So the hubby and I decided that it would be good to transition Charli into a big girl bed while we still had 2 months before her little sister was set to arrive. We had read that we shouldn’t have too many life changing events happen all at once (transitioning beds, potty training, having a baby, moving, etc), so we thought we had enough time if needed.

First thing, choosing what time of bed to get her. We went to a furniture store to see what a “big kids” bed actually looked like. We knew that they usually involved a rail of some sort and were usually low to ground, in case they fell out of the bed. Unfortunately, the furniture store only had cribs on display (that DID transition into toddler beds), but none of them were already set up so that we could see what they actually looked like. They did have a Twin Size bed but we thought that was too big to start her off on. We liked the secure look of a transitional bed with a rail.

We ended up finding one on Amazon.com and went with it. A few days later, it showed up! We built it and put her mattress in it with new big girl sheets. We told her it was her new bed as we were building it. We put a couple of her toys on it and let her explore. We pulled her old crib out of the room and put it into the room down the hall, which will be her sisters room. Lucky for us, we put her in that bed that night and she fell right asleep. I kept the camera on her all night, in freight that she would fall out of the bed, or cry wondering where she was. I must have checked on her a couple times that night. My sweet girl, curled up in her baby fetal position all comfy on her new bed! I even put a big soft pillow against the bed where there was no railing, in case she did tap up against it and accidentally fell out of the bed.

Its been almost 1 1/2 months now in her bed and she hasn’t called out of it once!! SUCCESS! She actually stays in it and doesn’t leave it until we come to get her! We watch her on the monitor and when she starts to get up, she grabs her books and just starts reading to herself. How did we get so lucky? She’s always been a good sleeper since she was 6 months old and this proved that she was ready for her bed all along!

Here is her bedtime routine (usually around 8:00pm start):

1. She gets a bubble bath every night (to her request…she LOVES getting  bath!)
2. We brush her teeth
3. We get her into her pajamas
4. We either go downstairs to let her watch a little bit of cartoons, or we read her some books in her room
5. We lay her in her bed, turn on her Cloud B “turtle” and let the music lull her to complete sleep

Products we use for her:

1. Ava Anderson Non Toxic (Kids): Body Wash + Shampoo, Body Lotion and Diaper Cream
2. Ava Anderson Non Toxic (Smile) toothpaste
3. Ava Anderson Non Toxic (Kids) Monster Spray: An amazing lavender spray for her room! Love the name of the product!

What works well for you in getting your toddler to bed at night? Do you have a good routine to share?

-Kim