This blog has been sponsored by Little Ones’ Nappies available exclusively at Woolworths.

We have been using Woolworths nappies for over a year now and we even use them over night which has been a big relief knowing that Millie won’t be woken by a leaking nappy or we won’t wake up to a wet bed in the morning while transitioning her from her cot in our room to her big girl bed.

Long story short Millie has had her cot in our room since we moved to the Gold Coast for a few reasons which included mainly her room being a long distance from ours and on another level and because we have a parents retreat it enables us to be able have her sleeping in our living area of our room without it being too close to us.

We believed that we found the perfect time to make the transition from her cot to her big girl bed as we were not travelling for work and she had just returned from a stay at her Nannas so wasn’t used to being in our room, she was also asking to sleep in her “princess bed” which was a great sign.

We were 100% correct, in fact she is so comfortable in her room that she’s decided if she wakes in the night that she’s not upset but that she thinks it’s play time. Because her room is on the 2nd level of our 3 storey home when she wakes I worry about her near the stairs because she can open her bedroom door but also even though she has no toys in her room I don’t want her out of bed playing in the wee hours of the morning.

I put the call out to my Instagram for tips on this transition and as so many Mummies wanted to hear everyone’s advice I decided to write this blog which worked in well with my partnership with Woolworths Little One’s nappies.

 

SO, here are the top tips I was given and some I think will help on both transitioning your toddler from cot to bed and stopping them thinking the middle of the night is “play time.”

 

 

COT TO BED TRANSITION:

 

1.       Try transitioning your toddler from their cot to a mattress on the floor first to stop them falling out.

2.       Make sure they are ready to be moved in to a bed. There is no real need before the age of 2.5 unless they can can climb out of the cot which is dangerous or if you need the cot for the next bub.

3.       Positive reinforcement for being such a “grown up” and sleeping in their big bed. Tell them how proud you are of them and give them lots of cuddles and affection.

4.       Let your child help you set up their “big girl” bed so they feel ownership over it.

5.       Make sure you have their cot blanket on their bed with them so they still feel secure.

6.       Have a regular bed time routine to help them feel settled.

7.       Dress them in comfortable pajamas for the weather and a nappy you trust to last through the night. We trust and use Woolworths Little One’s Nappies for both day and night wear.

 

READ OUR REVIEW OF LITTLE ONES NAPPIES HERE

 

 

HOW TO STOP THEM GETTING OUT AT NIGHT:

 

1.       Just like everything else with parenting this is just a stage, most kids will go through it and to be patient with them while teaching them that night time is for sleep.

2.       If they wake and get out of their bed to play put them back to bed and stay with them to comfort them until they are asleep again. Try not to sleep in the room with them but keep coming back if they keep waking to get them used to you not being there when they wake.

3.       Teaching them and talking to them about the different between day and night and light and dark time and what that means about staying in bed.

4.       The most popular one was putting a baby gate on her door – even two if your child is a climber (like mine). This won’t stop them from getting up and playing but will stop them from roaming the house freely. You can also buy extra high gates for those climbers.

5.       There is a light you can buy which is red for “sleep time” and green for when it’s time to get up. Combining this with a sticker or reward chart for getting it right each night.

6.       Have a baby monitor set up so you hear when your child gets out of bed and you can go put them back in straight away.

7.       Try putting a guard at the side of their bed so it feels more like a cot and discourages them from getting out.

8.       Ensure there are no toys in your childs room so that they know their bedroom is for sleep not for play.

9.       Make sure the room is completely safe for unsupervised play and have a light so if your child does get up without you knowing they are less likely to hurt themselves.

10.   Keep the rest of the house completely dark to make it less appealing to go out in to it.

11.   Gro Clock – it’s a clock that has different picture and colours for day and night to encourage your child to stay in bed.

 

WHAT WE ARE TRYING:

We are trying our hardest to get a more consistent bed time routine including reading to her in bed and talking to her about staying in bed until its light outside again. Millie comprehends so much and is picking up on the difference between night and day and dark and light really well so I think this will help to get her to stay put.

The Gro clock was an overwhelmingly popular tip and I’ll be purchasing one to try in combination with a rewards/sticker chart to help stop her from getting out of her bed at night.

We are also going to try a gate just outside her bedroom door and turn off the rest of the lights in the house to at least deter her from leaving her room (Millie is a climber and can easily get over the gate).

But above all, I am going to be patient and understanding that this is just another stage and she will grow out of it.

 

A little about why we trust and use Little One’s even over night…

Now Millie is older we use the Nappy Pant version and I have to say they are in my opinion a much better version of a nappy pant as they are thinner, fit tighter but are still just as absorbent as the more expensive and well-known brands. We have only ever had a few leak through the nights when she’s been wearing them and that’s been after a minimum 12 hours of wearing them. We are so happy with them, especially for the price! If you’re babe is ready for Nappy Pants I would defiantely recommend giving these a try!

FOR MORE INFO OR TO BUY LITTLE ONES NAPPIES HEAD TO THEIR SITE HERE.

 

 

Remember, with your toddler waking at night or calling out to you in the middle of the night even though it can be frustrating for us they are experiencing something very new for them and that If they’re getting upset they are probably having some separation anxiety from being away from you and also could be a scared. When it comes to the playing or wandering it’s important to be patient with these little babies as we have had them restricted to a cot for so long and now they have this freedom – we just need to teach them over time what the difference between day and night is.

 

I hope this helps you in some little way.

 

If you have any other tips PLEASE share them on my Instagram post.

 

Love,

Brittany xx