Intro & Big kid bed advice needed

exhausted8

Hi ladies!

Im introducing myself a week early. DS turns two next week, hoping you don't mind We are also expecting number 2 in April! I haven't really checked out this board much, but I'm definitely going to start! 

This has probably been asked a million times, sorry if it has.

We got DS his big boy bed several months ago. Left it in his room so he could play on it and get used to it. Then we started trying to get him to lay down in it. Will. Not. Happen. He screams and throws complete fits! Points to his crib and if I give in and put him in the crib, he immediately stops crying and goes right to sleep.

I've tried staying with him until he falls asleep, but it's too distracting for him to have someone in the room with him, he just won't sleep. I don't know what to do. I've tried moving him to the bed after he already fell asleep, but the second he hits the bed he wakes up screaming. Ugh, so frustrated. Any advice is more than welcome!

BettyH

We fortunatly did not have this problem at all but...couple of things that come to mind:

1. switch the crib mattress and the bed mattress...that might make a huge difference.

2. If LO will have his/her own room, while your DS is not in the house, can you take the crib out of his room and move it into LO's room and close the door? Maybe if he doesn't see it at all, he won't have such a hard time.

good luck with it!!

BelhurstBride

We still rock DD to sleep so I'm sure that's helped, but we started with naps. She napped in her new bed for months before we ever even tried nights. We just tried nights for the first time this week. While she woke up saying she wanted to sleep in her crib again the next night she didn't remember to bring it up at bedtime and we still put her in the new bed. 

We also made a HUGE deal out of it being her big girl room, decorated a lot of it to her specifications and made a special day out of shopping for stuff for the room. She was pretty excited for it.  

candr09

My kids are 25 months apart, so close to your spacing!
When we put DD in her toddler bed, she was also in a new room. We set the room up and told her it was her big girl room and let her play in there for a few weeks first. Then one night we just took her in there at bedtime and she went to sleep. It was way easier than I thought it would be. I was so mad at myself because I stressed over it for months and it was all for nothing.

Since it doesn't seem like your LO is moving rooms, I would definitely suggest taking the crib out of the room. Out of sight, out of mind, hopefully. Also, idk if he sleeps with any toys or stuffed animals or even blankets and pillows, but I would let him take anything from the crib that he can and use it in his new bed. For my DD is was her Minnie Mouse lovey. We put that in her new bed and told her that's where Minnie had to sleep now.

GL

TriciaandSean

We switched my son about 3 weeks ago, but prior to switching him we talked about his big boy room and that this was his big boy bed.  We read stories and sat on the bed for weeks leading up to the transition.  Since he was getting a whole new room we let him decide what color the walls should be and got him fun sheets for his bed. 

He was very comfortable with the new bed and we asked him the first night we tried it out if he wanted to sleep in his big boy bed and he was excited and said yes.  I think it helps that its a queen bed and he has extra space and we can read stories in bed with him.  We also are able to lay with him in the middle of the night if he wakes up fussing and get him back to sleep without having to bring him in our room.

At this point I'd suggest just getting him used to his bed but not pushing him to sleep in it.  Maybe sit and do story time on it for a few weeks or a month or however long it takes to get him excited.  Also make sure he has fun sheets for the bed too.

Once the baby comes you can always keep the baby in a pack & play temporarily or a bassinett in your room.  I wouldn't rush a transition if he's obviously not comfortable.

sbevmc09

Personally I would wait longer to switch him if at all possible, but everyone has different opinions on when to make the switch and different circumstances.  If it really has to happen now then IMO you need to go cold turkey and get the crib out of there completely.  Make the big boy bed the only option and just keep putting him back in the bed however many times that takes.  Having both beds available is probably really confusing to him! Eventually he'll get used to it. I really don't see any other way around the transition other than doing it this way.  It will be the same if you wait longer, but he may be more ready for it when he's a little older. 

exhausted8

DS and the new LO will be sharing a room so I can't move the crib out so even if he does finally sleep in the bed, the crib is going to be staring at him. I am giving him more time right now. I plan to have LO room in with us for the first 6 months, so I am hoping he will come around on his own between now and then.

We did switch the mattresses, and it didn't seem to help.

I think I am going to leave it alone for now and try again when we are ready to transition LO to the room. I am hoping that he will see the baby and be able to see the difference that he is a "big boy" and show some interest on his own.