "i'll be right back, and going in and out while they fall asleep, so that we arent' with them constatnly, but they are not alone. the no cry sleep solution for toddlers by elizabeth pantley has some great ideas for this time of transition too.
Our little boy was 2 when we switched him and it was hard even though he has always fell asleep and stayed asleep in his own bed. I got up a bunch the first few nights but we kept putting him right back in there. it takes you sticking to it and not giving up. now at 3.5 he is in a full size bed. The change over from the toddler bed to full size when much better and he LOVES his BIG bed.
you may not get much sleep the frist week or so but he will get it. Don't give up. If he gets up put him right back in bed.
Maybe you can make it a Saturday night slumber party. Play a game, read a book, or whatever in his room right before bedtime and maybe work in that the next night he will get to have his very own sleepover with one of his favorite stuffed animals (or whatever he sleeps with, if anything) in his brand new bed. Anything that would seem huge and make his big boy bed a big deal for him. I really never had to deal wtih this because my first child LOVED bedtime and would voluntarily take naps. And after that, there was always a child to share a room with until they got used to going to bed in their new bed.
Lots of luck and hope you find something special and fun to do.
R.
