We sleep-trained our daughter very young. At 3 months she was sleeping through the night in her own bassinet in our room. At 6 months she moved to her own room. We did a combination of hush / pat, and a bit of crying it out, and she more or less learned to sleep through the night herself in the nursery.

For various reasons -- because of travel, teething, some minor flus / colds -- she ended up back in our bed. This was also because our helper lives out, and Mom was too tired to go back to hushing / patting, etc. while pregnant with the second child. I was so exhausted, it was just easier to put her in with me, where she'd settle immediately - and the habit stuck.

Now, I have to get her back into her own bed, as the second baby is coming and I'll need to breastfeed at night. The good news is that our helper will be moving in to help with nights. The bad news is that my daughter is much physically stronger and much stronger willed now. "Cry it out" is not working, because she can go on and on and on and on. (Smaller children tend to just get tired or give up after a while -- not a willful 2-year-old).

She will have a fit now if she's not lifted into bed with mom. And she's big enough that she can try to physically stand up, try to escape the cot, bang her fists, etc.

Any tips on sleep-training a toddler? I'd like to do it now, and not after the baby arrives in a couple months.