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If there’s anything parents know about their kids, it’s that they love routine structure and are not always a fan of change. Sleep training your baby and getting your toddler to stay in their own room through tantrums and nightmares can be an ordeal in and of itself. But then taking them out of the room that they are attached to and shifting them to a new one, especially if you are moving to a new home or locality can be a lot for your tiny tot to take in. But can you blame them? Sleeping in an unfamiliar space can be a challenge for anybody. Let alone a child who is only comfortable with closing their eyes when they know exactly where mom, dad and they are. But as scary as it is, there are a few things that you can do to ease this transition for your child. Here’s what you can do to smoothen things out when your child needs to sleep in a new room.
1. Talk About The Idea Before You Make The Switch
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Irrespective of if you are asking them to switch rooms or shifting them to a new home altogether, you’ve got to start selling the idea to your kids well before it happens. The best thing to do is to get your little one excited about the new change. Tell them what this means for them. That they get their own new space and that you are now giving them more freedom and autonomy. Telling your child that this is one of the perks of being a big kid is a great way to pitch the shift or switch to them. You can mention the names of their friends who have also shifted to a new room in order to further entice them. Another way to get them to get onboard is to tell them all the fun ways in which they can customize this space. Let them know that they can paint the room their favorite color and decorate it however they’d like. This will surely get them warming up to the idea in no time.
2. Make The Room As Sleep Friendly As Possible
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Sure your child can pick out the paint color and put up a few stickers, but there are some things in the room that you have to keep in an orderly way so that your little one finds it an easy place to sleep in. This means switching out glaring bedtimes for a red bulb night light. This will make the room less scary while still casting no more than a light glow about the room. You can also get some blackout drapes or curtains to keep all the light out. Make sure you let your little one transfer all their precious comfy items into their new room. Be it their blanket, a few stuffed toys or a special showpiece, letting them have that piece of familiarity and comfort and get them feeling like home in a shorter amount of time. And this in turn will help them relax and fall asleep in the new environment with ease.
3. Slowly Ease Them Into The Transition At First
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It’s completely natural for your kid to be apprehensive about sleeping in a new place on the first night, even if they were excited before they saw the new room or house. This is totally normal and there is no need to panic. Expect the hesitation at first, but continue to be positive about the switch. It’s okay if they’d rather remain with you for the first night, as long as they ease into the new room slowly. You can start by keeping their bedtime routine the same and make things fun whenever you can. Sing and dance as they take a bath or brush their teeth. Read them their favorite bedtime story. If your child finds it daunting to stay in the new room at night, let them spend time in there during the day while you stay close by. Leave the door open and let them play with their toys or shift things in the room until they are satisfied with it. Now, these things may get them to sleep in their room for a couple of nights before they start protesting again, but that’s why it’s called the transition period.
Moving to a new room can cause some alarm in kids. After all, this can be an emotional time for them. Allow them to say goodbye to their old room and let them ease into the new space that they are to sleep in. try to make it as cozy and inviting to them. But most importantly, be patient with them. They will eventually start to like this new room just as much as the old one, and the nightly war will end.
