Having children has taught me a lot of things, but has reminded me of this over and over again: they keep you on your toes.
Just as soon as you think you've got a handle on routines/schedules, they are ready for a transition. It's all bittersweet and terrifying.
I recently went through this on my own with my own daughter. She's a few months shy of 3 (sorry, how did that happen?!) and had been sleeping so good in her crib that I really had no reason to switch things up. But, with baby #2 on the way, I thought I'd rather exhaust myself with this task now versus when baby comes and I'm already exhausted.
So, I asked some friends via Instagram what they recommended and got a ton of answers (thank you!). Here were my top favorites that I feel really helped.
1) Start Prepping Early
We implemented this book into her nighttime routine over a month prior to actually transitioning to the bed. It helped her get familiar with the idea of a "big kid bed" and sparked early conversations about it, too. We compared it to "mommy and daddy's bed" and she really liked that.
2) Use the Same Sheets
What I mean by this is, of course your crib sheet will not match the sheet you have on the big bed. But, I used the pillow sheet in her crib for about a week before transitioning. This way, something was familiar (even if it was just a pillow).
Others recommended having the kids pick out their own sheets to make it a little more exciting for them, too.
3) Wake Light
Using a light like this to help the kiddos understand when they're allowed to come out of their room so they aren't up all night rattling at your door, wreaking havoc, etc. Red means sleep, green means awake, yellow means come out of your room. Whatever you want to do, you can.
I hope these tips help you in a time of change. Sometimes all we can do is prep our best, close our eyes, cross our fingers (and toes) and hope for the best! I feel like that's a theme of parenthood in general.
