Transition to Big Girl Bed at 3 and Rules

Hi D.,

I, too, transitioned my kids to "big beds" at 3yrs old also when they were ready to follow rules and weren't as impulsive as a toddler. My daughter kept her nap for another half-year. But my son dropped his nap completely. As long as your daughter is getting the recommended amount of sleep during a 24 hour period, it doesn't really matter if she naps. But I strongly recommend giving her some independent "down time" via quiet time in her room. It seems to make a huge difference to my kids' behavior.

Nightime/wake time, I found a wonderful nightlight for my kids that glows as a blue moon at night and then changes to a yellow sunshine when it is time for the kids to get up. It's set on a timer...so *you* get to set the time for when it turns to sunshine! If the moon is on when they wake up, they must stay in the own rooms (ideally their beds). If they come into our room too early (and I know what time the sunshine turns on!), we send them back to their rooms. Once sunshine is up, they are allowed to come out of their rooms and come into ours. It's a nice way to start our day -- both kids running into our room. Of course, if a child needs to use the potty at any time, s/he can go. The kids get trained pretty quick with this nightlight, so I found this pretty easy. You can find this nightlight online at www.goodnitelite.com

As for quiet time, my kids stay in their own rooms, playing quietly. Teaching my daughter was easy. But teaching my son was pretty difficult -- it took weeks before he would voluntarily stay in his room. My rules are they must stay in their room (unless they need to use the bathroom) and they can play with any quiet toys (doll house, blocks, coloring, etc.) Quiet time is one hour. When quiet time is over, I open their doors and the fun resumes!

Hope this helps.

Well my kids still nap. My 4 year old son is napping now in fact.
My daughter did for about 1 hour.

Anyway, for 'quiet time' it is just that. Anywhere in the house... but only doing quiet things... I also tell them it is MOMMY'S quiet time too... EVERYONE has quiet time.
So they do quiet things, and no talking unless needed.
They do it.
BECAUSE.. I say it is ALSO Mommy's quiet time too....
I don't make them only stay in their room... they are fine and quiet even if not in their room. They understand.

For my son who is 4... he sleeps on a mattress, but on the floor. He is an active sleeper... and moves around a lot.... and falls off beds.

If they have to use the bathroom, they do so. They can. Or they can call me. Anytime.
If your child needs help with using the bathroom, then do so. Using the bathroom should not be off limits... nor rigid. They have to use the bathroom.

If my kids wake up in the morning... which they do early as usual.... I am usually awake already. BUT... if I am not, they know... to be quiet. They just know. Or, they whisper and come to me and talk to me. They stay in the living room right next to the bedroom. They do know how to handle the circumstance. But usually.... if they need me, the are certainly allowed to come to me and get me. I wake. I go to them. They do respect the early morning hour and will keep the noise down.
Even when my son was 2 and 3 years old... he understood that.

all the best,
Susan

I think bedtime will be even more of a temptation to get "up & out" so we used a gate at my son's doorway. I used to make sure he pee'd etc. before his quiet time in his room. Once the naps ended, I used to let him watch a DVD in his room for his quiet time. He would often leave the bed and just play quietly or look at some books, etc. I would aim for 2 hours but many days it was less :-( Saying goodbye to the crib really changes things!

Wow, personally, i think 3 is to old for the transition, but diff. strokes for diff. folks. i have a 2 and 3 year old who has had their own bed since 1 year old (toddler beds) and they do fine, it makes them feel more like a person who hsa options, versus, being stuck in a crib. i allow mine to go to the bathroom alone seeing as how they know how to turn on the light, and they think they are grown, but good luck, and if all else fails, at least the bed is big enough for you to lay down with her, when she refuses to go to sleep. And far sa the nap goes, mine take naps where ever so IDK, if one of mine is tired, they just lay down where there at and go to sleep.

At nap time try putting a gate on her door and just let her play quietly in her room. She may fall asleep on the floor sometimes, but no big deal. You can do the same thing at nighttime if that works for you or you can insist on her staying in bed. That may take a few nights of repeatedly putting her back in bed, but it can be done. Just go with the flow and you'll figure out what works for you as you go along. There isn't one right way to do these things - you may experiment a little and see what works best for you.

When mine stopped napping I stopped putting them down for naps, so that was not an issue for us.