Need help with toddler re: crib to toddler bed transistion

[Pithlet]

We've taken the plunge, and started our 2 and a half year old son in a toddler bed tonight. The problem is he seems to be sleeping on the floor in front of the door rather then in his bed. He's not crying. He just plays quietly until he falls asleep there. He was very excited about his "big boy bed" when we brought it home and put it together today, so he's definitely not afraid of it.

Did anyone else's kid do this when they moved out of the crib? If so, how long? Also, any suggestions to get him to sleep in his bed?

[Dookus]

1. Duct tape....

[carpetbagger]

7. And Plastic Sheeting.

Seriously, my son does this, and neither I nor he could care less.

[SoCalDem]

2. What we did...

We left the crib up.. took the rails off and laid them on the floor.. just put the crib mattress on the floor next to the "big boy bed".. It did not take long.. :) We put all the toys on the new bed and left the stripped mattress from the baby bed there until it was in the way..

[KCDem]

3. if he's sleeping ANYWHERE, don't complain.

Seriously, for some kids, the transition is hard, for others, not at all, but, if the kid is sleeping, that's the main issue.

If you _really_ want him to sleep in his bed and not on the floor, maybe try putting a mirror on the wall next to his bed... something that he can't move, in other words.

Our first kid made the transition beautifully at about 19 months. Our second is 21 months, and I have no plans to move her yet. Kids are all different. Does he fall asleep on his own? If so, you can always move him into the bed after he's fallen asleep. But, really, the main issue is that he IS sleping.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

16. Amen to that!

Making an issue over it could make the foor seem even more appealing since it means more attention from Mom and Dad.

Sweet dreams! :-)

[blondeatlast]

21. That's my opinion, too.

If he's managing to get to sleep, I wouldn't worry about it.

[cally]

4. Well, I'm no help

My youngest slept on the floor for 3 to 4 years. She fell out of bed once and that was it. We put her mattress on the floor and she would sleep in it then. If it was a bed, then she wouldn't sleep in it. I always put her to sleep in the bed but then she moved to the ground. I just gave up and let her sleep where she wanted. :shrug:

[KCDem]

10. Cally--I think that's pretty standard!

Heights are great during the day at playland...but at night, those same kids want something low.

[JVS]

5. Do you have the guardrails?

I had those as a kid. They helped me stay in and made it a little harder to get out. Books were good at keeping me in bed looking at pictures until I got sleepy.

[Pithlet]

6. It's a toddler bed

so it is very small and low to the ground (it uses the matress from his crib), and it does have guard rales, but they only go halfway the length of the bed, on the head board side. So, it is very easy for him to get out of bed. It's one of those new "transitional" beds, and I understand they're kind of a new thing.

I guess as long as he's sleeping I shouldn't worry too much about it. His room is padded carpeting. I just hope he isn't sore and cranky in the morning :( Being 8 months pregnant, my mother hen instinct is in overdrive I suppose.

[KCDem]

8. Dang, hon, no wonder you want him out!

My kids are 27 mos apart. Your son will learn to sleep in the bed, but he's also at an age where the dreams start to set in... both good and bad. Take special care of him... well, as much as you can. It's a difficult age.

I reiterate: If he's sleeping ok by the door, dont' worry that he's there. Seriously, sleeping is the goal, not location.

[Pithlet]

11. Thanks

I'll try not to worry about it. I'm happy and relieved that he's not crying, or scared.

I wanted to do this well before the new baby came so he didn't associate the change with baby brother.

Thanks, everyone.

[SoCalDem]

9. You could try reverse psychology..

Put his pillow & blankie on the floor and tell him NOT to get into the bed :evilgrin:

I want to warn you:


He WILL try to (and probably succeed ) get into the crib with the new baby :(..

My two youngest were 12 mo 10 days apart, and Mike would always get into the baby bed with "Beebs" (Steven).. We had to keep him in our room until he was big enough to have "company" join him in the baby bed

[Pithlet]

12. They will have their own rooms, for now.

At least until they are both older, so I'm hoping that will prevent that. Yikes, I'd never actually thought about that. I worry enough about the cat :)

[SoCalDem]

13. One time at about 2 am I heard this crash..

I opened the boy's room door and saw it SNOWING inside the room.. Mike had taken the baby bottle (water) and thrown it throu the galss window (we had no screens) .. Yes. I was an old fashioned Mom, who used glass bottles and cloth diapers )..

He wanted Steven to wake up so they could "Play"... That was just the start of him getting his younger brother in trouble.. The oldest, had his own room, and was the one who would ASK PERMISSION TO GO TAKE A NAP.. (my friends hated me for that one :)..)


edit... the beds were on the OPPOSITE side of the room from the window..:)..no glass near the beds...

[Pithlet]

14. Wow

:wow: I'm starting to re-think the sharing the room idea.

I'm not doing bottles. But a good, solid fisher price toy would do the trick.

[hedda_foil]

15. Pick him up off the floor while he's asleep and put him in the bed.

You may have to do it a few times. Kiss him and tuck him in when you put him down. Let him get out of bed and fall asleep on the floor. Pick him up and put him back in the bed without waking him if possible. Repeat as needed. It won't take more than a couple of days.

[grasswire]

17. my son used to...

..climb out of the crib and fall asleep behind the door so we couldn't get the door open.

My daughter was a bedtime tyrant. I had to sing her to sleep every night and stay until she slept.

[radwriter0555]

18. What they said...

Just never let him sleep in YOUR bed. It'll be fine. He'll end up there eventually.

[bleedingheart]

19. hmmm..not sure

when my son was two I put him in a double bed with rails... (it was my old bed from mom's house)..

He liked it because I could lay down next to him and rub his back or read him stories... Basically those aspects of his new bed made him like it..

[FlaGranny]

20. Since he now has more freedom to climb in and out

of his bed, he probably just wanted to play with something and went to get whatever it was and fell asleep where he happened to be at the time. Nothing to worry about. One of mine would actually go under his bed on occasion and fall asleep.

Just pick him up and put him into his bed, if you want to. Others are right - just be glad he's sleeping.