The bed "transition"

How long do you consider the "transition" before you give up and put the tents on?

Derek is doing awesome except for naps. I cant have he and Tyler in the same room until one of them falls asleep. So I have Tyler in his bed and Derek in his sisters bed across the hall. And usually Tyler falls asleep and I either transfer a sleeping Derek or a talking Derek to his bed.

Then there are the mornings. Tyler likes to get up at 5am. They got to bed around 8:30 so I know that 5am is not acceptable. I take him back to his bed. He doesnt really protest, but it takes him an hour of coming out and going back to either get him to stay in bed until a more acceptable time or sometimes fall back to sleep.

I have crib tents in the box and each day I keep threatening to put them on. But I keep saying they are so close maybe tomorrow will be better and it is usually the same. ardon:

So do I ride it out?

 

How long have you been at it? I'll be honest, the first time I tried the big beds, I reverted back to cribs. However, it had only been 3 days and they weren't sleeping at all. I don't really know what to tell you. ardon: Except that if it were me, at this point I would stick it out. He has probably formed a habit that won't change going back to tents without some crying and complaining, anyway at this point. :hug: because it's a pain to get up so early. Do you have some books or a toy he can lay in bed and play with when he's awake so early?

I honestly don't have a solution for you. I am :blush: emabarrassed to say that when my kids wake up that early I just let them crawl in bed with me and snuggle and go back to sleep.

 

QUOTE(HRE @ Mar 24 2009, 12:16 PM) [snapback]1241882[/snapback]
How long have you been at it?

2 weeks

QUOTE
I am :blush: emabarrassed to say that when my kids wake up that early I just let them crawl in bed with me and snuggle and go back to sleep.

See, I dont have a problem with this except that he doesnt really want to go back to sleep and I figure at this point it is better for me to take him back to bed to teach him that we dont get up at 5am. But if he would go back to sleep in our bed, I think I would be okay with that. ardon:

 

Personally, I'd go back to cribs with tents and try again closer to three. There's a HUGE difference between just over two and almost three. They mature and change so much during that time. I actually just moved Kayci out of her crib (we'd taken the tent off a while back) a month ago because she was totally fine sleeping in it and she tends to take a while to catch on and follow the rules. She did great! How is your other one? Does he follow the rules and stay in bed even when his brother isn't? If so, that could throw a wrench into it but if it's a free for all with both of them I'd just tell them it's not quite time for beds yet and go back to the cribs. If they protest, so be it. They'll learn that you as the mommy make these kinds of decisions. Good luck!

 

QUOTE(ktfan @ Mar 24 2009, 12:42 PM) [snapback]1241906[/snapback]
How is your other one? Does he follow the rules and stay in bed even when his brother isn't? If so, that could throw a wrench into it but if it's a free for all with both of them I'd just tell them it's not quite time for beds yet and go back to the cribs.


See that is just it, he is totally fine. He doesnt get out of his bed at all. We havent tried tents at all just yet. I couldnt find them at BRU the day they climbed out of their cribs so we converted them to a day bed so they didnt hurt themselves climbing out. I did finally get them online but I was just thinking that the are really doing so well except for the early morning wake up call.

QUOTE
If they protest, so be it. They'll learn that you as the mommy make these kinds of decisions. Good luck!


Totally agree.

Thanks for your suggestions.

 

Emilie (and Caroline as well)(was about the age of your boys when she went to a bed, but Trevor was 2 years and 8 months. I think girls, from my experience, are easier at doing things a little earlier. Your boys are still young with moving to beds. I guess I am the type, that once we went to beds, we don't go back to cribs at all. I never bought crib tents, so I guess that was one of the reasons as well. Mine are also in different rooms so that made it easier too if one (Trevor) woke up early and he did for a bit. I don't let the kids come into bed with me if they wake up early, I never have. ardon:


Honestly since they are doing fine otherwise, it's just the early morning wake up, I'd keep them in beds. To me the hard part is actually keeping them in bed and making sure they know the rules and it sounds like they are doing that, which is great. :good: Hopefully the early waking will stop. If it was me, I would not go back to cribs, but that is just me.


Good luck deciding Rachel.

 

I can't really shed light on this because my twins slept with us up until about 2 weeks ago! They are now in their own big bed together thank goodness!

Had I been consistent and tried at it, I would have made them sleep in their cribs and used a crib tent.

 

Rachel :hug: I know its been a long 2 weeks but I think you should stick it out. Of course I haven't yet transitioned to beds so what do I know?! Does Tyler have a favorite book that you can give him for those early morning wake ups? Can you tell him that its still quiet time and you need to stay in your bed and read and rest? Do you think he was always waking up that early even in cribs, but maybe he went back to sleep before because there was nothing else to do? I hope others have good suggestions for you... GL!!!

 

QUOTE(Leighann @ Mar 24 2009, 01:45 PM) [snapback]1242007[/snapback]
Rachel :hug: I know its been a long 2 weeks but I think you should stick it out. Can you tell him that its still quiet time and you need to stay in your bed and read and rest? Do you think he was always waking up that early even in cribs, but maybe he went back to sleep before because there was nothing else to do?

I have no idea about the early waking in the crib but I think he is just waking up and still enjoying the novelty of being able to get out. I thought it would have worn off by now because he used to be my "sleeper."

This morning I took him back to his bed, told him it was night, night time and stood in the hallway for a bit. He did get out about 5 times but he always runs back to his bed when he sees me coming in. Then he gave up and came out with Derek at 7:30. I just dont know. So confusing.

