Transitioning to a toddler bed and the magic of escape artists

Welcome back to Thursday, as Jodi at The Noise of Boys and I take turns with our True Tales from the Pink & Blue Trenches series. We’ll pick a topic each week about trying to figure out just what is the difference in raising boys (hers) and raising girls (mine) and share our thoughts with you.

This week, Jodi tackles the tough topic of transitioning to a toddler bed, especially when you have a child that’s a bit of a daredevil. Or likes to sneak up on you in your sleep. Or just likes to wail in hopes you’ll get him out of bed. Come back next week as I tell you about our toddler bed transition.

It’s a nightmare for this mom!
Thoughts of transitioning to a toddler bed.

Welcome to the latest True Tales from the Pink & Blue Trenches a weekly blog series rooted in the comedy of raising toddlers! Co-hosted by Melissa from Home on Deranged, written boy vs. girl style. This week the boys are up to bat!

The time may have come. I fear I will never sleep again. Little Henry at 22 months has shown great interest in his brother’s “big boy bed.” So much so, that every night an hour before bedtime, he grabs his “monkey blanket” and turns on the sound projector and sits in his brother’s bed. When it is bedtime, he cries and points to the bed.

AHHH, you are thinking, he is ready, right? Not this kid.

First of all, I believe it is more he staking a claim to his brother’s bed. Secondly, he doesn’t fall asleep. He waits for us to find him, then he not-so-gracefully jumps, runs and rolls all over.

We easily switched Hayden at 18 months to a toddler bed, without event, until he was just over 2. Then after Henry was born, Hayden began his habit of walking to the couch (around 2am) and sleeping there the remainder of the night. We have tried to stop it, but honestly Henry wasn’t sleeping through the night (til 9 months) and if we made Hayden go back to his bed, he woke us screaming every two hours. If we allowed him to sleep peacefully on the couch, we all slept. He wasn’t a kid that was wandering or getting into trouble. He was just sleeping.

Henry, on the other hand, is absolutely a kid that will wreak havoc, and quietly, while we sleep. Coming to wake us, as Hayden did the first few nights transitioning to a toddler bed, will be last on his agenda.

In a perfect scenario, I would let the boys (who share a room) maybe share a bed for a bit. Maybe this would give Hayden comfort, and he would stay in his room and also help transition Henry. However, I think it is way more likely we will wake to screams of the boys fighting over the couch that Hayden claimed two years ago and Henry is now wanting.

Note: Henry would win the battle.

We thought about using a baby gate to keep them both in the room, but again, I promise, Hayden will wake up the entire house with screaming fits (this I guarantee) every two hours. The baby gate would be for lil man’s safety, but older brother would definitely have issues.

I know I am the parent, I need to do what is best to help them both sleep soundly. However for Henry’s (and the house’s safety) I think a crib tent might be more appropriate in his scenario. He might think he is ready for a “big boy” bed, but I think it is just too soon for him!

How/when did you handle your little one’s transitioning to a toddler bed? Any tips/tricks/funny stories? Share them with us in the comments so maybe we can finally get some sleep!

Join us again next Thursday for Melissa’s sleeping scenario (or maybe nightmare) with two toddler girls! The Pink side of The True Tales from the Pink and Blue Trenches! AND Catch up on the past week “Tales” here!

 ♥♥♥

PS! The noise of boys are headed to Legoland Discovery Center & the KC Sea Life Aquarium this April!

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$3 off Legoland Discovery Center!

Also! There is still time to enter the Soft Walk Giveaway!