Time to Move Your Baby from the Cot to the Big Kid's Bed?
Time for a big bed?
There comes a time in every parent’s life when his or her baby is ready for the next step: the big kid bed. Many parents wonder when it’s time to take this next step, but with a little planning and talking with your child, you should be able to make this transition from cot bed to a regular child's bed with a minimum of stress. This is a big milestone not just for the child, but for the parents as well. This represents a new stage of development and opens up a lot of opportunities for a child to explore, and sometimes it’s hard to let your baby grow up.
What are the signs?
Some of the signs that will let you know when your child is ready to make the transition are fairly easy to recognize. If your child is asking for a bed, it is time to make the leap. Take your child with you to pick out a new covering for the bed, and let them have a say so in decorating the new sleep area. This will make it easier to make the transition when your child realizes they are really losing the old bed. If your child has had the opportunity to spend the night or nap somewhere without a cot, try to determine if they are ready to make the switch, even if it hasn’t come up from them.
If your child is starting to climb, it’s a good time to make the switch. One way to gauge this is by the child’s height. If the rails come to the middle of the chest, consider switching. Your child is probably able to climb out of a cot at this point. Many parents try to switch the child during toilet training. This may be because the maturity level is on target for both. If you are expecting a new sibling in the family, don’t move your child out of the cot less than two months before the new baby. This will prevent your first child from feeling like he/she has been ousted from their bed.
There are several ways to introduce your child to his new bed. Depending on your child’s temperament, you can try one or all of these methods. First, make it a big deal. As mentioned before, have them pick out the bedding, maybe give them a new sleeping toy, and even give a reward system when they stay in the new bed. Others may need to go step by step. Giving up the old sleeping habits may be more traumatic for some children. In this case, first remove the crib and leave the mattress, gradually replacing it with the new bed. Some kids may need to “feel out” a new bed. Leave both in the room and have naptime in the new bed. Try getting your child used to relaxing in the new bed until you can ease them into full time sleeping there.
Expect to hit bumps in the road during this change, but with a little patience, you can help your child develop a good bedtime ritual that will make it a special time for everyone.
This is an original news article © The Kids Window
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