Moving your little one out of your bed (no matter how old they are) is a huge move for all of you.
The age of your child, where you are moving them to (e.g still in your room but in a cot or out the room completely) and your little ones personality are all important considerations when deciding how to approach it this move.
If your child only knows sleeping in the bed it will be a huge jump to suddenly move them out your bed, your room and away from you. Instead it will be kinder on all of you to make it a gradual move.
A baby for example could make the transition into a cot beside your bed so they are still close by. You can then gradually work up to moving them further away in the room until they end up in their own room.
An older child will cope better with going straight into their own room. It can also be kinder to go cold turkey and move them straight into their room instead of transitioning them in your room (as per the baby method above) as it could end up being a big tease having your bed so close by. However they will still need your comfort so instead you might need to move with them temporarily to offer extra love and comfort while they get used to their sleep space. You could start doing bedtime routine in their room and sit right next to them while they fall asleep. As they start to adjust to their new room you can then gently move yourself further away every few nights.
The pace at which you move forward will be different for all families so never compare your speed and progress with others. Some kids will need lots of help with small steps while others will cope better with bigger and quicker steps. Identify what your child needs and respond to those needs. If your child is very alert and stimulated by your presence you may also need to work towards getting yourself out of their room quicker.
Finally be consistent. If you decide to move away from co-sleeping don’t occasionally let your little one into your bed. Not only is this a tease for them but its also a very mixed message. They wont understand for example that its okay to come into your bed early in the morning but not in the middle of the night. If they think there is a chance of coming into your bed it will make the learning process of accepting their new sleep space a lot harder for them.
Leigh. X
Does your child start waking hourly after a couple hours of good sleep? Then this blog is for you!
