Transitioning to a Floor Bed – Montessori – Our Experience

“Our care of the child should be governed, not by the desire to make him learn things, but by the endeavor always to keep burning within him that light which is called intelligence.”
― Maria Montessori

We are currently making the transition from co-sleeping to a floor bed with our littlest, Lara. I had a floor bed with Levi and it was wonderful to see his freedom and development. Maria Montessori taught us that one of the reasons children cry in certain circumstances means they are anxious to move and explore, most times they are saying “help me do it myself”. Our job as parents is to prepare the safe environment they need to blossom and develop.

We still co-sleep at night, but we are having her nap on her new bed during the day. So far it’s going great! We started with a simple crib mattress on the floor when she was six months old, and then transitioned to a twin mattress once she turned one. I do have a preference for bigger mattresses because my kids tend to move A LOT when they’re sleeping. Levi has a full size bed for that very reason.

The idea of the floor bed is based on Montessori principles of allowing children to explore and learn through their environment. When you have a mattress on the floor, the child gets to wake up and get down on her own, then she’s free to wander around the room and use her curiosity towards anything that catches her attention. One of the most important things when transitioning your child to a floor bed, is to make sure the whole room is completely safe, free of harmful objects and small pieces that could be swallowed.

If you are planning on transitioning your child to a floor bed (from a crib or cosleeping) I recommend to start with day-time naps first, that way you can learn from observing your child how she moves and gets acquainted with her new environment. Then once you’re both ready, move on to night-time sleeping.

Here’s a check-list for a safe Montessori room:

• Have only child size furniture in the room, if you have regular size dressers or wardrobes, consider fixing them to the wall, or removing them completely. We decided it would be safer to have ONLY light and simple furniture around her bed. That way there’s no way she can get hurt.
• Cover all of the outlets, turn off any electric machines and keep them away from the child.
• Vacuum the room regularly, so to ger rid of small pieces and dust.
• Have a baby gate ready and consider using it at the top of the stairs or the door of the infant’s bedroom. That will ensure her safety as she tries to leave the room.
• Avoid plants, heavy objects and liquid at places the child can reach.
• Some families prefer to set the mattress in the middle of the room, so when the child rolls out, she doesn’t hit the wall. Although we put it in the corner because Lara is over 12 months old and she knows how to climb back and forth without help.
• If you are trying the floor bed for daily naps with a child that is under 12 months old, consider putting the floor bed on top of a large (and fluffy) rug, that way the baby doesn’t get scared if she does roll out of the mattress.
• Use pillows and blankets with highest caution depending on the age of your child. We use none when she’s sleeping. Lara doesn’t care about pillows and I would much rather dress her with warmer clothes if the weather is cool instead of using a blanket. That is personal though, so scratch my suggestion if it doesn’t work for you 🙂
• Consider a baby monitor to check on your baby.

About Our Floor Bed:

We chose this bed from Sprout Kids because I love the quality of their products and how user friendly they are. No screws needed, all of their furniture come with pieces that fit and adjust together. All of their lines are made with 100% Baltic Birch Plywood. Which puts them above most of the corporations you will find in the United States, this kind of plywood guarantees durability and strength, but it’s also light weight. It’s the same material all the way through, not using weaker or softer wood in the center. I love the light color and the satin-like sheen.

Another reason was because they made this floor bed to grow with the child, you will see pictures below of it turned upside down and therefore becoming higher and a perfect fit for an older child.

FAQ’s

“Never help a child with a task at which he feels he can succeed.”
― Maria Montessori

I collected some FAQ’s I receive on Instagram and hope this info can help you throughout your transition to a Montessori floor bed:

1. How do you get her to stay in her bed?

I don’t 🙂 She naps and when she’s done she gets up and explores. Usually she goes straight to the book corner and “reads” her books. Or she will come to the door and cry for me if she gets bored. At night we put her in bed at about 7:45~8pm, then she will stay in her bed until about midnight, that’s when we are getting ready to go to sleep, so we bring her to our room then. She usually doesn’t wake up between 8 and 12, but if she does, she will cry, sit up and wait for us. I think she sees that once it’s dark she doesn’t have to get up, but I’m pretty sure if we took too long to go get her, she would eventually come to her gate to call us. So all of this to say, if you are a sleep-training parent, I would recommend doing the floor bed once you’ve gotten your baby to sleep through the night 🙂

2. Does she fall out of the bed?

Not anymore. She did once or twice when we first started out on her new bed, now she knows where the edge of the bed is and spatially aware. Children are brilliant! We put so many boundaries to ensure their safety that we don’t realize they are ready to exceed their limits. She knows how to climb and get off the bed – backwards and feet first. I never taught her, she did it on her own.

3. How do you get her to fall asleep?

I nursed my kids to sleep both times, Levi was nursed until he turned two and I plan on doing the same with Lara. This is extremely personal and I wouldn’t push this idea to any other parent. It’s what works for us. We have a bedtime routine that we try to maintain during the week, they know when it’s time to sleep, but I also give my oldest the freedom to sleep when he feels tired. Most times I nurse her and pray with them and they both fall asleep while I’m still in their room.

4. How do you get her to stay in her room?

I keep a baby gate at their door, so she can’t get out. She will simply call for us when she’s ready to leave the room.

Here are some extra photos of their room for ya!

I know sleeping arrangements are very personal, so please don’t feel pressured to follow these suggestions if they don’t work for you. The intent of the floor bed is to allow freedom of movement and autonomy, but there are several other ways to help your child develop and become independent. The floor bed is one of these ways, but surely not entirely essential to every family. Each family will have its unique path 🙂

I hope this posts helps you when creating a safe and fun environment for your child. If you have any questions, please ask below. If you are one my readers, please support my affiliation program with Sprout Kids by clicking this link: sprout-kids.com/masalin — I really really appreciate your support!

xoxo,

Bru Masalin

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