Tales From a Toddler Bed.

Last weekend we decided it was time for Henry to start sleeping in his big boy bed- not because he was climbing out of his crib but because we really need to get going on Holden and Hazel's room. Henry's crib is going into Holden's new room & Hazel will inherit Holden's crib.

We wanted to make him a part of the process so he would be excited to go to bed...& for the most part it worked. He 'helped' Ryan put the bed together, take the doors off the hinges so we could move the crib into Holden's new room.





By the time we got the sheets on [I still have to put on his bed skirt] he was pretty much beyond himself with excitement. We practiced laying in bed and getting all cuddled up with his blankies and stuffies.








All was great for the first couple nights...then he realized he could get out of his bed. He would pretend to be asleep, we would leave the room, then 30 seconds later we would find this...



So we tried putting a baby gate on his door. When he saw it, he freaked out! & actually when we put him to bed the next night he said, "No gate, mama. No gate." So we nixed the gate. We didn't want him to be scared to go to bed that he is locked in his room and can't get out.

So here is our new tactic...



Ryan lays on the floor next to his bed and pretends to be asleep. He lays there for about 5-10 minutes. Henry doesn't fall asleep with him there but I think it calms him just enough so Ryan can leave and he will stay in his bed. Of course there have been a few nights where he still sneaks out after Ryan leaves but we just tell him to get back in bed & he actually listens.

Eventually Ryan will lessen his time laying on the floor until he doesn't have to do it at all but for now, it works so we are sticking with it.