The bedtime shuffle: our journey from cot to first bed

We live in a shoebox-sized flat, so every furniture swap feels like a Tetris move. When our lad started pole-vaulting out of his cot, we tried taking the side off, great idea until he began midnight wanderings in search of snacks. Next came a spare mattress on the floor, which worked for a bit but turned the room into a trampoline park.

The real turning point was a low pine starter frame from Millie & Jones. It’s only a few inches off the ground so good enough for adult story-time weight, and still leaves storage space underneath for his ever-growing fleet of toy cars. Once the new bed went in, we kept the routine simple: dim lights, one story, quick cuddle, goodnight.

So my question is how did you decide it was the right moment to move your toddler into their first "big-kid" bed?