Over the last two months, we have transitioned my 28month old's convertible crib to a toddler bed. so far, things are going pretty well. His room is right next to our room on the main floor. We are pregnant with baby#2 and are due in early April. Will he be ready to move to the upstairs bedroom all by himself? Only thing upstairs is a loft area, bonus room, 2 bedrooms (both unused) and a bathroom. Afraid that he will be too little for all that space, scared, or most importantly fall down the stairs at night (hard wood floor and last 5 steps are wood) trying to come into our room at night. I'm afraid to baby-gate him in, because he will either climb over, or be upset, need me, hurt, or a fire and I can't get to him fast enough. Need some ideas... I know we could keep the baby in our room in a bassinet for a few months. But when can we move my son upstairs to make the downstairs bedroom the nursery?
Or would it be better/easier to have the nursery upstairs and leave my son on the main floor until he is older (4-5) to handle it? I will be breastfeeding... so having to walk up the stairs through the house every 2-3 hrs will not be ideal (especially when I go back to work.) thoughts?
That's a lot of change for a little guy. New baby, new bed, new bedroom. I wouldn't kick him to the upstairs until you know he is handling the new baby and not feeling threatened or abandoned. I think keeping him near will help him with the adjustment.
I'd start transitioning him early so he's not dealing with a new baby and a new room all together. I would also let him help you pick stuff out like a fun comforter or decorations. That would help him make it HIS space. I would try to make it as fun as possible... letting him know that since he's such a big boy, he gets a big boy room! I would imagine it would be more difficult if you wait until too close to the baby coming.
I like kelly's suggestion, just make sure you put a baby gate at the edge of the stair case so he doesn't fall down the stairs
congratulations
While I didn't have to move my son upstairs, I did move him for the baby. We painted the room (it was one that normally had the door closed), and occasionally invited him in. He LOVED to play in it. I asked him if he would like to have THAT room? He got excited for it and built him up to it. When he came home from daycare one day, we were able to show him his new room. (My husband had moved his crib during the day.) Now that he had this new, cool, big boy room, did he want to give his old room to the baby? He did. We didn't put the baby immediately in that room, so that he wouldn't feel pushed out, but as soon as she was born, we started calling it her room, and would change and dress her in there. It has been really smooth.
Do you have a monitor for him? You can use the gate to keep him in his room, and have a monitor. Let him know that this is a special big boy room, and that he needs to stay in it (or in the bed - that's what we do) until you come get him, but that you can hear him through the monitor if he needs you. And DEFINITELY get a gate for the stairs. When we moved my son to a toddler bed, we let him know that if he got out of bed before we got him up, he would have to go back to a crib.
I'd just have the kids share a room after baby outgrows bassinet. They will adjust to each other and be FINE! I would NOT put such a young child upstairs by himself.........
We never realized how small the 3rd bedroom was in our house until we had our second child. We always thought she would go in there, but her crib wouldn't fit. We have a bungalow style home....two bedrooms upstairs and one on the main floor. Prior to baby #2, we had the main bedroom upstairs and our first child had the one on the main floor. He was 2 when our daughter was born. We asked him if he wanted to change rooms. He said no so we moved into a finished room in the basement and moved our daughter to the main bedroom on the second floor. I also nursed and it was a pain going up 2 flights of stairs every 2-3 hours, but the room our son had was "his" room. He was comfortable there. He slept well in his big boy bed and we did not want to change that. We figured he would be going through enough change with the new baby coming. We put in a baby monitor so we could hear the baby and we still use it to this day. Our daughter is 2.5 years old now and we keep the baby monitor on so I can hear if she gets out of bed. I let her play in her room, but as soon as I hear her open her door I meet her at the stairs so she isn't climbing down by herself.
I would work on transitioning him to the room before the baby gets here. Use a baby monitor, and keep the door shut. baby gates aren't secure enough when you're talking about stairs and a toddler.
I think your son would be fine. It's just getting over those mommy nerves... :)
If you haven't already let him get used to climbing up and down the stairs, spend a lot of time letting him practice it. I remember when my 2nd was born I was still terrified about having my oldest climbing the stairs. He was 22 months. However, we taught him to only go down the stairs while sitting on his bottom to make sure he couldn't fall down. We also had a banister he could hold onto. Since all the bedrooms were upstairs we didn't have a choice. And in the morning he would go downstairs before we were up. We never had him fall or get hurt at all.
I would try it before the new baby comes and put a baby monitor in his room. The 15 secs or so it would take you to get to his room should not make a difference in any situation. Then, if after a trial it isn't working, you can put him back in the room downstairs so he doesn't feel like the new baby is the reason for all the change.
Going to chime in here, don't baby gate the steps. if you for even a minute think he will climb the gate it's NOT a good idea. gate the hallway leading tot he steps or his doorway, someplace where he won't fall if he does climb over. I hated moving my boys upstairs, but it had to be done and i'd rather they were above me than below me. We used a monitor for a LONG time, like until they were 5 and 7, just because it made it easier for me to keep tabs, and helped me sleep at night. Thankfully even with them getting up at night, we have never had any issues with the steps.
my boys also liked having the radio on softly, and having a touch light, or flashlight in bed. They could turn on the light, grab the monitor and let me know i was needed. I can't tell you how often I woke up to "momma, i'm awake" from the monitor, or better yet, " momma, i gotta potty." lol.
(and depending on your thoughts, you can put a potty chair in their room for emergencies. )
