How To Help Your Child Transition To Napping On A Cot At Daycare

As much as you may want your child to keep sleeping in their crib, the reality of daycare may force the transition to a toddler bed sooner than you think. Depending on how old your child is, your daycare may require your child to take their nap on a cot before they are ready for it. In order to prevent some rough days where they do not get the nap that they need, follow these tips to help them transition to a cot.

Keep Communication Open With Daycare

Start by finding out when your daycare will transition to having your child nap on a cot. This usually happens when your child switches rooms based on their age, but it can also happen because of safety reasons.

If your child is finding a way to escape their crib, it will be a big sign that a switch is necessary. You do not want to wait until it gets to this point, but it should be around the time when they are showing signs that they are capable of getting out of the crib. That is why it is best to start transitioning before these two events.

Start With The Mattress On The Floor

Your child will not be used to the freedom that comes with not having a crib, and it can be dangerous to start them up high on an actual bed. For the first few days, start by placing the mattress on the floor. If they do roll off the mattress, they won't have a long fall that can hurt them.

Watch your child on the baby monitor to see how they are doing. Once they have had a few successful nights without rolling off the mattress, you can move them to an actual toddler bed. Once they start using the toddler bed, it's a good idea to put some pillows next to it on the ground in case they do have an accident where they roll off it.

Take Safety Precautions

Chances are that your child will enjoy their newfound freedom in their room once bedtime begins, though. Make sure to have a safety gate placed outside of their door in case they are capable of opening the door in the middle of the night.

Hopefully, these tips will help your child adjust to their new sleeping arrangement, which will make their naps go smoothly once they start sleeping on a cot at daycare. For more information about how to plan transitions to daycare, consider contacting a professional like those at Cottonwood Montessori.