Operation Big Boy Bed!

  Remember that Dr. Seuss book?  About poor Ned whose bed is too small?

 

When he lays down his feet stick out the bottom!  POOR NED!

   Well, that is what was happening to poor Paxton, too! 

  Due to space issues, he and Avery both used a Mini Crib from birth on, rather than a full-sized one.  If you are tight on space you should check them out, we have been SO happy with it! Just Google “Mini Crib”.  We got a beautiful cherry, sleigh-style one that I LOVE!  (Make sure you order the coiled mattress to go with it, NOT the one that comes with it for free.)

Here are a few really old photos of the mini crib, one from Avery when she slept in our room for the first 9 months of her life, the second of Pax this winter.  Apparently, remembering to take a photo of the before Dale took it apart was beyond my thought process……

 

  So anyhow, poor Pax had started waking up during the night, being generally restless and would cry because his feet would sometimes stick out the bottom between the slats. 

  Do you recall just the other day, a post called “OH Pax! No-no!”?

  If you read that post, you will TOTALLY understand why I was really, really nervous about this transition from his cage, I mean crib, to a big boy bed!  I had visions of him wandering around destroying my house all night, or worse yet, letting himself outside to play!!! 

Here goes nothing……

  The first night I put him down, he immediately, like before I even left the hallway….came out.  Pointing “Uh? uh?” to his crib, which had been slid into the living room temporarily until we could take it apart.

“Yes, buddy. Crib is bye-bye. Come with me, let’s go back to your big boy bed.”

  He did, quite willingly I might add, and this is the sight that greeted me the next time I peeked in.

Awwww…..

Such a BIG boy!  He is sleeping MUCH better, and doesn’t come out until morning!!! YAY!   

Love my lil’ Tankers!

Tonya’s Tips for Transitioning to A Big Kid Bed:

1) Work on First Time Obedience ahead of time.  After all, it is your WORD and nothing else, that will keep them in that bed.  If they don’t listen to you during they day, why would that change at night?

2) Set clear guidelines for your expectations for this new bed.  Destiny went to a big girl bed at age 2, and we used to make her call to us to be allowed out of her bed.  “I’m AWAAAAAA-AKE!” she used to call sweetly after naps, or in the morning.  Obviously, we have loosened up some since our eldest was born, but we do still expect our children to stay in their new big kid bed until morning, when they are free to come out without asking permission.  If they disobey and come out at bedtime, we make sure we have clearly stated the consequences ahead of time and follow through if the rules are broken.

3) Stick to familiar bedtime routines.  This shouldn’t be more change than it has to be!  For example, don’t stop rocking right away, if your child is used to that before being laid down. Sing the same songs, go through the same motions, the end result just being that you lay them down in the big bed, rather than the crib.  We eventually change from rocking to kneeling beside their beds and rubbing their backs as we sing and pray, but that doesn’t need to happen right away.

4)  Do not use this time to take away a binky or blankie.  Paxton should give up his binky by 18 months according to the people who make those rules, but at our house, they are allowed until age 2, after which we snip off the tips.  I am thankful he has a few more months of getting used to his new bed, before we take that next step towards “Big Boy” with Binky removal. 

5)  “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”  If you have a full-sized crib, and your child fits fine, allow them to stay in their crib until after they turn 2! Why not? We just chose 18 months, because we knew he wouldn’t fit in that tiny crib until he turned 2.

{Sniff sniff}  My last baby is growing up TOO fast!

~T

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