 

You have them, why not use them?

 

QUOTE(~* dfaut *~ @ Mar 24 2009, 03:48 PM) [snapback]1242203[/snapback]
You have them, why not use them?


Well because *I think* that we are almost there and I am just wondering if others experienced the same early wake up "novelty" and it wore off. I would much rather have them in beds if possible due to all of the traveling we are doing this year.

 

QUOTE(DATJMom @ Mar 24 2009, 01:17 PM) [snapback]1242345[/snapback]
Well because *I think* that we are almost there and I am just wondering if others experienced the same early wake up "novelty" and it wore off. I would much rather have them in beds if possible due to all of the traveling we are doing this year.

Rachel, I think you just answered your own question. The "novelty" of early waking should wear off eventually and it would make traveling easier if they were in beds, I at least find it easier now that mine are both in beds.

 

There you go!! If I were going back in time - I would put gates up on their doors. That would be what I would have done at the time! I didn't and had a LONG LONG LONG transition that was a nightmare!

 

Thanks for all of your replies and helping me "talk" through my issues. :friends: I really appreciate the advice and support!!

 

Rachel, how did it go during nap today?

I would put a gate up and tell him to stay in bed. Or you can put him in the crib and the crib tent only. Maybe he will be jealous of his brother? ardon:

 

QUOTE(Sarah© @ Mar 25 2009, 12:27 AM) [snapback]1242988[/snapback]
Rachel, how did it go during nap today?

I would put a gate up and tell him to stay in bed. Or you can put him in the crib and the crib tent only. Maybe he will be jealous of his brother? ardon:


I've got them figured out for naps. I put Tyler is his room and Derek in Leah's room. The rooms are across from each other and I can sit in the hallway and they go to bed without chaos. Then I transfer Derek back to his bed.

I think I'm gonna try the gate at is was 5:30 this morning and I had 2 screaming boys who wanted to play. They have since gone back to bed, but now I am :lazy:

 

QUOTE(DATJMom @ Mar 25 2009, 10:34 AM) [snapback]1243446[/snapback]
I've got them figured out for naps. I put Tyler is his room and Derek in Leah's room. The rooms are across from each other and I can sit in the hallway and they go to bed without chaos. Then I transfer Derek back to his bed.

I think I'm gonna try the gate at is was 5:30 this morning and I had 2 screaming boys who wanted to play. They have since gone back to bed, but now I am :lazy:


I am just wondering why you don't just let Derek sleep in his sisters bed at nap time and not transfer him? If it works for you transfering him good but doesn't that wake him up? When we switched my girls to twin beds they were about the same age as your boys and it took us 3wks to a month to get them to stay in bed and be good. I had to seperate them in for naps (one slept in my room and the other slept in their own bed and we switched who got to sleep in our bed). My one daughter has always been an early riser but she never got out of bed she just talked and woke up her sister. My daughter would go in a wisper tone "Trina you awake? Trina?" and then keep repeating until she woke up. I did have to tell her she needs to keep quiet and not wake her sister and then I put a digital clock in their room too. They both would be up usually by 6-6:30 and I told them that they couldn't get out of bed until the clock said 7. I showed them what 7 o'clock looked liked and reminded them everytime at night before shutting their lights off that they couldn't get up or be loud until 7. Maybe you could try that? I also switched my son at that age too and I taught him not to come out of his room unless I come in and get him or if his bedroom door was open (we shut the doors at nap and bedtime). He is an early riser and I would just go back into his room tell hims it's still night night time and tuck him back in. Sometimes he goes back to sleep and sometimes I can hear him talking a little bit.

 

I just wanted to post an update as I know that crib to bed transition posts are always out there, but maybe not the success part of it so much.

After about a month of having them in beds they are doing awesome. We do have to separate them at nap time and I sit in the hallway to keep them down to a dull roar until they fall asleep. But at night, they get in their beds and dont get out. Either myself or my DH was sitting in their room until they fell alseep but now we have got it to where we can walk out when they are just about to drift off and they stay put until the next morning. Most days wake up time is now 7:30 am.

Just wanted to post this out there as a thanks and let you know how it went.


p.s I took the crib tents back to Walmart over the weekend :woo:

 

Awesome update Rachel. It gives me hope!!!!

 

Rachel, great update! :yahoo: I'm glad to hear things are going well now. :Clap:

 

When we switched to big beds at 2 yrs old, naps went out the window. It became a fight and I gave up. At bedtime we put one down first, wait 15-30 minutes until he's asleep, and then put the other twin down. This has worked well for us for two years now.

Christine

 

What great news Rachel! I am so glad that it eventually sunk in! :woo:

 

Don't go backwards!

 

Rachel, :woo: I'm so happy to hear they are doing so good!!! Yay!! Thanks for the update.

 

:yahoo: I'm glad they are doing so well, Rachel. Nap time is the hardest here too, but they will eventually outgrow their naps anyway!

 

I'd have put them on by now, I think. Mine transitioned at age 3 and it was to a brand new bedroom and big girl bed. It took about 2 weeks for my more anxious DD to adjust. But it was more on the whining at bedtime front. Neither one of them have ever gotten out of their beds unless someone comes in to get them up. They will wake (at their normal 7am) and call out "it's daytime" but they will not get out of bed until DH, myself, or the sitter comes in.

If they were escaping, I'd have put them back in cribs with their tents (we had tents from 15 months on).

My other DD transitioned so well. She loves her big girl bed!

 

awesome Rachel - I think we're going to get the kids beds in the next few weeks for their birthday!