Hello All :) I have an 18 month old who I am trying to transitioni to a toddler type environment. She has pretty much trashed her crib because she LOVES the soft, plush bumper pad i had all around but she has squished it by rolling, laying, cuddling, on it so bad that it will never be used again. Last night my husband and I took it out of the crib and she is sleeping with just her blankie in there now. Prior to this the only thing in the crib was the bumper pad, the baby and her little burp rag "blankie". She slept horrible last night and for both naps today, she is tired and cranky!! I have friends and family who have always scolded me for NOT giving her anything to sleep with such as blankets and a pillow. I tried a toddler pillow today for nap...BAD IDEA. She just kept throwing it out of her crib over and over until i took it away....HELP
gave her the bumper pad back and a bigger blanket to sleep with and she is now sleeping 11 hours a night...its great! I guess she will do what she wants in her own time. thanks for the advice!
be consistent.
My son sleeps with only a blankie (23mo). He sleeps fine w/ no issues. You could throw an extra blankie in there...just stick to what you want and she will adjust with time as long as you're consistent.
why not cut up her bumper pad and make a pillow? Maybe you could take out some of the filling and make it flatter for her, easier to hug. Or, you could take out the filling all together and make another blankie for her. Good luck!!
My 2 yr old also won't let any "foreign" objects into his bed with him. He has his favorite blanket (very light weight) and a curved hippo pillow and that is IT!
Perhaps you could cut off a few sections of the bumper and sew it into a pillow for her. She may be more willing to accept that than a new pillow.
like the pillow idea!
or else get a new bumper.
don't see the big deal if she has it and snuggles up to it... she sleeps.
I think some people on here want to keep their children babies forever, even when they are no longer babies.....anyhoo, that rant being said, maybe you could try putting her in a toddler bed? we put my oldest in a toddler bed when he was 17 or 18 months old, the one with the short side rails up top so he doesnt roll out. He is 2 years 4 months now. we put him in the toddler bed because we were expecting twins and were going to need the crib. He transitioned awesome, from day one he has loved his bed and stays in until he wakes up, no problem. he had also got to the point that as soon as he woke up in the crib, everything got thrown out, no matter what it was. i would either just do the same as you did last night and just give it a few days for her to adjust or maybe try the toddler bed. if nothing works, u could give it back, but i think that just teaches her that if she throws a fit she gets what she wants..good luck!
Here is a pretty awesome guide for transitioning toddlers to "big kid" beds. Hope it helps!
http://www.skinnyscoop.com/list/eden/tips-for-transitioni...
Why... does everything have to be taken out of her crib?
Kids of all ages, like to have cuddly things to sleep with and their 'loveys' too.
Nothing wrong with that.
she obviously likes the crib bumper. Why not just leave it there?
She can't sleep now.
So what if it is all squished.
She likes it.
She sleeps well with that and her Blankie in the crib with her.
You don't have to save, the bumper, because once she outgrows it, it won't be needed, anymore.
Right now, it is still needed. For her to sleep.
And you won't want to keep the bumper anyway. Nor save it.
It is a cuddly thing for her now. To sleep with.
What is this 'transitioning to toddler type environment' anyway?
She's 18 months old.
She's young.
Still not a grown up kid or Toddler.
Both my kids, loved having loveys in their crib and bed to sleep with. They slept well that way.
I was like that as a child too.
They grow out of it, on their own.
My kids, still have their loveys to sleep with, and they are 4 ad 8 years old.
Kids... just have cozy loveys they like to sleep with.
It is childhood.
I see no harm in it.
Why take away her bumper pad? Obviously she loves it! She's a baby. No need to rush her into a toddler environment. Give her back her bumper pad. Poor baby :(
Firstly, don't feel pressured to put your child into a toddler bed too soon. Your peace of mind and her safety are of the utmost importance. She has the rest of her life to sleep in a big kid bed.
Second, I didn't allow anything in my child's bed for the looongest time either--your a good mom! My child did not have a pillow until she was 2 bc she slept on her tummy anyway and that is not good for the spine. When she began sleeping on her side I got her an organic buckwheat pillow and she finally started to sleep on her back. She was in a crib until she was 3 and fine with it.
If you think a toddler bed is right for her and you are comfy with it, go for it. Ikea has great ones that come with rails that detach and are close to the floor. Otherwise, think of this as a period of testing and just stick to your guns and she will go back to sleeping again. Keep the routine the same and make her stay in her crib for a set amount of time whether she sleeps or not. Perhaps a board book in her crib would be ok?
Also, have you considered that she might be ready to transition to one nap a day? That just might be what this is all about.
