~~DG- I have questions~~

6fsn

We're getting ready to transition 6let to a bed.  DId you do anything in particular with Dex?  We set the bed up this weekend and I was just going to let it sit in there until after the holidays then push him into it.  He's still okay in a PNP and I don't want to have to deal with bed issues on top of traveling and holiday crap.

How are your sleep issues?  Some things I was wondering about- did you have issues with Dex going to sleep in his crib?  Did you ever do CIO or any sleep training type stuff?  How is he when he's at other people's homes?

I admit your problems have me really freaked about transitioning, but we kind of need the crib in by Julyish.  I don't want him to think baby girl is causing the problems. 

mrsconn23

Maybe my nephew is a freak of nature, but my sister and BIL transitioned him in a weekend.  They converted his crib to the toddler bed.  I think he 'helped' them, if I remember right.  And then they let him explore his new bed.  He took a nap in it at first and then they did his first night.  He did just fine. 

To this day, the kid won't get out of his bed until mom or dad tell him to.  He knows he can get out of it, but he'll lay there, quiet as a mouse, until one of them comes to get him.  He does the same thing at my parents house. 

tawillers

We'd like to transition DD before the baby comes, but it could just be wishful thinking.

DG1

I think age of the kid is a huge factor.  Dex climbed out of his crib a few days shy of 17m.  So we didn't have much choice but to transition him crazy early. 

We had done some CIO/sleep training for him before that. It was traumatic (for me) for a few nights, but it worked crazy fast and was awesome.  Right up until he climbed out, we were putting him in the crib, he'd cry for about 2 minutes, then go to sleep and stay asleep for 12 hours. 

He seems to do OK at other people's houses.  When we visited my parents in July, he slept on a big air mattress on the floor.  Of course, we still stayed in there until he fell asleep.  Not sure what MIL does, but I'm sure she also stays with him until he falls asleep.

Really, I'd be willing to let him CIO in there, or let him just stay in his room and fall asleep wherever, or any number of other things. But when he cries, he wakes up Desmond. And if I'm home alone with both of them, I can't exactly soothe two screaming kids at the same time. 

I think you'll be fine.  Start the transition in January, like you're planning.  Then you have 6 months to do whatever sleep training you need to do without fear of disturbing #2's sleep.  (Des was already 3 months old when Dex climbed out of the crib.) It also gives 6let about 6 months to forget that it's "his crib." 

I will say we ended up just putting a twin mattress on the floor, because Dexter was falling out of the toddler bed so much.  It doesn't look great, but it works pretty well.  We started with the toddler bed, then the crib mattress on the floor. But the crib mattress is pretty small when you have that much freedom to flop around.

We just got the top mattress (no box spring) at Sam's for $99 or something.  He only weighs 30 pounds, and I don't expect the thing to last until he goes to college or anything, so it's more than sufficient for keeping him comfortable.  I just use the fitted sheet, like in the crib.

Hope that helps some!  Your kid is just generally better-behaved than mine, too, and not as stubborn, apparently.  So I think you'll be OK.

hmonkey

a mattress on the floor is pretty standard montessori.  how very modern!