Anyone have bunkbeds?

[Mrs.Milo]

My DD will be buying new beds for my DGD's and they have asked for bunk beds. They are still very young, both under 5, and I wonder if anyone has any experience with bunk beds, good or bad? Anything to watch out for?

Thanks! Lora

 

[Serena]

My youngest daughter has some bunk beds, but she used the top one for stuffed animals. Since she's the only one ever to use them, I don't really have any advice.

 

[mom23boys]

Mrs. Milo,

My two older boys were in bunk beds for a couple of years. They were 7 and almost 3 when we did this. It worked out great. Now we have them split up, the older one has his own room and the two younger boys have a room. Once the baby is older we will put the bunks beds back together.

I think I remember reading that the American Pediatric Association recommended 6 and over for bunk beds.

I guess it would really depend on if your DGD's get up a night, my middle one still does, are they afraid of heights or if they move around alot. I was nervous at the beginning the oldest would fall over the side. But I am a worrier.

I hope this helps.

Sharon

 

[a Really Bad Egg]

My son has bunk beds and we like them. Take up half the space and kids think they are cool.

 

[poohkinandpiglet]

Most stores that sell them will tell you that they are only recommended for children age 6 and up.

My son would love them but I have enough trouble keeping him from climbing and jumping off of the regular furniture. Bunk beds would put me over the edge!

Cargo use to have a good selection. They are highly rated for safety.

 

[buckylarue]

I had em when I was a kid (from about 5 years old), and it's amazing I never killed myself! They didn't have all these new-fangled things like side safety rails; heck, they didn't even have a ladder! I had to climb up the footboards and pull myself up to the top! Even so, I turned out allright

IKEA has a lot of nice designs, all with safety rails and ladders

 

[mamajoan]

My boys had them for a loooong time. Mike was 4 when we first got them... he slept on the bottom bunk for about a year. He was 9 when baby brother moved into the bunks too.. He was careful with the little brother until little brother got to be 5... then it was a wild time every night.. LOL.. boys and bunkbeds.... they did all the things they were NOT supposed to do... but no one ever was injured. They gave up the bunks when Mike turned 14.
They had a huge bedroom so Mike got a double bed and Jake kept the bunks. It was great when they had friends for sleep overs. Jake gave up the bunks at 11 when we moved to the new house. The bunks were great. They survived many, many military and civilan moves for 14 years. My husband would make new bed boards for them every few years. They were solid wood bunk beds and very sturdy to put up with two BIG boys...
I would steer clear of the tubular metal bunks.. my friends have purchased these..most did not last more than 2 years max.

Hope your gds enjoy them.

 

[shortbun]

DH custom built BBds for DS at age 7. We didn't trust him or
his friends in/on them before that. Ours are soooo sturdy-made
of big thick pieces of maple with thick bunk boards. You can't
EVEN rock them but we have rules too! No jumping! All DS's
friends want to sleep in the top bunk. DS keeps his stufffed animals up there when friends aren't around. Our neighbors
had the metal kind and they broke pretty fast.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

We put a set of bunk beds in each of our twins bedrooms when we separated them so they would have the option of sleeping together if they so desired. We also liked having the extra sleep surfaces if they want to have a friend over. My kids were 4 but we checked with our pediatrician who felt they would be ok in them. The big issue is that there should be no horseplay on the top bunk - a rule we enforce strongly. In looking at choices of beds I also liked the ones with built in ladders for safety. I know when the kids are older they won't want them anymore so I bought sets that could easily be separated.

The Bean Bag Store is an online store that has tons of bunk beds to get an idea of styles. I got a natural birch set for DD and a solid pine crate-style set for DS with drawer storage underneath (which gives a huge amount of storage space). Salespeople I spoke with did not recommend painted sets because they chip.

Good luck.

 

[Tuffcookie]

I got one for DS, age 12, about 5-6 years ago. It is hard to change the bedding, for one thing. Just this last year I took them apart so now he has two single beds. He likes them down now. I guess it makes him feel more grown up having them down.

TC

 

[mbb]

Our boys are 6yrs, and we just put their beds into bunks. They love it

I hate changing the sheets!!!

