success with bedsharing transition & 2yr old!!

Mrs.Teddy

Hi ladies, I wrote last week about some concerns I was having with DS. He is 2 & 1/2 and very happily co sleeping. We all sleep well but he still needed me to lay down with him at bedtime until he was asleep. If I managed to not fall asleep I could get up once he was asleep. I was starting to have concerns regarding having a new baby and him still being in the bed, and I'm back in school so NEED some evening time for homework.

So last week we started talking to him about his own bed (up until about 6 months ago we had some success with him starting in his bed). He got upset and told us he didn't liek his big bed or room. He's anti "big boy" at the moment.

So DH decided we would take a "special" approach. We took him to the store and he picked out a small cars toddler bed (its ugly and I hate it, but he's in love). and matching bedding. He has done amazing with the transition. The bed is in our room (luckily we have a large master). He lays in it awake and falls asleep on his own!! I reassure him I can hear him and go to him if he needs me, but most nights he doesn't. It took a few nights before we got to that point, at first I stayed in my bed but he fell asleep much quicker then when laying with me.

We are renovating and his room is being used as storage so for now we won't attempt to move the bed, but that is the eventual plan. He likes to know we are close and we are happy to have him close. I tell him I will kiss him before i come to bed and he usually whispers "I love you" when I do that.

I'm really proud of him and he loves feeling special! Just wanted to share our success, perhaps a simialr approach will work for someone else hoping to transition a toddler. We loved our bedsharing experience and I love in the morning when he comes to bed to snuggle and I hope he does just as well becoming a big brother.

Kaymee

I am right there with you, ladies.  With the exception, I don't have #2 on the way yet.  We're thinking of TTC #2 sometime this summer. 

However, my sweet boy is still co-sleeping with us....and absolutely needs me in there to fall asleep.  As much as I love the snuggles, I know when I'm pregnant, getting up to pee 5 million times a night, and sleeping with a gazillion pillows, it will be tough to co-sleep. 

Ideally, I'd like to transition him to his own room before I'm even pregnant.  We'll see what happens!

luvmybaby28

Kaymee:

I am right there with you, ladies.  With the exception, I don't have #2 on the way yet.  We're thinking of TTC #2 sometime this summer. 

However, my sweet boy is still co-sleeping with us....and absolutely needs me in there to fall asleep.  As much as I love the snuggles, I know when I'm pregnant, getting up to pee 5 million times a night, and sleeping with a gazillion pillows, it will be tough to co-sleep. 

Ideally, I'd like to transition him to his own room before I'm even pregnant.  We'll see what happens!

yeah, I cannot understand how anyone cosleeps while pregnant.  When I get up to pee once at night, I sometimes wake him.  I cannot imagine waking so many times to pee and him staying asleep.

Mrs.Teddy

Once he's asleep he's a hardcore sleeper, he doesn't wake when I get up, when I turn out lights, the TV, talk, etc. I can even pick him up and move him, or take him out shopping LOL.

I hope to get him in his room too, ideally before baby comes but I think this was a good first step for him, we tried going to his room (double bed) and he would lose it, so I knew for some reason it scared him. I'm hopeful our renos will be done in time to move him before baby comes, if not I don't think the baby will wake him, since not much does!

jday1229

Thanks for posting! We'r ein the same situation (but no #2 OTW) and DH had mentioned possibly doing something special for his big boy bed. Hopefully we can do something similar soon. I'm tired of falling asleep before 9pm haha.

KittyKatMom

Thanks for sharing your story. DS is in a big boy bed/room and loves it, so at least we don't have that hurdle, but I still lay with him until he falls asleep. We also have another on the way and I know I won't be able to do that when baby #2 arrives, so I'm hoping we can transition to the point where DS falls asleep on his own in his room. I have 8 months to make it happen - wish me luck!