The Big Boy Bed
We've been struggling recently trying to get Bud to accept having the side removed from his cot bed. He's now 2 years and 8 months so he really shouldn't be in a bed with sides on it anymore and he's also worked out how to take his sleeping bag off and climb over the cot bars too. This means we get a knock on the door every morning, rather than a little voice shouting 'Mummy, Daddy' over the baby monitor. We've actually removed the side a couple of times but Bud has had a meltdown so it has gone back on again but we decided that yesterday was the day that the side was coming off and it wasn't going back on. The tools came out and the side was removed during the day and we may have used a bit of bribery encouragement by telling Bud that Merry, our Elf, had said that Father Christmas thought that Bud should have the side taken away in order to be a big boy ready for Christmas.
As Bud's bed is a cot bed I don't really have that many concerns about him falling out of bed. He really doesn't have far to fall, but I have been looking for an easy way to keep him in bed, especially as he is quite an active sleeper! Purple Daisies offered to send me a foam bumper to try out and this was the perfect opportunity.
The bed bumper is a triangular piece of foam, measuring 100cm in length, perfect for putting on a cot bed. You simply place the bumper on the mattress and fit the sheet over both.
As Bud's bed is a cot bed I don't really have that many concerns about him falling out of bed. He really doesn't have far to fall, but I have been looking for an easy way to keep him in bed, especially as he is quite an active sleeper! Purple Daisies offered to send me a foam bumper to try out and this was the perfect opportunity.
We're now on night two using the bumper and Bud has gone to sleep no problem both nights and I'm fairly sure he hasn't managed to fall out in the night. The foam bumper is great, it doesn't take up much room and is less expensive than the barriers which fix to the side of the bed which, for me, are more of a halfway house between a cot and a bed. The bumper allows a bed but with just a 'bump' to help them stay in. It is very reasonably priced at £10:99 for the 100cm, with longer options, extensions and multi-buy options available on the website. If I had one concern about the bumper it is that there is nothing covering the foam. If a child was sick or wet in the night then there would be nothing to protect the bumper apart from the sheet. I'm sure you could fit it under a waterproof sheet if you use one though. I'd like to see covers for the bumper available on the website, I think I'd buy one just to offer that extra protection.There is a slight gape on the side of the mattress where the fitted sheet doesn't quite reach (because of the extra height given by the bumper) but this doesn't bother me and you could always disguise it by putting the shorter side on the wall side of the bed. Purple Daisies also sell extra deep bedding to remove this problem completely. I really like how portable this bumper is. It is so lightweight and would easily pop in on top of boot if you are going away or your child is sleeping over somewhere.
Bud has slept peacefully in his 'big boy bed' for one full night and we are now well into the second. I'm so pleased that we've finally managed to crack this one. Next step, potty training!
Diclaimer: I was sent the Bed Bumper for the purpose of this review but the thoughts and opinions contained within it are all my own.