Here are some additional tips to ease the transition:
• Make the change from crib to big bed only when your child really seems ready for it. Use a birthday or special occasion to proclaim that the child has reached this milestone.
• Do not make the change during other major events -- for example, a new baby, a new house, the start of preschool, toilet training.
• Be clear and firm about the "big-bed-rules":
- No getting up: children must sleep in their own bed all night until they see the morning sunlight
- No coming into your room -- except for a morning snuggle once they've seen that sunlight
• Consider letting your child share a room with an older sibling; this can make the transition a lot easier, as the transitioning child will love being in the same room as her older sibling, while the older sibling presumably has already mastered the big-bed rules.
• Place a guard on the side of the bed so your child won't fall out.
• If your child becomes anxious in the big bed, reassure her, but do not lie down with her until she falls asleep, and do not let her leave her room. Try playing a tape or CD of a bedtime story or soft music while she goes to sleep.
• If your child goes out of bed repeatedly, gently take her back to bed each time, with minimal talking or interaction. Tell her it's sleep time now. If she becomes very upset and begins to cry, pat her back to calm her. If she asks you to stay with her until she falls asleep, tell her you will sit outside the bedroom door and check on her once she is asleep. If you use this approach consistently, she will soon stay in her bed, and once she feels comfortable you won't need to sit outside her door.
• If your child gets up in the middle of the night and climbs into your bed, take her back into her room and put her back in bed straight away. Yes, we know it is hard to do this in the middle of the night, but it pays off if you do it consistently. If you let her share your bed even one time, it will become a hard habit to break. Limit the bed-sharing to morning snuggles.
• Make sure the house is locked up and safe just in case your child goes wandering while everyone else is asleep.
• If you're purchasing a new bed, bring your child shopping with you, and involve her in the choice of bed.
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 | Excerpted from Nanny Wisdom: Our Secrets for Raising Healthy, Happy Children From Newborns to Preschoolers by Justine Walsh and Kim Nicholson. Copyright 2005 by Justine Walsh and Kim Nicholson. Excerpted by permission of Stewart, Tabori and Chang. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. |
