If you are reading this article it only means one thing, your toddler is refusing to sleep in their own bed at night. The transition between moving from a cot into a bed can be a challenge for some toddlers and it is sometimes difficult to gauge when your child is ready. Here are some of the signs of readiness to look out for:
• Ability to climb in or out of the cot on their own.
Strollers For Toddlers
• Not wanting to stay in the cot
• Not willing to sleep in the cot (resistance to sleeping in the cot).
Once you have found the ideal first bed for your child it is important to select a bed that is safe, not too high off the ground and has a safety rail so the child will not roll out of the bed at night. Introducing the concept to your child is crucial to how your child will react to the change. Remember this is a large milestone for your toddler as this is part of leaving babyhood behind.
In my experience it is more difficult to persuade a child that may have had access to your own bed i.e. been sleeping in their parent's bed, to go into their own bed. Children who have been use to or allowed to sleep next to their parents from an early age may find it more difficult to sleeping in their own bed. When my husband and I first introduced our nearly 2 year old son to his first bed he was not really interested at all. He was very excited to see the bed in his room but he resisted sleeping in the bed. In hindsight I realise that he did not want to sleep in his bed because he preferred to sleep in our bed and the problem was with little resistance from us as parents we let him.
We battled for a few months just to get him to fall asleep in his own bed, I tried making his room more exciting, colourful and interesting but he still resisted sleeping in his bed. We use to have nightmarish bed times from trying to get him to fall asleep in our bed then when he had fallen asleep we would move him from our bed into his. This did not work very well because if he woke up in the middle of the night he would run from his bed back to ours.
We played "musical beds" for a long time until we realised we could not carry on this way. We persevered and started putting him to sleep in his own bed, I decided to relax and not put too much stress on myself in the beginning, if he stayed in his bed for only an hour it was one hour more than he had been the previous week. By making bed time a little more interesting and not so much of a "chore", he slowly started coming around. Here are some of the techniques I tried to encourage him to sleep in his own bed:
• Introducing a fun but tranquil bed time routine (bedtime stories and relaxing soft music).
• Using a special star or reward chart to encourage ongoing sleeping behaviour.
• By not allowing the child access to the parents' bed their own bed becomes the better alternative.
• By adopting a more relaxed approach and not stressing during the whole process. A child can pick up when you are displaying signs of stress; if you are anxious when putting them to sleep they will react to this stress (usually in a negative way). By providing a tension-free environment your child can feel safe in their new bed.
Click for larger image and other views
Graco LiteRider Stroller, Lively Dots Feature
- Accepts all Graco Infant Car Seats
- Lightweight stroller weighs less than 20 lbs
- Stroller holds child up to 40 lbs. for years of comfortable strolling
- One-hand fold is ideal for on-the-go families
- 2-position reclining seat helps keep baby comfy
Graco LiteRider Stroller, Lively Dots Overview
Graco LiteRider Stroller You may be Supermom, but sometimes that stroller can be just too much to handle. The Graco LiteRider Stroller is the perfect solution. It weighs less than 17 lbs. and with the easy one hand fold you can pull it from the closet to the car to the park with superhuman speed. It accepts Graco's SnugRide and SafeSeat infant car seats making transitions even simpler. There's plenty of storage space for you and for your baby, and clean ups are a breeze.Available In Stock. |