But...when you get a solid wood set, make sure the assembly pieces have "steel to steel" construction (steel connector rod type things inserted in the wood.)

We got ours from www.canwood.com Sears carried them (here in Canada)

 

[piratesmate]

About the changing sheets - I told both of my kids that they had to change them as I couldn't reach. I'd go in & help until they figured out how to do it from up on the bed, but after that it was their responsibility. Dad could sometimes be talked into helping, but both were very capable of doing it. DS was 6 & DD was 8 when they got theirs. (I only have the 2 kids & they're 10 yrs apart - so it was 2 sets of bunks.)

DS had one from IKEA & we never got the 2nd bed. He just used it as a "loft" bed. Very cool.

DD has a solid wood set that forms a T & has a dresser & desk built into it. At 13 she's just ready to move from the top bunk to the bottom & will use the top for stuffed animals & sleepovers.

 

[lvs_eeyore]

We have had solid wood bunkbeds since my youngest got out of a crib and my eldest was about 6.5. The eldest has always had the top bunk and the youngest the bottom. We have never really had a problem with climbing with the youngest. He did it once or twice, we talked to him about it and he really never did it again. We have a small house and the boys share a room so this was the best way to get the most out of the available space. Even though I have rambuncious boys they never really mess around on the beds and certainly never on the top bunk. I think they both respect the height of the bed and also that there is a stone floor in their room.

 

[lvs_eeyore]

Oh I hate changing the sheets on them also. I ask dh to do it all the time because he is taller and stronger than I am. He hates it but he does it LOL. The boys have not gotten the hang of getting the sheets tucked under the corners yet so when they put them on they pull out all the time.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

I bought bunk beds when DS6 was old enough to sleep in a big boy bed, around 3 years. DS4 was still in his crib at the time. I only put one bed together, then when DS4 was about 2, we put the other together. (with the rails, of course.) We have not put them together as bunk beds yet. Probably not until DS4 is 5 or so, I am afraid that neither is mature enough to NOT jump from the top yet.. I am lucky that they have a fairly large room to handle the two singles, but am looking forward to putting them together for more room.

For our next trip to WDW in Oct, I am going to try to get bunk beds to try them out...Plus I am the one that has to sleep with DS4 when we have 2 queens, and he KICKS in his sleep.. So I am hoping the BB work out, or maybe DH can sleep in the top!!

 

[BrerMom]

We have bunkbeds in two rooms. We won't let DS5 on the top bunk in either room.

Before you buy them, make sure you can use a regular mattress on the top bunk. So many of them can only accomodate a "bunkie" mattress that is thin. When the kids weigh more, the bunkie isn't comfortable. I like the ones that can use a regular mattress and still have four inches or so sticking up to keep the kid from rolling out.

 

[hipporina]

We got bunk beds for our boys when we got our new kids. I was really hesitant to do it because my boys are WILD and nothing I do stops them from climbing and jumping when they are in their rooms. (One of their favorite things to do is jump off the dresser.) With 3 boys in one room though, we didn't really have a choice.

That said, right now they do not have bunks. They have only had them about a month and just will not follow the rules about them. One day last week, ds 8 pulled ds 4 off the ladder and he hit his head. Then dh walked into the room when ds 8 was in mid-flight from the top bunk. We immediately unstacked them. They don't go back up until they go a week without jumping on beds or climbing on the dresser. Of course, now they think its fun to flip from one bed to the next since they are all up against each other! I just CANT win!

 

[Mrs.Milo]

Thanks for all the wonderful replies! I never even thought about how changing the sheets could be difficult.

 

[ZachnElli]

Ds has a bunkbed and I hate changing the sheets too! He has the T shaped one with the desk and dresser. It come in handy for sleepovers. He's never jumped from it (as far as I know!), but the dog loves to! LOL!

 

[KristiKelly]

DS7 has them. We bought the BarnDoor brand (I think). They are very sturdy. DS usually sleeps on the bottom. I worry if he has to go to the bathroom really bad or gets sick in the middle of the night - I don't want him to be slowed down getting to the bathroom. If there is room for 2 twins or maybe a trundle, I would suggest that. DS has never done this, but other kids want to jump off the top as soon as they see them.