Moving our toddler from his nursery…

This time last year we were a family of three with one on the way (sooner rather than later!!!)

Second time round I wasn’t as worried about the labour or delivery my view was I did it before & survived I’d do it again!!! My concern this time last year was all for my toddler – how was he going to take to a little sister or brother coming into our lives.

My other main concern was moving him from the nursery (beside our bedroom) down the hall to a new “Big Boys Bedroom”. What was only meant to be a lick of paint & new bed ended up with us (ie my husband & a friend) taking up floor boards, installing new radiators in the bedroom and hallway and putting in carpet. Oh the joys!!!

We kept the room pretty simple as I want it to grow with him for it to be filled with his likes and interests not mine. Of course he got his big boys bed, it’s a single bed which will become bunk beds in time maybe useful for sleepovers.

We were clever this time round and went for grey carpet not cream which we got from www.bannercarpets.ie and we love the anchor blind from @window attire. You can’t see the Velux blind which is navy I’m delighted I went for colour blind for his room and keeping it local paint brought in www.ncpaint.ie/

We brought Ben with us when shopping for his new duvet cover, light shades & he picked up the football pillow. We brought up some of his favourite toys to his room and kept him part of most conversations to do with his room. Made him feel part of the process.

When the night came for the big move it went relatively hassle free. Kept bedtime routine the same and he didn’t take a bit of notice. We didn’t touch the nursery until baby was nearly here. To be honest we didn’t have much to do only put the cotbed back together as a cot and give the room a good once over (poor second baby left with all the hand me downs 😉

When baby arrived she was in the room with us and this didn’t go unnoticed!!! We got a lot of “why is the baby sleeping in your room?” But we were honest and said babies wake in the night for a feed and we have to feed her. But when she gets bigger she’ll be going into her own room.

This worked as in he would seem happy enough with the answer and fall off to sleep but as time moved on we started getting a visitor in the middle of the night and I often had to go passed a sleeping baby (and husband) to put my now four year old back into his own bed!!!

My advice to mums and dads having to move a child from one room to another. Keep them involved in the discussions about their new room. Let them pick a few bits for the new room. Ben picked minion night lights & teddies which were broken within a few weeks but when it came to the move we were able to say you helped us do this room just for you. I think he settled well because he was so involved with the decision and choices around the room. After all it is his Big Boy Room for a long long time …