Hello again! In addition to starting ion the potty training journey, my husband and I are trying to get my 26 mos. old daughter to sleep in what we call her "big girl bed"... it's a toddler bed right now. Currently, we have her crib and the toddler bed set up in her room. She acknowledges her big girl bed and will hop in it during the day if we are upstairs, but never to sleep in it. We thought we were going to have success one night, but as we got closer to saying "goodnight", she kinda freaked a bit and wanted to go in the crib. Like the "binky fair" that came and took her binky (pacifier) away (that all went well-- thank goodness... no problems at all), we keep telling her that the "cribby fairy" may come one day soon and take her crib away, leave her a present, and she'll have to start sleeping in her big girl bed. She says OK, but who knows??? I guess we'll see. She is going away for a week with my in-laws to visit my sister-in-law and kids and there she will have to sleep in a reg. bed with my niece. I was thinking the "cribby fairy" may need to come that week and be rid of the crib since she will be sleeping in a bed all week while she's away. Good idea??? Let me know your thoughts-- I
'm curious to see. Any advice on how to make this transition a little smoother? What worked and didn't work??? Thanks again Moms! :) I appreciate all of your feedback.
Good news... my little girl now sleeps in her "big girl bed"!! I tried to "plan" and it just kinda "happened"! :) Last weekend while hubby and I were working, my friend was at the house with the kids. I called to check up on the kids and while speaking to my friend, she mentioned something about my daughter sleeping in her bed and I said, "She doesn't sleep in a bed yet!" and she said, "well, that's where she is now and she's sleeping!" Well, I picked up a bunch of "surprises" on the way home for my daughter and made a huge deal of this accomplishment when I got home. Ever since then, all naps and bedtime in her "big girl bed"!!! She's been doing great with it, too! YIPPIE!! It happened easier than I expected! :)
Now-- I just have to get her crib out of her bed. We tell her we are waiting for the "crib fairy" to come and take it to my friend's new baby that needs a crib... she's content with that!
Now-- we just need the "diaper fairy" to come and take her diapers (potty training time!)! Thanks for ALL of your advice! :)
OH don't stress her with the cribby fairy!! just take the crib away.. but make her part of the decision.. let her pick out new sheets for it and where to put it. and then let her help you take the crib down. cold turkey.. if she ends up sleeping on the floor, then she'll sleep on the floor, cover her and then she'll realize that the bed is more comfy and will eventually sleep in it. Or she may be fine, jump in and that's it. good luck
I didn't have this issue when my kids were little but your idea of taking the crib away while your daughter is away is an excellent one. She will obviously have to adjust to sleeping in a different bed while away so that is the perfect time to make the transition. When she gets home she will be looking forward to her familiar surroundings and I think her room alone will be enough to comfort her during the transition.
The most important thing you can do though is to put all the things that are in her crib onto her bed including the sheets. Even if the sheets dont fit the new bed, put them on (without washing them.)The familiar sights and smells of her old crib will just be on a new frame and make it easy for her to adjust.
Good luck- it might take a week to adjust but enventually she is going to fall asleep. Even if she refuses the new bed she might fall asleep on the sofa or your bed, but you can put her in her new bed while she is sleeping and that is where she will wake up and realize it isn't so bad afterall.
hi my son is also 26 months old we just changed him into a bed he does a good job i found out you gotta make a big deal about it thats what i did and it went smooth
Hi Brandy,
Definelty let the "crib fair" come. I had a siilar situation with my daughter. We went on vacation with her cousinsand she slept i a real bed. When we got home bye bye crib... Nothing was said. she' had no problens after that.
Good luck
I ahve to second the response below ... I found the twin size bed to be much easier (and you will not have another transition to go through, most moms I know have had more trouble with the toddler bed (just dont forget go to the store and buy the side gaurds. Also get her a bed set with her favorite character ( I got my daughter tinkerbell and told her tinker bell will watch over her at night. ) Also I laid in the toddler bed with my daughter the first couple nights and then snuck out ,... The first few nights she eventually crawled into bed with me by 4 or 5 in the morning but after three nights stayed in ther all night. Then after a week and a half I would put her in there and say I'll be in after I clean the house or fold the laundry and she would fall asleep on her own ... then she just started saying goodnight mommy and going to sleep on her own ... she also has a couple stuffed animals that she sleeps with ... Good Luck ... Hope this helps ... ps i love the cribby fairy idea :)
I think you might want to get rid of the crib all together, with her knowing that the crib is there, it is security to her and it is like gving her a choice, when the choice should be made for her. I just changed my daugter over to the big girl bed and she is very excited but the first couple weeks, she freaked out and cried, but I talked to her explaining that she is a big girl now and it where she sleeps, and she is starting to get used to it. I also put a night light in there - where before she didn't have one and I think that helped her a little.
Hope all works out for you!
When I moved my children to a toddler bed it went terrible!!!
They refused to sleep in in it even when the crib was gone prefering to sleep on the floor! After about two weeks of sleeping on the floor I bought them a regular twin sized bed and they loved it! That was the end of their night time blues... every child is different as you already know but i think your idea of the binky fairy and cribby fairy is a great idea... let me know how it works out!
