Graduating from cot to bed

September 15, 2004

Both boys are ready to be sleeping in beds, they are becoming to tall for their cots and also they need to be in separate rooms – too much of a party at bedtime. If you can settle one, the other generally follows suit, but just achieving that is a mission.

We have set two beds up in the second room and tried for a few nights to get them to sleep in them. It was such a battle every night to get them to stay on their own bed, they were up, looking out at the trams, turning the light on and off etc and then Oliver decided he wanted his cot back. Sure enough, Benjamin did too. So with no room for their cots in their room, their cots have been next to our bed for the last week along – not much room to move. Most nights one or other or both end up sleeping with us and me sleeping in the other room on their bed, or alternatively mattresses out of the cots on the floor and them sleeping beside us.

I decided last night to get one used to sleeping in a bed while keeping the other in a cot. Oliver is generally a more easy going lad so he was the guinea pig. It worked amazingly enough. I settled Oliver into his bed with his mattress on top, one on the floor and a duvet rolled up along the outside edge to stop him falling off. He stayed put all night. Benjamin was in his cot, he was a little unsettled until I put a blanket over him. Peaceful night. Tried again tonight and again they have both settled well in their separate rooms. I really want them used to not being in cots before going to SA as we wont have cots there.