Last night we put the boys in toddler beds. We’d been hoping to keep them in their cots for a bit longer but we’d got to a stage where T2 would wake up in the morning saying ‘stuck’ over and over again, and in his frustration he’d take his clothes off. If I didn’t catch him in time he’d take his nappy off too. We’d had one too many incidents of poo spreading so decided it was finally time to make the move.
In preparation we stripped their room bare, leaving just two beds, a chest of drawers and a chair. The child proof drawer locks I’d ordered online still hadn’t arrived so Husband came up with an ingenious way of tie-wrapping the drawers together so that the room was boy-proof. He also fixed a rubber stopper to the floor so that little fingers couldn’t get stuck along the hinge side of the door and added the protectors to stop them closing it on their fingers. A stairgate completed the new look.
Our plan was to read them a story, tuck them in and hope they went to sleep like little angels.
They climbed the stairs and ran into their room with surprise on their faces. Excitedly they claimed a bed each and climbed on. The Toy Story duvet covers were a big hit – T2 kept laughing and pointing at the characters on it saying ‘wotzat’ over and over. Then they saw the new pictures of helicopters that Husband had put on the wall and they chanted ”copter’ over and over again while pointing at them with very serious faces.
Husband read a story patiently while they ran from one bed to the other and back again. Eventually I pointed out that nobody was listening to it but me. We decided it was lights out time. We asked the boys to pick which bed they wanted to sleep in, tucked them in and kissed them goodnight.
It felt like a milestone. It was sad to see the cots go but also exciting that we were beginning a new chapter.
We went downstairs knowing that it wasn’t going to be an easy night. Before we’d even reached the bottom step we heard thumping as they both jumped out of bed and started running around the room. Then the hysterical giggling began. It was exactly what we were expecting – after all, they’d been trapped in cots for two years and now they’d been given beds they could escape from. And they had the distraction of their best friend in the room with them. It was party time.
We decided to leave them to it for a while to enjoy their new found freedom. At least we did until the screaming started.
Husband went upstairs to see what had happened. T2 had somehow managed to get all of the tie-wrapped drawers open and the weight of it had toppled the unit over, trapping him against his bed. Husband quickly unpinned him, turned the drawers around so they faced the wall and then put both boys back to bed.
He stayed up there for about twenty minutes talking to them and calming them down. When he left T1 was fast asleep and T2 was quietly playing with a book. Result. Maybe beds wouldn’t be so hard after all.
Wrong.
We came to bed around 11.30pm and then every hour or two T1 woke up crying. At 5am I realised he had a dirty nappy. That never normally happens at night so I hadn’t thought to check, but it explained the crying. After a change and a hysterical cuddle for a few minutes I put him back to bed, expecting a couple more hours of unbroken sleep.
At 6am, just as T1, Husband and I were in a deep slumber, we were woken by T2. He’d slept perfectly all night and was now ready to get up. We lay in bed hoping that he’d sit and play with the toys we’d left him. Instead he sat on his sleeping brother’s head.
So that marked the end of our first night in toddler beds. I probably got about four hours sleep and am now shattered. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this gets easier. Please somebody tell me it does!
Oh boy oh boy! I have this to come. How old are the boys? My two are two and I am trying to string the cots out as long as possible. In fact Noah has only been in one for 3 weeks now and he is 3 yrs 4 months! Whoops! Mine have started stripping at any given opportunity and I am now debating potty training but am thinking of stringing it out to spring, when I don’t have tights to contend with! x
They’re two in a couple of weeks. We wanted them to be in cots as long as possible too but figured the time had come for them. I’m hoping it stops T2 from getting undressed every morning as he won’t feel so trapped. Like you I was aiming to put potty training off til Spring but I’m thinking of starting them off slowly with it now to get them used to the idea as I’ve had enough of nappies being taken off. Well done you for managing to keep Noah in a cot for that long! Go for whatever makes life easiest, that’s what I say! My twins are competitive and learn naughty tricks from each other – I’m sure if I just had one or the other they’d have been quite happy in a cot for months longer (and likewise it would have been much easier to get them settled into beds as they’d have nobody there to play with when the lights go out!). Good luck with yours! xx
Oh this brings back memories! A n R went in to beds not long after 2nd birthday. We tried so many things, beds apart, beds together but in the end we had to put them in separate rooms (luckily we had the space). They’re now back in together (their choice). Good luck 🙂
Ref potty training. Do it! Mine were all done at 2 yrs. I did A n R separately. R was first and couple of months later I did A. I did try doing them together but after a week rethought that plan! I also stopped the night time nappies a couple of months after day time nappies stopped. Oh the joy of not having nappies xxx
Oooh thanks for the comments. The idea of no nappies is lovely – I hadn’t thought of potty training individually, that sounds like a good idea. Hopefully they settle in their beds in the same room as we don’t have the space to separate them really as the third bedroom is my office! I’m hopeful that tonight we’ll all sleep (after a half hour run around their bedroom which we’re now going to build into their routine!) xx
So pleased I’ve found this blog. These are the two things we’re debating in our house at the mo, potty-training and big beds. Apparently I’m not ready for either and consequently I’m using delay tactics! Fortunately my two (just turned two), have massive cot beds which should restrain them until they turn 13! The thought of not having that final, safe, contained space for them fills me with dread. I’ve only just got used to them sleeping through, the thought of them making their own way into our room – aaagggh! I’ll follow this blog with interest to see how you get on. Well done, you’re a braver woman than me 😉
Ha ha I was thinking of doing an update to say how we were doing three days on. Have a look at my Facebook page (www.facebook.com/talesofatwinmum) for some more discussions on this as I keep getting lots of good advice from others who have been there before me. We’ve been really lucky as the boys have taken to them although we always start the night with a bit of bed hopping. We leave a stairgate up in their room to stop them coming in to us at 6am, and we also leave them some toys to play with. The only problem was T2 getting undressed and taking his nappy off when he woke up, but thanks to some tips on Twitter I’ve started putting him in a sleep suit back to front which is working brilliant! I’m about to buy a potty training book and when I’ve read that I’ll debate about giving it a go. Not sure whether to potty train them both together or one at a time though. Watch this space. And do let me know how you get on with your beds and potty training! x
Supernanny says it’s better to train one at a time. You can do two, but it’s a lot – a LOT – harder. But Supernanny also claims you can potty-train in a week. So who knows:-)