Another switching to beds question

We're not planning on making the switch until they turn 3, but this is something I've been wondering. How do you get them to leave all the stuff in their room alone? Even when we are in the room for a short time, like getting dressed or changing diapers, they will not stop messing with everything! The child not being tended to is pulling diapers out of the package, trying to climb the cribs, the dresser, pulling clothes out of the dresser, putting miscellaneous items in the hamper, you get the idea. So how in the heck do you get them to stay in bed and not mess with everything? I can't move the dresser to the closet, their closet is tiny. Do I just remove everything except the beds? Everything else except the dresser would just make a mess, but they wouldn't get hurt or anything. What did you all do?

 

I have been lucky. They never bother anything. Of course, I don't let them in there in other times except for bedtime, naptime, and an occasional timeout. They get into stuff every now and then but I tend not to have anything on the dresser and everything in their closet. Okay, so no real advice, just my story.

 

When I moved my girls at 2.6, we did a lot of talking about "big girl beds" & the "rules". We made it a big deal by painting the room and letting them pick out bedding(of course with my only picks lol). I also told them if they couldn't follow the rules they would go back to the crib. When we took the cribs apart, we left them in the room next door and made sure they new they were there. I told them it would be easy to put back together. The first couple of weeks, they were FINE!! then one tested me so I went in the next room, and started bringing the crib stuff in LOL!!! She promised she wouldn't do it again, so I said ok another try. That was it. Here we are a year later and they still call me to get out of bed, even in the morning. They never get out and I am keeping it that way until maybe umm...5..just kidding!! I was very strict about it and did a lot of talking about this being a very big rule. I am pretty strict about certain things and this is one of them and being consistant has worked.

oh ya, I also think my girls bought into it because they were younger. I think if i tried it now, I would have a more difficult time with it. I say go for it now

Good Luck!

 

We didn't move or lock anything. A few times they emptied the drawers, and the bookshelf. But one time of THEM cleaning it up, they never did it again!

 

getting dressed in the morning is cetainly a night mare which i havent vanquished. i have to say, that the girls know if they get up out of bed, they are going to be disciplined. i haven't yet had to discipline them -- i guess b/c I must be more consistent than I think I am. They don't get up and don't play with stuff. There are only a few toys in their room, under the bed. the biggest problem we have is the ever increasing number of stuffed animals that come to bed with them and where in/on the bed these animals must sleep for the night.

 

We don't keep any toys in their room. They have a dresser, a nightstand and their beds. Like pp mentioned we had a long discussion about the rules. They do not get out of bed and they call for me at nap and in the morning to come get them out of bed. I consider myself very lucky because I think it could have been a disaster, but I am very proud of how well they transitioned.

 

We did not take anything out of their rooms (toys are all in there too). They have never gotten out of bed to play with anything though, so I guess we are lucky! (Granted, they get out of bed for other things--potty, needing a hug, potty, boogers, potty, needing ice water, etc.)

Good luck with the transition! My kids LOVED their beds at first!