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View Full Version : SOS: transitioning twins to toddler beds



Naranjadia
10-17-2009, 11:35 PM
Oh my. It is 10 o'clock and the kids are finally asleep. Their bedtime is 7:30. The problem: first night in toddler beds.

I need tips. Any tips. It's like the wheels completely came off. DD is now asleep in her diaper. Why she took off her pajamas tonight, when she could have always taken them off is beyond me, but at least she is in her bed. DS is asleep atop a stuffed chicken right inside the doorway.

We have a gate right outside their door. DD can scale it, if DS pushes her up by the butt. We could get a taller gate, or a wider gate to use on the interior so they can't reach the door, or a hook & latch for the door. But ...

what do we do about having two little monkeys running around their (ostensibly childproofed) room? Aaaah! I don't mind laughter, but screams, shrieks, wailing, etc.

Momof3Labs
10-18-2009, 02:43 AM
Why do they need to be out of their cribs? My kids both stayed in their cribs well past their third birthday - when they started climbing out, we put on a crib tent, which kept them safe for another good year.

veronica
10-18-2009, 08:01 AM
Echoing the PP. DD will turn 4 in Dec. and still likes her crib. it turns into a toddler bed but she said she likes her crib so we don't push it. She doesn't climb out ever and prefers it, so we aren't pushing. I know if we did, she'd walk right out of the room and that terrifies me!

hope a new night gets better for you!

lmwbasye
10-18-2009, 09:24 AM
I don't have multiples, but thought I'd let you know that we did the new bed last night for the first time, too. We tried it out (without taking down the crib) because he climbed out of his crib. He cried for maybe 20 minutes but Dad put him in his sleep sack like he had in the crib and he went right to sleep, so maybe having the same routine/same things they may have had in their crib will help.

FWIW...G did sleep fine with no trouble (other than the initial 20 minutes) but I'm still considering trying the crib tent and putting the bed away for now. I mean, why move him if I don't have to, right?

Hugs!!

Naranjadia
10-18-2009, 09:26 AM
I should have explained: their climbing out of bed wasn't the only factor. I have a muscle disorder and they are getting too heavy for me to lift over the crib sides. When they're cooperative, I can get them out by dragging them up and over the top of the railing, but when they're not feeling well, or something, it's nearly impossible for me to reach over and try to pull them up. So I didn't like that this was limiting my interactions with them, and I was worried that a situation would arrive when DH or a babysitter wasn't around and I couldn't get them out.

I was hoping we would make it to at least three years old!

lmwbasye
10-18-2009, 09:28 AM
Hmm...that does sound like a challenge. I would move them to a toddler bed in that situation as well.

Well, from everything I've read (and from what I remember of my oldest) the first two weeks can be tough, but then it gets better and a lot of kiddos sleep better (again...I don't have multiples and cannot even imagine). Just trying to give some encouragement.

Hang in there!

fivi2
10-18-2009, 10:20 AM
Right now it is new and exciting. They will get used to it (eventually)...

That said, what works best for us is separating them until they fall asleep and then putting them back together. We have a tiny house, so one goes to sleep on our bed and then gets transferred.

Good luck!

arivecchi
10-18-2009, 10:50 AM
Hmmm, don't know. The transition has been a disaster for us. DS1 either sleeps in our bed or I have to sleep with him in his bed. Fun.

Naranjadia
10-19-2009, 03:53 PM
Thanks for the replies, everyone.

We put a hook & latch on the outside of their door and on both closets in their room (after having all of their clothes emptied out onto the floor - grrr).

Yesterday, they didn't nap at all, except briefly in the car. We took them to a pumpkin/hay ride/corn maze tree farm type place and just let them get completely exhausted. They were late to bed, tired, and much more compliant.

No nap today either, but I assume that is common. Did your kids adjust to nights first, and then naps?

glbb35
10-20-2009, 12:22 PM
I feel your pain. Although my twins are still little we did have trouble with the older boys transitioning until we came up with some creative solutions. When we moved DS1 out we took his movement monitor that was under his crib mattress and simply put it under his toddler mattress. Therefore every time he got out of bed the monitor would go off and he would run back into bed. In the begging like another poster said it is all new to them (it gets old to us real fast!) and they will eventually grow out of it. I have to say it was hilarious to hear his feet hit the floor (we were in the family room under him) and he would walk carefully across the floor, get the warning beeps and then the full loud screeching and hear his little feet go running back into the bed. He knew if we came upstairs after he set the alarm off he was in big trouble. Before we knew it, it was second nature and he knew not to get out of bed. We did it the same with the second DS and he just got it.

My older boys moved into a room together when the twins came and it took 2 months to get them to be quiet, stay in bed, not drop things down from the top bunk, stop playing with toys and annoying each other. Eventually it did subside. They still now and then, most notably two weeks ago Sunday night, decided to talk for an hour and throw things back and forth. After going up there numerous times I gave up. I went into their rooms and removed all the toys and stuff they were playing with and put them in a large bin the their closet. Now we make it routine. Their room is picked up before bed and the room is clean and so are the things to play with and throw. Gone are the nights of me stepping on things that made noise and would be set off, loud as **ll scaring the crap out of me and waking them as well. Also gone are the nights of me tripping over some small transformer or something and nearly breaking my foot so I don't break it. The less they have to gain access too the better. Now they sleep so much better. We also got rid of the nightlight which gave them too much to see and ideas of what to do and we put one in the hallway.

Good luck, this is just what worked for us. this too shall pass!!!

B

DS 03, 06, twins 09

Melaine
10-20-2009, 12:29 PM
Sorry I missed this thread. I was advised by another multiples mom to get this and it was so helpful:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=47546

We set it up in the corner of the room and hooked it to our TV. We told them they couldn't get out of bed and used the camera to be sure they were staying in there. If they got up or started any kind of Twin-on-Twin violence (stealing loveys was the offense of choice for awhile) we immediately addressed it.
IMO, if they know they can get out of their beds and you can't stop them each and every time chaos can take over (particularly with more than one kiddo in a room).
As it was, we didn't need the camera for very long and it hasn't been an issue since. Good luck!