So as I read on facebook about how my next door neighbour has successfully potty trained her boy who is 6 months younger than mine, I am considering taking the backwards step of returning my toddler from his big boy's bed to his cot.
Is this a bad idea?
He loves his big bed but only uses it at night time as there was no way he was going to stay put in it for his midday nap. So he still has the cot in his bedroom and sleeps in it every day. But his night time departures from the big bed seem to be on the increase and as I, at 37 weeks pregnant, become more and more in need of my sleep, I can't help but think it would be easier if he was back in the cot and unable to get out.
If there seemed to be a reason for his night time wanderings, a bad dream, loss of a toy, too cold, I would be more lenient. But I honestly think he's just stirring a little and then getting out of bed because he can. He comes straight to our room, straight to my side of the bed (well, it is nearest the door) and tries to climb in with me.
And do you know what... in the middle of the night when I don't have the energy to wake up and return him, I'd happily let him snuggle up and stay with me. If only that were possible. Unfortunately, my toddler and co-sleeping just don't go together. He thinks our bed is for playing in. On the odd occasion we've given him the chance to sleep with us, he's got more and more wriggly and more and more awake until we've had a big fight on our hands to get him back in his room and asleep.
I just can't help but think, that when there's a new baby in the house, disturbing everyone by crying, that the night time escapades will just increase and be more difficult to deal with. But is returning to the cot cheating? Is it likely to cause further problems when the time comes that the new baby needs the cot? Will it confuse him to his detriment?
You do what you need to do, each child is different
ReplyDeleteI have just put my toddler back in her cot (required us to take it back out of the roof) - she was not sleeping as well in a bed but we found slept ok in the baby's cot. Bottom line is that she won't be in a cot when she goes to Uni and I prefer sleep to someone else's idea of what my child should do
Also I found that just before I had no2 Bigger got really disturbed and that took a while to settle down - do what you need to and to hell with them all!