Toddler Beds

So we have changed them into their toddlers bed on Monday. They are going to be 2 1/2 yrs old Dec 1st and they share a room. They weren't sleeping much, maybe 3 times a week for an hour and were just getting out of their beds, dangerous. So we change it.

We are very lucky at night, they stay in their beds (helps it is very dark) and go to sleep pretty well only a few problems, mainly because I am sure they still are in need of some type of nap during the day.

Anyway, I have been trying to get them to have some quiet time (in hopes of nap time from time to time). They are a complete nightmare in their rooms. Granted it has only been a week, they did nap the first day but that was it. I am just wondering what other people has experienced just to see what to expect. I am only leaving them in there for an hour since they get into so much trouble. I am hoping that one day they will be able to have real quiet time but might never be in luck of that. :aggressive:

 

Just keep at it and they will get it. Good luck, you've made a transition we are not ready to make.

 

ugh for the change from cribs to open beds! I tried at 2yrs old and it was a disaster. we went back to crib tents.

a little before 3 yrs we attempted it again, it was disastrous still for the most part, but they'd ripped the tents so bad that we couldn't go back... so we just pushed through. but basically around the time we switched to toddler beds we also pretty much quit naps. UGH!

we took everything out of their room...
changing table/dresser b/c they were climbing on it and looking out the window.
bookshelves b/c they messed with the shelves and everything on them.
locked closets

etc. also look at what happening at total sleep time... are they napping but going to bed late? maybe dropping the naps will get them back to a decent bedtime - that's what we finally did a little after 3 yrs.

hopefully you can ease back into naps and good night time sleep. 2.5yrs seems young to drop naps (for you and them!)

 

When we moved our twins into their own room and toddler beds, I didn't worry too much about nap time being in their room. My son wasn't very good about naps to begin with, and my daughter would fall asleep on the couch well. I left beds for night time and it seemed to work well. I have a couch and love seat so, I would put one on the love seat and the other on the couch for naps. Good luck! Mine are now 3 1/2 and my son takes naps once in a while, but my daughter is much better about it. She still likes to sleep on the couch and I'm good with that. If for some reason, she needs to be in her room, I will put her in bed after she falls asleep. HTH!

 

One of the things I did with my DD when she first transitioned to a toddler bed was sit in the room with her (at naptime). I did not interact with her but when she got out of bed, I would put her back in bed and "sssh" her to be quiet. She would do great at bed time but fool around at nap time. I had to do this for close to two weeks and I think between that and the novelty of a toddler bed wearing off, she was back to taking naps.

 

Whatever you do, just be consistent and persistent. After the newness wears off, they'll behave and you'll have either naptime or quiet time.

 

Remove everything from their room.
Don't go back to cribs!
For some people having a new special blanket, etc helps keep them in their new beds.
Invest in doorknob safety devices. Put barrier gates across the door threshold.

When we went to toddler beds it was hard to adjust. We ended up seperating them to seperate bedrooms 1 month after going to toddler beds.


Good luck! :youcandoit:

 

Well we are onto the 2nd week. They have calmed down some but still only nap like once or twice a week. I am putting them to bed a bit earlier when they don't nap which seems to help. Hopefully they will get used to it and start to nap more regularly. We will see. There are days when they are still quite crazy. I figure when they are that crazy, I will take them out after a short time and work on a quiet activity. Oh well.