It seems like there are two major complaints when it comes to using a floor bed: the baby rolls off while sleeping and/or the baby crawls off to explore the room instead of staying put and falling asleep. I’ve experienced both situations, and I hope that I can provide some encouragement and realistic expectations for parents going through the same scenarios. Because the truth is, when used correctly, the floor bed is an amazing tool for supporting your child’s development, both mental and physical. Before we get to the solutions, let’s discuss the main purposes of the floor bed: encouraging independence, allowing the development of the child’s will, and supporting their need for movement. A child on a floor bed can get in and out on her own as soon as she can slither, thereby reducing her dependence on adults and increasing her sense of self-reliance. This experience supports the development of the will, wherein the child formulates a goal, tries different strategies, accomplishes her mission, and feels successful.
And all the while, her need for free movement is being supported, because she can use each skill (focusing her eyes, rolling, slithering, crawling) as soon as she develops it. Like any other Montessori developmental aid (including mobiles, weaning table & chair, and every single Montessori material), it is important to introduce the floor bed at the right time. Failure to do so can result in reduced effectiveness and increased frustration for both parent and child. The best time to introduce the floor bed is a few weeks after birth. At first, the newborn should sleep in a bassinet that allows unobstructed views of her surroundings. However, around the time that recognizable sleep patterns are established and before the child is rolling, she should transition to the floor bed. Each child and each family is different; you can read about how I transitioned my son from the bassinet in our room to the floor bed in his room here. Transitioning your child at the right time doesn’t mean that you won’t encounter challenges.
Once your baby starts rolling, chances are she’ll probably roll off the floor bed at some point. This seems like a bad thing, but consider it from your child’s viewpoint: she’s free to move and practice her new skill; she’s developing an awareness of borders (which will come in handy when she navigates stairs and transitions to a “big kid bed”); and she’s experiencing the consequences of moving past those borders. Many families find that a soft rug or blanket placed just next to the floor bed is all that’s needed to cushion the baby’s “fall” (which in reality is not more than a few inches). Some parents find that they can gently move their baby back to the bed without waking them, while others (like me) prefer to let the baby snooze on the floor. If your child is particularly active while sleeping (like mine is), and she’s at the stage where she’s able to slither on and off her mattress at will, you can also try placing a rolled towel at the edge of the bed under the fitted sheet, or investing in the wonderful IKEA Kura loft bed (minus the slats, so the mattress rests on the floor).
This set-up won’t hinder a child’s independence as long as you show her how to get in and out, and will provide the support they need to stay on the mattress. The more stressful challenge to parents is when the child starts slithering and decides to move off the bed to explore her room, instead of staying in bed and falling asleep. While frustrating to adults, we must remember that this is exactly what the floor bed is designed to do – encourage independence and develop the will. You can read here about what happened when we decided to follow our child’s lead. The best piece of advice I can give parents who are going through this phase is to keep their child’s room as sparse as possible. On the shelves the child can reach, place only a few carefully selected items for her to explore and leave them there, always in the same order. Don’t make the bedroom her activity or play area or feature lots of new and interesting objects at her eye-level, because this will encourage her to get out of bed and go see what’s new.
She will certainly crawl out when she first develops the ability to do so, but once the novelty fades, if there’s nothing new for her to explore in her room she’ll be more interested in resting (because all that slithering and crawling is exhausting!). Many parents make the transition from crib to a floor bed after the child is slithering or crawling, expect them to just stay put and fall asleep, and feel frustrated when this doesn’t happen. When a young child is given freedom, she’ll use it to further her development. It’s an evolutionary mandate. If you’ve chosen to give your child the freedom to move, then you can’t be angry at them when they take full advantage of it! Be patient, provide a predictable routine and clear expectations, and gently re-direct back to the bed as many times as necessary each evening. I assure you that with consistency and realistic expectations will come success, and your child will reap the long-term benefits of the floor bed!
