Is it Time to Upgrade your Toddler’s Bed to a Big Kid Bed?

There’s no ‘best time’ to make what may seem your toddler a huge change like outgrowing their bed, but there are lots of ways to make it easier on your toddler and you. This post gives some handy pointers to making a smooth and easy transition.

Making the Change

Your toddler’s bed is a place of comfort and safety where they feel happy and at ease enough to spend the night without your reassurance, so changing this can be a scary thing for them. The key to a smooth transition is to keep the comforting elements like toys, blankets, cushions and bedding the same to keep a sense of familiarity. Keeping the bed in the same position in your child’s room will also help to aid the transition process and as familiarity will make the different bed much less of a scary prospect.

Involving your Child

A good way to go about making the change to a ‘big kid bed’ is to get them involved in helping to pick out their new bed and asking them questions to help them feel more at ease. Choose the new bed together and get your child involved in the decision process so they feel like they have an element of control. The change will be seen in a more positive light, and not something imposed upon them. There are loads of different options out there which cater for different needs. Going through the options with your child can be a fun way to introduce them to the change. What options are there?

• Mid-height bunkbeds – great as a half-way between a bunkbed and a normal bed.
• Bunkbeds with play space or desk – a great space-saving idea for smaller rooms.
• Cabin-style beds – great for safety and storage, and will last a long time.

Helping your Child get a Good Night’s Sleep in their New Bed

Many children get scared at night, so having a night light is a gentle and unobtrusive way of helping them feel reassured at night with little disruption for everyone. Limiting access to screens and technology like games consoles and tablets really help create a good bedtime routine. The artificial light can affect the body’s production of melatonin, the hormone that helps us sleep, so reducing screen-time before bed can help ease your child into a restful and beneficial sleep.

Keeping the same bedtime routine will make a new bed fit right into their daily pattern with ease and getting your child involved in the decision process will help ease the change.