OT -- bunk bed opinoins please!

[laurafaith]

hi all...we are going to be moving into a new home in the next few weeks. my son is dying to get bunk beds...which will work out well if we do it....because then his little brother can get out of the crib and have his old bed. my oldest son will be 7 in december...so i think hes old enough??? my biggest concern is my youngest son is only 2 1/2 ....im afraid he will want to play on it...and may get hurt...so just wanting some ideas/tips/thoughts from anyone that has bunk beds now! thanks

 

[mommalissa]

Our four year old boys have been in bunk beds since January. We have had no problems with them not behaving with the beds. We set down the ground rules when they first received the beds. If they are going to be playing in their room with their sister or cousins then we remove the ladder so no one can climb to the top bunk and then fall off or jump off. You could do this when your two year old will be in the room unless of course they are sharing a room.

To be honest, when we got the bunk beds I thought they were too little for them but we don't let the rowdier of the two on the top and things have gone very smoothly. We showed the son who was on the top the correct way to climb and told him if he used the bed in a inappropriate way he would have to go back to his toddler bed. Not sure this approach would work for a two year old but it is an idea.

Hope this helps.

 

[MickeyMom2Boys]

We went through this last year. I posted this same question on this board and got a lot of good input from other parents - I hope you do too. My boys were 5 1/2 and 22 months at the time.

They recommend that you do not put children in the top bunk until they are 6 years old, so your oldest son should be fine. We got a very nice, sturdy wooden bunkbed and made sure the top bunk had very high sides and a rail that covered most of the length of the bed. The only opening is where the ladder goes.

We went with a twin top and a double bottom - my husband's choice because when they are older we can take the top off and already have a double bed for one of them. We were also worried about the 2 year old climbing up there. We ended up leaving the ladder off. The 5 year old can easily climb up and down by stepping on the bottom bed's headboard and climbing up. I was also a little worried about him rolling off at first, so we left the mattress form his old bed on the floor so that if he did fall off, hopefully he would fall onto it. Fortunately, he has been fine - no threat of rolling off and the other mattress is long gone.

Feel free to PM me with any questions - good luck in your decision!

 

[dyna]

Will the boys be sharing a bedroom? Will they have a place to play without goin in older sons room? If so I'd leave it that it's the older boys space an off limits older son can have toys that the younger one is to little to play with in there an there should be much less of he went in my room while I was away an got out or tore up my......

That approach worked well with my older DD's an youngest DD. The older ones played with the younger one in her room with her toys but they was MUCH older by 12 an 13 yrs.

 

[Stephres]

We wouldn't let my son sleep in the top bunk until he was 8, but he is so clutzy I was so afraid he would fall out of it. I think with the little one you have to set ground rules that the top bunk is for sleeping only and be consistent about him never going up there. We removed the ladder until my son was old enough to sleep up there and we never had any trouble with his little sister going up there to play but it might be harder with both boys in the same room.

I would let the older boy sleep in the bottom bunk and the younger one in the crib until they get used to it and then phase the crib out gradually and get the sleeping arrangements settled that way. Good luck!

 

[momtolots]

IMHO I think bunk beds are fine at that age. We have several sets of bunk beds in our house, and the only thing I consistently look for is a removeable ladder. So, if the top one isn't being used, or you have company, we simply remove the ladder and put it on the mattress of the top bunk. This avoids the potential for climbing when they shouldn't be.

 

[laurafaith]

hi there! i guess i should have mentioned the boys will have their own rooms they will not be sharing...im just worried if the bunk beds are in the older son's room the little one could climb the ladder and fall off...im just a worried mom ... thanks for all the ideas

 

[dzneelvr]

If you aren't getting bunk beds for the space savings, why not get a bed that can be "lofted" off the floor if and when your children want that option. IKEA is a great place to get ideas and they have bed sets for very reasonable prices. Keep in mind that some kids do not want to be off the floor--my DNiecewouldn't sleep in one if you paid her. I'm a big believer in bed sets that can change as your child gets older and there are so many creative arrangements on the market now.

 

[dizneechic]

All 3 of my kids have bunk beds in their rooms, my oldest and youngest want nothing to do with the top bunk, my middle guy will only sleep on his top. We leave the ladders off for the 2 that don't use it and the 3 of mine like playing in my middle guys bed, but they have all be instructed on the proper use of the ladder and to help each other or get help if anyone (namely my dd) ever needs it.

I have a love/hate relationship with the beds. I love that they have the space, can have sleep overs with each other (or friends when the time comes) and that they can't jump on their beds. I hate changing sheets, especially on the top bunk, and the fact that I need to dust the 2 unused top bunks.

From a safety standpoint, there are bunks that have a rail completely surrounding the entire top bunk, no spaces allotted for the ladder, you climb up over the rail. If your nervous about falls, I would have a look around for that style, this way you know unless they launched themselves intentionally that falls most likely wouldn't happen.
Here's the style we have, they have been in the kids rooms now for 3.5 years and with the exception onf cleaning and sheet changes they are great!

 

[brymolmom]

We got a very nice bunkbed set for space issues (kids were sharing a room) about 3 years ago. It was necessary in that room. Now they are in separate rooms and, honestly, I kind of wish we never got them. On one hand, it is cool and nice to have for sleepovers. On the other - I am always terribly worried when anyone is sleeping up there. Even my 6 year old will sit up in bed on occassion in a half-asleep mode and who knows if they will try to climb out from the top forgetting where they are. But I am paranoid. The other things I don't like are when friends are over and they 'play' up there. AND changing the sheets is HORRENDOUS. Even worse than in the crib!

 

[Stephres]

That's true, I forgot about changing the sheets. I usually ask very nicely for my husband to do it. He's been busy and there are no sheets at up there right now!

 

[Sandy321]

we also got the bunk bed with twin on top, double on bottom - my biggest concern was safety and every bunk bed I tried - I shook - I bought one that when I shook it, it didnt move!! no ladder - the bed was built to be separated so it was a headboard/footboard that the kids use to climb up to the top!

Good luck!

 

[BABY_EINSTEIN'S_MOM]

Once my youngest was a toddler, he constantly tried to climb up the bunkbed ladder. I tried blocking it with something for a while, but I eventually got tired of worrying and got rid of the bunkbeds. None of my kids have ever wanted to sleep on the top of a bunkbed anyway.

We ended up getting captains beds with trundles that we can slide back under when not in use! All three of our kids have these and they are great for brother/sister or sleepovers.

 

[SLK1]

I think the novelty of a "top bunk" wears off fairly quickly, so after a bit, they won't be remotely interested in climbing up (until a friend comes over who IS interested!). Changing the sheets is a major pain in the neck. We got the kind of bunk bed for my son that is perpendicular - the bottom bed can roll out from underneath the top and I can at least make that bed easily. There is NO easy way to make up the top bunk.

 

[princessmorgan]

I'm a nervous mom, too. We don't have bunk beds, but I have been thinking about it and doing research. Then we went to someone's house to visit. I did not know they had bunk beds upstairs and my 2 year old DD went up there to play with my older DD and DD's friend. Well needless to say my 2 year old fell off from the top bunk. She got the wind knocked out of her, but thankfully no broken bones. If we were ever to get bunk beds I would definitely take off the ladder if I thought the 2 year old would hang around.

 

[CLR4321]

If I were in your shoes, I'd get the bunk bed! I would suggest buying one with the full size on the bottom.