Basically, setting it up speaks for itself—you can hardly do it wrong
Somersaults, resting, and sleeping in the CloudC
A little over a year ago, Jolie—then still two years old—suddenly managed to climb out of her cot on her own. For her mother Annemarieke, that was the moment to look for an alternative for Jolie’s afternoon nap at her father’s home and for holidays. At home, and also at grandma and grandpa’s, they additionally got a height-adjustable care bed.
Development
Jolie has Rett syndrome, a genetic condition. Most girls develop “normally” during the first six to eighteen months. After that, development stagnates and regresses. For Jolie, this means she no longer uses the ten little words she used to say. “My daughter is very active. She can walk well and, with guidance, she can go up the stairs, even to the slide at the playground. Jolie is energetic and above all very cheerful,” her mother says.
Trying it out
Through another parent of a child with Rett syndrome, Annemarieke borrowed a CloudCuddle to try it out and immediately have a safe, mobile solution for the days at dad’s place and for holidays. She also used it during the first three months after Jolie had climbed out of her cot herself. At the same time, her mother submitted an application to the municipality’s Wmo desk for reimbursement of the bed tent. An occupational therapist had substantiated the need for it, and after a few months the application was approved.
Afternoon nap
Jolie’s parents each live in their own home. That makes it extra convenient that the CloudCuddle can go to her father’s place every week. Annemarieke sets up the bed tent there so that Jolie—now four years old—can take her afternoon nap. “It’s really easy to set up the CloudCuddle,” she says. “It’s up within five minutes.” At the end of the day, Jolie’s father takes the bed tent down again.
Instructions
“Basically, setting it up speaks for itself,” she explains. “You can hardly do it wrong.” The first time, Annemarieke got a short verbal explanation from the parent she had borrowed the bed tent from. When her own CloudCuddle arrived, she checked the manual briefly just to be sure, but after that she set it up effortlessly.
Test run
“Jolie liked the CloudCuddle right away. She was soon doing somersaults in it. The first night she slept a bit less well, probably because she couldn’t climb out. She protested for two to three hours, but after that it was fine,” says Annemarieke. “My tip for other parents: let your child get used to it during the day by doing a short ‘test run’ first.”
Active
At home and at grandma and grandpa’s, Jolie sleeps in a height-adjustable care bed. Annemarieke applied for these 70 × 140 cm beds at the same time as the CloudCuddle. They are provided on loan and can be exchanged for a larger size as Jolie grows. The CloudCuddle fits a 90 × 200 cm mattress, giving Jolie plenty of space. “She loves that; she sees the CloudCuddle as a kind of play structure.”
On holiday
The bed tent also comes along on holidays. “It’s great that the CloudCuddle is designed for a standard mattress. Almost everywhere you can find a single mattress of 90 × 200 cm. I always check that when booking. The only downside, in my opinion, is that the CloudCuddle Junior is quite low, so as a parent—when I wash and dress Jolie—I have to work very close to the floor. And Jolie is very active, so that can still be a challenge sometimes.”
A safe spot
Above all, Annemarieke is happy that the CloudCuddle gives Jolie a lot of freedom of movement: “The bed tent is practical, easy to carry in a large bag, and pleasant to use. That way, Jolie always has a safe spot, so she can sleep anywhere or rest for a while in a familiar, low-stimulus environment.”
