Need room transition advice (xposted)

We're planning to move Nate across the hall from his current room/nursery to a "big boy" room. We bought a toddler-convertible crib from IKEA for the new room and put up today, still as a crib because I don't know much change he can handle at one go. The new baby is due in early May, so I'd like a month before she's due to make changes/prep the nursery. And since it would be converting Nate's old room, I think he'll probably need a month of thinking of it still as "his" before we do anything to it, so that puts us at ealy March before we *must* move him. The room is not finished yet, although it's slowly getting there. I still want to add wall art, a rug, and we need some sort of dresser or bookcase. It will probably still be a work in progress once he's transitioned, but I'd at least like to have these things in place before we move him. I thought I'd move him gradually -- getting the room ready and letting him play in there, then putting him down for naps, then starting him to sleep in there. I told my husband that I thought that we should shoot for Nate's 2nd birthdate to have him completely moved. But my husband thinks we should move him cold-turkey and ASAP. I disagree with this, so I thought I'd ask if anyone here has moved your child's room (w/in the same house), how you did it, and what advice you'd give about the process?

xposted in the Baby Bargains Lounge.

We did something similar. I was due in August, so in May we had Alia's new room set up. Double bed, everything new except for her pillows (we put 2 small pillows in her crib earlier this year) and her stuffed animals. She was playing in there as we got it set up. Then one day after work we took down the crib in her old room (with her help) and closed the door. This was in August (since we ended up mc and didn't need the room right away as originally expected). We had to put her crib mattress next to (and a week later on top of) the double bed. But within 3 weeks she was sleeping on the double bed (still on the floor!) with no issues. We did have to put in a nightlight, which she never had before. And it took some trial and energy to figure out that's what she wanted.

I would say once the room is ready go for it. Taking down the crib helped both us and her to realize it wasn't an option. Allowing her to use the mattress in the new room and transition that piece slowly worked for us. So, I guess we agree with your husband, cold turkey. Alia never did nap in her new room, and actually stopped napping all together right before we made the move.

I've heard the adage nothing 3 months prior and 3 months after a new baby. So you want to start the process more than 3 months before the new baby arrives so you all get settled. And so he doesn't feel like you kicked him out of his room for the baby. We call Alia's old room the nursery and she occasionally will go in there to look around. But she doesn't consider it her room any more.

Regardless of how you handle it - good luck! It's a fun and sometimes trying time!

Michelle
Michelle - Mom to Alia born 5/16/02

Hi Caroline,

We just went through this exercise. My DS is almost 2.5 and the new baby is due in 5 weeks. We started in September working on his new "big boy" room. The room needed a lot of work. We let DS help which he loved, we pulled out the carpet and put in hardwood floors, painted, etc. Throughout the process we jsut kept telling him that this was going to be his new room.

I also bought some new toys and fun things to decorate with. When the interior of the room was fairly complete we moved his furniture in and stated putting out the new things and toys, etc. DS helped unpack things, make the bed, etc. That night he got to sleep in his new room. So I guess you would say that he went cold turkey but it was at least a months worth of fixing up time that he was involved with. He has been in the new room now for a month and barely goes back into the nursery. Although last week he kept telling me that it is his crib in there - which is such a laugh because he hated his crib and barely slept in it!:)

Good luck with the transition - I thought it was fun and not stressful like I though it would be. We'll see what happens when the baby ariives.

Kristine

Mom to Louis 6/02
and new baby arriving 12/20/04