My son Cooper had just celebrated his second birthday when I would be greeted each morning with a yell from his bedroom, “Mummy, I’m stuck!”.
As soon as he was awake he would start climbing the railings of his cot.
The morning that he got one leg over one side and was balancing on the top of the cot rail, I knew it was time.
My husband Jared, Cooper and I visited our local Sleepy’s store. Cooper got to lie on and try a ‘big boy mattress’ and then played in the kids’ corner whilst we made the final decision on what would be best for our son.
We were already set up with a single bed frame and trundle and we knew we wanted the best quality mattress we could get for our growing son (and his cousins and friends when they sleep over).
It was important to understand the mattress that he would be sleeping on for the next 10 years. From the age of 2 to 12 his body will go through a lot of change and that’s why it was vital to know that he would have the adequate support for his growing limbs as well as great back support.
We wanted a mattress that was comfortable, supportive but also had the durability to get Cooper through a very important stage of his life. As an athlete I understand a good sleep is imperative for body and brain development especially in growing bodies like my toddler.
The Sleepy’s staff were fantastic, answering all of our questions and giving us a greater understanding of the mattress that we liked. We were very happy to order two great quality single bed mattresses, with anti-microbial qualities.
Next step was shopping for linen. We took Cooper with us and allowed him to choose his sheets, blankets and doona cover – all themed around Cars, Lightning McQueen, bright blues, reds, trucks and fire engines (not forgetting a couple of the water proof mattress protectors).
The day the mattresses arrived we got very excited and made sure that Cooper was involved immediately. He helped make his bed and then got familiar with it, we let him play, jump and have lots of fun on his new bed.
Because of the awkward positions he was still sleeping in during the night I decided to put up a safety rail guard that attaches under the mattress and the slats. This also helped him still feel secure but gave him access to get in and out of bed on his own.
When it was ready for sleep time we told him how proud we were that he was in a big boy bed. I believe the positive talk in the lead up to the change made him feel very important and I knew immediately that he felt safe and comfortable.
The transition ran very smoothly and I have complete confidence that Cooper’s bed will take him all the way through his childhood. By the time of his 13th birthday he will be sleeping in something bigger, longer and again durable to get him through the teenage years.
Until then, the family can all rest easy with a quality night’s sleep on our mattresses from Sleepy’s.
For more information on a great quality mattress contact your local Sleepy’s store.
Source: http://www.sleepys.com.au/