Big Girl's Bed

G has finally moved into a proper bed. A previous attempt at taking the sides off her cot was thwarted by her continual insistence on getting up when she should have been taking an afternoon nap, but this week's change went very smoothly.

On the morning after the first night, we wondered whether G would work out that she was now able to get out of bed whenever she wanted. At about 8:30am we heard a bit of fidgeting, then a bump, then footsteps, and the door to our bedroom swung open, pushed by an excited G who was chattering about her "big girl's bed." I suppose there's the risk she'll do it at 3am one of these days. But she seems to enjoy her sleep too much for that.

The only problem we've ever had with her sleeping is on trips away. If she wakes up and can see us sleeping in the same room, she has a habit of thinking it's time to get up, even if it's still the middle of the night.

Before Christmas, Mrs J produced a new clock for G's room (it's the circular thing on the right), which shows a sun during the day and a moon and stars at night time. The idea is that, if junior wakes up in the night and can see the moon and stars, he or she will realise it's not time to get up just yet, and will turn over and drift back off to sleep.

I don't mind admitting I was rather sceptical about whether this would work. But, on our weekend in Shropshire a couple of weeks back, Mrs J set it up in the bedroom we were all sharing. In the middle of the first night, I heard the familiar sound of fidgeting and gurgling, and could tell that G was getting herself stood up in her travel cot. Preparing to get up myself, imagine my surprise when I heard G say "clock... stars... clock sleepy" then lie down again. None of us had to get up before breakfast time, which is just how we all like it.

If it continues to work at home too, having G in a proper bed will be as much of a doddle as sleeping in a cot has been up until now. Next up: potty training. But maybe not quite yet.

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