Mother’s Notebook: Surviving Croup & Transitioning Toddler To ‘Big Boy Bed’

I've been away from work for the last two days because my son Charlie has come down with a bad cold. I'm not talking about the type of cold where you're a little stuffed up and miserable. I'm talking about the type of cold where you cough so hard you vomit, you aren't eating solids and you're utterly miserable.

I took him into the doctor on Wednesday and he is being treated for croup. It's pretty common in little kids, but it's a nightmare to deal with.

My son was up at all hours of the night with severe breathing issues. He'd cough so hard he'd vomit, and he was very irritable. I let him sleep in my room because it's the only place where he'd actually fall asleep and stay asleep...so, it meant I got zero sleep.

He liked sleeping in my bed so much that I decided it was maybe time to transition him into his 'big boy' bed. As he slept yesterday afternoon, I took it upon myself to deconstruct his crib and put up his 'big boy bed'. When he woke up, he seemed to LOVE it. He wanted to lay on it, jump on it and play with his toys on it. Every time I told him it was his new bed, he got a huge smile on his face.

But, when it came time to actually sleep in the bed, he had a fit. I'm thinking I might have started the transition from crib to bed at a horrible time. He's sick and he's not in his right state of mind. Plus, he's been used to sleeping in my bed the last 3 nights.

So, calling all parents...what did you do to make the transition from crib to bed easier?