Join Club Momme for exclusive access to giveaways, discounts and more! What's in Your Diaper Bag Can Cure Acne and Hangovers?! I Hated Pumping, But I'll Never Be Able to Toss My Breast Pump In the News: Dad Dances the Fuss Away Just When You Think You’ve Earned Your Parenting Superhero Cape... In the News: The Sweet Way Nurses Are Helping Premature Babies The Number One Reason Women Stop Breastfeeding 6 Things You Should Never Say to a Sleep-Deprived Mom I'll Never Throw Away The Baby Things. How My Marriage Survived Two Years of Sleep Deprivation What Modern Moms Are Overdoing It OnAt this stage, children are moving about more and have developed strength in the neck, arms, hands and legs. Hopefully in the early months your child has had opportunities to move freely. This can be further implemented at this stage of your child’s development. Montessori believed that movement is associated with the development of the brain. So working with the hands can be beneficial for the development of the child.
At 6 – 12 months we need a movement mat that may be placed in the family room. If the child has had the freedom to move as he pleases, have had enough tummy time to develop strength, he/she and may have movement that will amaze parents, if we really watch and observe. We still need the wooden toys we previously had, plus a few more soft balls that the child may grasp, if it rolls, may motivate a child on their tummies to try to reach for it. This can be the beginnings of crawling. A child generally slithers and pulls up on average about 8 months. If it is later do not be worried, each child has their own blueprint of development. If children though are given the opportunity to freely move then they will never cease to amaze us with their abilities. With the movement mat one can place a mirror in which the child can watch themselves and see their own reflection to learn more about their bodies and movement. When a child learns to create movement in their environment they will feel that they have control which in turn can later develop into a strong self-esteem.
As the child learns to move around the room and explores his own surrounding this is a time when the parents have the debate of safety versus giving the child opportunity to move. This can be assured by childproofing the home. This can be done by the parent being on the hands and knees and go around the room to have an idea from the child’s point of view. Be aware of anything that can be pulled down, wires, and table cloths, anything that is light enough to be toppled over- light tables, floor lamps etc., anything that things can be inserted in, power points, crevices in walls, sofas, etc. Make sure as well that the child may not find anything that they can swallow. This is the time the household needs to be childproofed without the danger of confining the child into a small space (e.g. playpen). It is in this same philosophy (freedom of movement) that a child does not need to have cot/cribs. These can be constraining to the movement of the child. When a child wakes up, they feel confined and may cry to be “let out”.
When a child is on the floor bed that they can get off themselves it gives them the freedom to play with any toy they choose when they wake. The toys/materials that a child has can be placed in low shelves that will allow the child to have access to them and in small baskets that make it easy to clean and pick up. Do not put all toys in one large box as it does not have any order. It will also give children a hard time to look for things they particularly want if they need to rummage through a lot of other items. It is around this age that the child may start to be weaned. Some advise 6 months but you can observe your child as to when they are ready. It can be as simple as the child watching adults eat. To help in this process Montessori has a few tips. Let the child to have a consistent area with which they will eat so that they will associate and area with the mealtimes. At mealtimes a young child may eat earlier than the family but may still be part of the family meal times sitting up on a high chair pushed up on the family table without a small table confining him to his own space.
When introducing the first meal choose a time that you are not in a rush and the meal can be enjoyed in a leisurely pace. This will make the experience a positive one. The language at this stage is that children are starting to talk back, and experiment with their vocalisation from the sound that they hear. It is important then to communicate with the children. The dance of communication can be that the adult talks silence then the child talks. This is to model to them how communication happens. The adult may imitate what the child has said or say something else. When talking to your child there is also no need to talk in a high pitch voice talk to him/her like you would another person, in a clear well-articulated manner. There is no need for baby talk for the child to learn real language. They will learn language from how we speak to them, so speak to them the properly. Talk to them about how things are around you; describe what they are seeing, and not just instructions of what you want them to do.