It’s 4 a.m. and you’re in the middle of REM sleep when your hypersensitive parent ears detect jibber-jabber from your child’s room. You know, that same happy baby talk you hear most mornings when your child has determined the day is ready to begin even if the clock and conventional wisdom says otherwise.
So you nod off back to sleep.
Thirty minutes later, you still hear the same baby talk so you go into investigation mode. A glance at the baby monitor shows an empty crib. A second glance—remember, it’s only 4:30 in the morning—still shows an empty crib. Parental reflexes kick in, and you jump out of bed and head directly to your child’s room, expecting to hear crying. After slowly opening the door you discover your child happily playing on the floor with their toys.
Great news, you think, but then you pause and wonder… how did said child get out of the crib? The sly yet proud smile smeared across your child’s face tells you the answer: they climbed out. And once children have learned that they can climb out of their crib, there’s no going back.
Now is the time to make a change. Here are 10 tips to help you transition your child to a big kid bed:
1. Involve them in the Planning
Making your child feel like their new bed is their decision will help make the switch far easier.
Young children have an endless amount of curiosity and are constantly learning about the world around them. Take the transition to a twin bed as another learning opportunity.
By involving them in the planning process, it will help your child feel more comfortable about the change. Find out what they envision for their space…they might have very strong opinions!
2. Start a Countdown
A visual representation of your project deadline can be helpful for both you and your child!
Let your child cross off the days before they go to bed so they can see the progress you’ve made toward the big day. You can also use this as an opportunity to work on counting. How many days until you get to sleep in your new bed?
3. Take Your Child Shopping with You
Making a day out of picking a bed can be a special memory both of you will cherish.
You can start online to get ideas and let them know that they get to help make this decision so they feel like a big part of the process.
Once you’re done with the shopping trip, take them out for a small treat. What kid doesn’t love ice cream or cookies? Did I mention that I have complimentary cookies, ice cream and candy at all of my stores? Find a Bob’s location near you.
4. Repaint the Room
Is it time to say goodbye to the baby theme in your child’s room?
Giving your child’s room a fresh coat of paint can help them feel like they have a new room.
Since you’re already moving around the furniture in the room, you might want to take this opportunity to freshen up the walls.
If you’re not set on a specific color, buy a few samples and paint test spots on the walls to see which color you and your child like best.
After you’ve selected a paint color, you can now look for new bedding to match.
5. Setup the Bed
Make sure to have your child show you where they want the bed in the room!
Corners are great if you want to maximize floorspace for playing. But having the bed up against one wall makes making the bed a lot easier!
6. Dress the Bed
Setting up a new bed is the perfect opportunity to show your child how to make their bed—new skills are important!
7. Let them add their Decorating Touch
Does your child have a favorite drawing or photo? Have the picture framed so you can display it in their room.
Allow your child to provide the creative finishing touches for their newly-revamped room.
Remember, this is a child’s room so it’s a great place to celebrate their art, interests, and have a little more fun in the design.
8. Ensure the Bed is Safe and Secure
Safety is the most important part of any new furniture purchase.
If you’re concerned about your child falling out of bed in the middle of the night, purchase a bed guard rail to help them make the transition.
You can also position the bed against a wall to protect your child from falling off. If you’ve moved furniture around and are now exposing electric outlets that were previously covered by furniture, make sure each outlet has a cover.
9. Keep the Same Routine
A new bed is a big change for your toddler, but you can help ease the transition by maintaining the same bedtime routine. This will help keep a level of consistency that your child is used to while becoming acclimated to a new environment. If you read a book before bed every night, try reading the book in their new big kid bed to help them get used to it.
10. Start on a weekend
It might take a few days for your child to get used to their new big kid bed, and that could mean some long nights for you and your child. Start the transition on a Friday night so you have the benefit of the weekend schedule to help cope with the potential for longer nights.
Share your Big Kid Bed Story!
So, there are a few tips to help transition your toddler to a big kid bed. I’d love to hear any tips and tricks you might have and see photos of your child’s brand-new big kid bed! Share your thoughts and images on social media and tag us @mybobs for a chance to be featured in my feed.
