Toddler/Twin Beds?

So my little darlings are now 2 years and 1 month old. They are pretty good nappers and sleepers - they nap for 2.5 to 3 hours on most days & only very occasionally will skip a nap (which makes Mummy rather grumpy!). They generally sleep from 7:30/8pm until 6am. We are, however, about to enter a pretty tumultuous time in their little lives...we closed on a house last week & will be moving this Saturday; and then in February they will have a little baby brother arriving. Once we are in the new house, they will be in one room for a few days/a week while their Daddy paints theirs. My DH then feels that we should just move them into their new room straight into twin beds.

I am a nervous nellie about the whole move. The rental that we are currently in is the only home that they have ever known, & they are really attached to all of our wonderful neighbors, so I think the move may be a bit traumatic. Also, they have never expressed any interest in big girl beds, even when I show them in a magazine or furniture store. I do want to move them into twin beds before the new baby arrives (don't want to have to buy another crib!)but I worry that all of this change so quickly might play havoc with their sleep. And at 7 months pregnant, I cannot cope with anything that plays havoc with their sleep!!! I'm inclined to leave them in their cribs (which they love) until the end of January or so...

Any suggestions/thoughts?? I'd love to hear how other people managed the transition and at what age.

 

We just made the switch a month or so ago, so it would be right about the same age. I made the decision because DD was climbing out and insisting on sleeping in the floor. So, after about 2 weeks of this, we decided to change them both to toddler beds. They share a room, so I was so worried it would be crazy, but it's been fantastic! The first two sleep time (first night and first nap) they played for 1 hour the first time, then 30 mins the second. Ever since then, they have been fine. My DD and sometimes DS still sleep in the floor about as often as they sleep in their beds?? But they go bed around 730 and sleep until 7 and then nap around 2-3 hrs a day with no problems at all. Every now and then they will play a little before going to sleep, but I just have to go in once or twice and tell them to lay back down. Good luck with your decision. I know there will be many different scenarios of what happened with others, but it was really a super easy transition for us. Good luck and congratlations on the new home!

 

Alyssa and Bryony transitioned at just over 2 years (a couple of months after their birthday). Naomi and Luke were 2 1/2. Neither transition was awful, although their parents did find naps to be a bit hit or miss afterwards. The older girls were inclined to chat and keep each other awake (mostly B keeping A awake) to start off with, but they had been in separate rooms when they were in cribs so they were dealing with that change too.

Given the situation you're in I agree with your feelings. I think it's too much to move house and change to beds practically at the same time, especially if you then add a new baby. If it were me I would wait at least until mid January. You could even (if you have a moses basket or PNP for the baby to use) wait until they've had a chance to adjust to their brother, and you've had a chance to get him on a schedule, before transitioning them.

Good Luck with your move!

 

Given all the changes that they are about to go through, I would probably put off the big kid beds until they have adjusted to some of the other things. If they are happy sleeping in their cribs & not trying to climb out, there is really no rush to move them until closer to the arrival of their baby brother.

 

We transitioned just before 2 1/2 because we were going to be traveling for Christmas, and the pack and plays were useless for containing them. We gave them a month to get uses to the beds before the trip. Had we not had the trip coming up, we would have waited another 6 months. My suggestion would be to keep them in cribs. The new baby can always sleep in a pack and play for the first few months. Then, you can transition when they are a bit older.

 

We moved across several states when they were 25 months and didn't bring the cribs to the new place. Just the toddler beds (which were from Ikea and still sealed in the boxes which was awesome for moving!) Kids are very resiliant and adapt to change well, you just have to have faith in them. We didn't lose naps, although I did separate them for naps for a few months.

What we did was talk up the move and told them that when we moved, they would have big kid beds. Simple as that.