The first years of a child’s life are spent teaching them to do things an adult has been doing so long he’s forgotten he ever had to learn it. Sometimes it can be frustrating to see how difficult it can be for your child to learn something that seems so easy to you–consider learning to use utensils, learning to dress yourself, or potty training. But one of the skills that causes a parent the most frustration and worry is teaching your child to sleep in his own bed.
It seems like children will do anything to avoid sleep, and especially to avoid sleeping in their own beds. When you have your child in a crib, at least they’re fairly contained. But once your child outgrows his crib and it’s time to move him to a “big-boy bed”, the nightly wandering starts. How can you stop this? One thing that may help is to buy your child a kid’s bed.
A kid’s bed helps ease the transition between crib and a regular twin or full size bed. Larger than a crib but smaller than a twin bed, these kid’s beds help a child to feel secure in the scary watches of the night. Many kid’s beds come in fun shapes, such as a race car or a princess bed. If your child loves his bed, he may be more willing to stay in it.
If you decide to get a kid’s bed, it’s a good idea to let your child come shopping with you to pick it out. You may want to do some research beforehand so you know which beds you’re willing to buy. Then you can let your child choose his favorite from among the choices you’ve approved. Your child is more willing to enjoy using his bed if he’s chosen it and feels like it’s truly his. Children tend to develop attachments to objects, and if he chooses his bed and develops an attachment to it, that’s a good thing. It will lead to less nighttime wandering.
So what should you look for in a child’s bed, beside a theme he loves? Safety is, of course, your primary concern. Look for a well constructed bed made from quality materials. Make sure your kid’s bed has been approved by the Child Product Safety Commission. This is especially important if you buy a used bed–make sure there wasn’t a later recall on the model you’re considering buying. Also, make sure there’s no damage to the bed, such as gouges that may leave rough edges your child could hurt himself on, or weakened legs that could lead to a collapse.
You’ll probably want a bed that has safety rails. When your child’s used to sleeping in a crib, he hasn’t yet learned how to not fall out of bed in his sleep. Make sure the rails can be firmly attached so they don’t collapse or fall off if the child presses against them in his sleep. Also, make sure they can be removed later–your child won’t want safety rails forever.
Let your child help, or at least watch, you set up the bed. He’ll probably feel a mounting excitement as he sees it come together, and that could lead to him wanting to sleep in it. Make sure you press the bed against the wall on the side that doesn’t have a safety rail, or put safety rails on both sides. Allow your child to spend time playing on the bed during the day so he’ll feel comfortable with it before night.
Making the transition from crib to bed is an exciting time in a child’s life, proof that he is growing up. A kid’s bed is a great step toward independence while still allowing for the security a young child needs.