The big boy bed

For a while now, we've been talking about Ethan moving up to a big boy bed. I still remember when we made the transition from a carry cot in our bedroom to the cot in the nursery and to this day, Ethan still sleeps in that same cot.

We didn't get a cot bed due to the space in the nursery and the way in which we wanted to position the cot. Ethan still sleeps with bars on all four sides and whilst he doesn't mind or knows any different, he's getting a little long...

So, we read about making the step to a toddler bed and have looked at many, many different beds, including this popular, stylish design with integrated cloud shaped night light, before settling on this one.

It's fun, it's got a good design and it'll suit Ethan for the next couple of years, I'm sure.

We chose it because we wanted storage built-in underneath, buffers at the sides as part of the design and we really liked the little shelf to one side, which has a slot for a bedtime book and a holder for a cup of juice. How cute, and handy, is that?

There's a couple of other versions of this, including Thomas the Tank Engine which I know Ethan would have loved but at the same time, we wanted something a little more neutral, just in case his love of choo choo's fade.

His nursery is a soft yellow shade, filled with Mama's and Papa's Jamboree accessories and Winnie the Pooh pictures and wall art. It's cute and still pretty neutral so still works for our two year four month old, but in a year or so, we may look to move him into the spare room, which has a full on dinosaur theme and is used as his playroom / home for hubs' wardrobe. If another baby were to come along, his nursery is all ready for them as it is so it doesn't make sense for us to redecorate it.

So, we have the bed and the mattress, plus a Winnie the Pooh duvet set so we're all set for Ethan to graduate from a cot and blankets to a proper big boy (toddler) bed.

We just have to make the transition.

We don't think it will be too hard (I hope we're not eating those words in the near future...) as Ethan sleeps through the night without trouble nine times out of 10 and doesn't take too long to settle down to bed.

The only thing I think will prove a bit tricksy is the fact that without the bars, Ethan can fidget and get up, if he wants to.

To help him learn when to stay in bed and when it's ok to get up, we have a new gadget.

The Gro Clock (RRP £29.99), from The Gro Company, is a night-light-come-sleep trainer that's really easy to use and simply and visually tells your little one when it's night time, and therefore sleep time, and when it's daytime, and ok to get out of bed.

A yellow lit sun displays when it is daytime and then, at a time you can programme to suit your child's own bedtime routine, a blue lit star shows for the duration of the night.

Ethan may still be a little young but we've started using the Gro Clock as part of his bedtime routine already, saying out loud what the display means and he's already picking up the message. When he sees the stars he says 'twinkle twinkle!' and we tell him he's right and that it means it's night-time and time to be in bed.

As we move to his new toddler bed, we're hoping the clock will continue to prove useful in teaching Ethan when it's ok to get up. And, if he does get out of bed and reaches for the door handle of his room, we have a new safety gate the other side to stop him getting up to mischief!

The Gro Clock comes with a book, Sleepy Farm, which helps to convey the message of 'sun means awake and stars mean asleep'. Ethan particularly likes this as it's all about animals!

There's also a digital clock display which you can have on or off, so as he gets older, you can start to teach them to read the time.

We really like the Gro Clock - the design is compact and smart and the only thing I'd say is it would be great to have the option to use batteries rather than just the mains power lead, so there's more flexibility on where you can place it in the room. Other than that, it's a great idea and I'm sure it's going to help us.

We have a week off the week after next so will switch the cot for the bed then... wish us luck and do share any tips you might have in the comments below.

I'm also keen to take a look at their Gro-to-Bed range as it looks extremely clever indeed. It's a wriggle-proof system consisting of a fitted bottom sheet, attached pillow and a duvet that you zip on, so it stays in place. Such a simple idea so we will see how we get on with our little wriggle bum!

* Thank you to The Gro Company - your Gro Swaddles helped us hugely when Ethan was a newborn, your Grobag sleep bags were an essential and the clock is going to help us now he's a toddler. If you like the sound of the Gro Clock too, you can buy it online here.