Taking the side off the cot at 1 year

[Alyssa Drough]

My dd had her 1 year old review with the health visitor. She recommended that cos my lo is a confident walker and because her head comes above the cot bars when she stands, that I should take the side off and put some padding on the floor.

Is it just me or does this sound way too early?!

My dd turned 1 just over a week ago.

 

[mummytobe_93]

My daughter is 13 months taller than her cot and confidently walking and I definitely would not take the side of her cot jus yet!
Why did your health visitor say that? Was it incase she climbs out?

I can't think of anything worse than her climbing out of her for every night and falling out! X

 

[Alyssa Drough]

Yeah it was in case she managed to climb over the rails. A 1 ft drop is better than a 4ft drop.

She did say to put pillows or something on the floor in case she does roll out in the night and that I might find her asleep on the floor!

Tbh I'm tempted to try and see how it goes...

 

[sue_88]

It's she's happy in her cot, why bother??

 

[Gem1302]

My little boy has had his side off the cot about a month now, he's 15months. He wasn't happy being 'caged' in. He really hated it. I got a bed guard so he can't fall out and he sleeps so much better now and when you say bedtime he even goes and gets in bed by himself. Best thing I've ever done lol. It's up to you and what you feel comfortable with. If she's happy and won't climb out then leave her be.
This is like the guard we have:
https://www.tesco.com/direct/safetots-bed-rail-blue/624-2647.prd?pageLevel=&skuId=624-2647

ETA - he is also a confident walker, has been a long time now and has never attempted to get out of the bed.

 

[JessyG]

I would if she were attempting to climb out. My 16 month old is still in a sleeping bag so cant really climb out. I intend to switch to bed at 2ish...dreading it and wouldn't do it sooner than I have too lol.

 

[sbl]

Seems very early to me.
As long as she isn't climbing out thus being in danger of falling I'd leave it.

 

[supertabby]

I wouldn't unless she's attempting to climb out. We kept DD in the cot until 2 and a half, she was taller than the bars but quite content to be there. We chose to move her because we were expecting #2 and wanted to use her cot for him. Health visitors get some odd ideas sometimes!

 

[pinksmarties]

I wouldn't, unless she was climbing out. I kept DS1 in his cot with sides till he was nearly 2 and only then was he moved to his big boy bed so ds2 could have his cot. If it wasn't for ds2 needing it I would have kept him in it longer!

Now he realises he can get out of bed we have those battles and at 2 at least I can reason with him some, not that easy with a 1 year old.

 

[w8ing4bean]

I only would if she was trying to climb out. 1 year seems very early. I have a very tall lo, she looks over 2. No way am i taking the sides of yet tho!

 

[sheldonsmommy]

My friend's kid is over 2 and still in a crib. If she's happy sleeping in there, delay!! It's a whole new ball game when they can get out and wander around!

 

[nicki01]

I moved my LO into a toddler bed at 15 months, I done the same with my eldest, as soon as they are confident in walking and can climb on and off the sofa I move them out of a cot, no point delaying the inevitable, I think the earlier the better!

 

[Clairikins]

My oh put our daughter into a toddler bed (with side rails) when she was 13 months and we never had any problems with her getting out at all. Surprising really!

 

[MindUtopia]

Our approach was to move her to her toddler bed when she started walking confidently enough that she could get out (and get herself back in if she needed to) easily. I didn't want to do it at a point when her sleep was already disrupted enough that she was trying to climb out as that just seems like unnecessary stress. Our daughter wasn't walking confidently until 16 months and we moved her at 18 months (during month 17 I was overseas for work for several weeks, so it just wasn't the right time to try something new!). This worked fine for us and personally I found having her in a bed was much easier than in a cot and she went to sleep and slept better. I probably would have done it earlier if she was walking earlier and life was settled enough to make a big change like that (no illness, teething, etc.). But if you don't feel ready, there's no rush just because you have an early walker.

 

[liz1985]

My dd is similar age, and confidant walker and there's no way on earth I'd take her side of yet. Ds was almost 2 but tbh we only did that because we needed the cot for dd. If you want to try there's no harm, she won't hurt if she falls out, but I can't see a child that age understanding she needs to stay in bed, so I'd imagine she may climb out a lot. I'm surprised the hv recommended it so young, the actual recommended age for a bed, is age 3.

 

[steele]

I put my LO in a bed at 14 months. He was walking and climbing confidently. I'm a huge advocate of earlier the better, he didn't get out once and the transition was smooth. All my friends who did it later had issues with it.

 

[shinona]

I'm another mum who didn't move the lo into a toddler bed until they were past two and then it was only because there was a baby coming who was going to need the cot. As others have said, if they aren't trying to climb out and are perfectly happy in the cot, then what's the point?

 

[Alyssa Drough]

Well it's been 3 nights now and no issues. We've been using a bed rail/guard thing and she's slept fine all 3 nights, and when she has woken up she's just sat or stood up and called for me. I can also sit in there with her to help settle her to sleep which has helped her cos she hated me putting her down in there before unless she was already fast asleep. Success so far I'd say.

 

[Gem1302]

Glad it's working for you as well as it did for us!

 

[Wriggley]

we took the sides off the cot with DS1 at 15 months because he hated the sides - luckily he was one of these kids that would never get out his bed just sit crying until we went to him so it was never an issue - his room was baby proof with a stair gate

DS2 is a whole different matter hes nearly 19 months and we wont be taking the sides of his cot for a long time!

Just the other day he got in our bed in the night - at some point he woke up without us noticing and snuck out our room found a chocolate santa and brought it back into our room. we woke up to find him sat on the end of our bed scoffing chocolate