Making the move from a cot to a bed

Transitioning from the cot to a "big kid" bed is a rite of access for toddlers and their parents.

It aswell can become a battleground.

Switching beds can be demanding not alone for a child, but for his parents. To accumulate nights from getting hawkeye for everyone, there are some simple accomplish to yield to accomplish the change a seamless one, says Dr Cynthia Brownfield of Heartland Pediatric and Adult Care.

Child address is the aboriginal assurance that it's time to yield down the cot, Dr Brownfield says.

"When they ascend out of the cot or they are allurement for a bigger bed, that's if they're ready," she says. "It's not so abundant an age. If you accept a agreeable two-year-old in a cot, there's no acumen to rush."

If there's a new affinity on the way and the cot is bare for that child, that's aswell a acceptable point to move the earlier kid into a bigger bed, she says. But while it may assume to be a analytic time to accomplish the transition, Dr Brownfield says not to yield abroad the cot just weeks afore the new affinity arrives, because such changes can accompany on all-overs in a baby child. Try accomplishing it months in advance, so they will not necessarily feel they've been befuddled out of their bed to accomplish way for their new brother or sister.

As you adapt to accomplish the switch, Dr Brownfield recommends talking about the new bed. There are several books about affective to a big kid bed, and she suggests account one for several nights afore authoritative the change. You can aswell yield your adolescent arcade to accept new bedding or a absolute or batt they'll adulation application as a 'big kid'.

Keeping a agnate bedtime accepted aswell is important, she says. Accepting something accustomed brings kids comfort.

Putting the new bed in the aforementioned atom in the allowance area the cot stood aswell helps, Dr Brownfield says. But don't yield the cot afar yet - it's accept to acknowledgment the adolescent to his above bed if he just isn't accessible yet.

Convertible cots, which accept disposable abandon to alteration from a added amid structure, are addition acceptable way to go, Dr Brownfield says.

Once you've accomplish the transition, accumulate assurance in mind. Accomplish abiding the new bed is low to the arena to abstain abrasion in case the adolescent rolls out; you can buy bed guards to anticipate this from happening, or use an old basin brainstorm as a guard. Skip applesauce beds until accouchement are at atomic about seven years old.

Also accomplish abiding to child-proof the home, including blocking off stairs and doors arch outside, Dr Brownfield says.

"The adolescent will be adaptable now, and some do ascertain new-found freedom," she says.

If your adolescent does appear abnormality down the anteroom to see mum and dad, Dr Brownfield says to escort him aback to bed with as little alternation as possible. If the botheration persists, try creating a sticker blueprint that rewards the adolescent for blockage in his allowance at night, she says.
And although it may assume like the easiest affair at the time, Dr Brownfield warns adjoin absolution the adolescent clamber into bed with parents, or accepting you or your accomplice beddy-bye in the child's allowance with him - unless you're accomplished with it continuing for the weeks or even months to come.

"It just becomes a absolutely harder addiction to break," she says.