Bunk beds - ya or nay?

[mamapjama]

We drove quite a bit out of town today to purchase a new bed frame for my son's wool mattress that is being delivered this week. I wanted a solid wood slat bed.

 

The store sold all pine funiture and they had a bunk bed that had a double bed on the bottom. It was on sale and she said she would reduce it further if I was interested in it. So it would only be $200 more than the single bed frame.

 

It was very solid construction and though it would have to be cut to separate the two pieces, the top bunk was intended to be a day bed if one wanted to do that later on.

 

So do you think bunk beds are safe? I have two VERY active boys (3 and 6). There would definitely be rules established for the bed but you know how things do happen.

 

And if I were to get it I'm not sure what to do about the wool mattress. If I keep the single mattress it would go on the upper bunk. But what if we divide the bed as he gets older and he wants to take the double bed with him. It would be better to have a double mattress (they last for a long, long time).

 

The other consideration is that the piece would not fit in my vehicle so dh is going to have to get another and go down later this week (1 1/2 hours away). There is a place locally that I could order a cheaper one in that has two single beds but I don't know how sturdy it is. This one is very sturdy

 

I really, really dislike making decisions - especially when they involve large amounts of money :confused:

[Garga]

My ds's are 3 and 6. We use bunk beds. But we are very strict about it that ONLY the 6 yo is allowed on the top bunk. Ever.

 

However, they never go in their bedroom except to sleep. So, it's not like they're tempted throughout the day to play on the bunk.

 

If you don't think your kids could handle the rule that no one under 6 can be on the top bunk, it might not be a good idea. Kids under 6 aren't supposed to be on the top bunk, so your ds3 would still have 3 years to wait.

 

Also, when guests come to visit and the kids do actually go in their room (they do this once in a while) I have to be sure that the guests don't go on the top bunk. I don't want 2 or 3 little boys on the top bunk shoving each other off. Or one trying to climb down the ladder and one trying to climb up at the same time and yanking each other off the ladder.

[Starr]

I fell off a top bunk, with rails, when I was 9. I moved in my sleep so the cats could have more room. I hurt for a long time.

 

Now we think about the difficulty of resting in ds's bed for reading to him, prayers, or a little good night cozy.

 

I have friends that have a team of boys and two bunk beds. They have one top bunk that doesn't have slats or a mattress. The boys like to jump off of one top bunk through to the bottom mattress of the other. Guys just like to have fun. :D

 

Okay, I'm no help. I'm sorry. I know plenty of people that do just fine with bunks.

[Mommyof4ks]

We went with a trundle bed rather than bunks, but my oldest son (5) would certainly fall (or jump) off of the top bunk. We also live in Texas so ceiling fans are a must, and fans are a big no no with bunk beds.

 

Also, a heavy mattress may not work on the top bunk, but if you would only have one on the bottom that might not be an issue.

 

Good luck, it is hard to make decisions like that where larger chunks of money are involved. UGH!

[swellmomma]

We have bunk beds, right now the boys have one, I got it when ds5 was 3 and older ds was 8. They have done fine with it and both are very very active. They both tried jumping off once and I made them sleep on the floor siting that they could not be safe on the bunkbed, that was the end of jumping. My dad just bought another bunk bed to set up for the girls, but I will not be moving Isabelle into the room yet as she is only 17 months and not ready for a bunk bed. So dd9 will sleep in it for now, and in another 12 months or so I will move dd out of my bed and into the bottom bunk when she is around 2.5 I think that with 4 kids in a 3 bdrm bunkbeds are a must.

[Guest janainaz]

My ds had one until my super-gifted at putting stuff together dh broke it. My ds was 6/7 and my other ds was 1/2, so climbing was not so much an issue then. However, now that I think about it, I am glad they don't have them. My little guy is wild - like a monkey and he's the one that would really scare me. I just would rather not have the headache or worrying.

 

Also, it's a PAIN to make the bed on the top! It used to drive me crazy because I can't stand walking in rooms with unmade beds. So, every day I'd have to climb up there and fix it.

[myfunnybunch]

We transitioned our two oldest guys to bunk beds when they were a very active and rowdy 4 and 6. We were very clear about the rules: Only one person at a time on the top, youngest must have an adult in the room to go on the top bunk, sit or lay down only.

 

We must have impressed them with our seriousness. Two years later they still follow the rules, tell the rules to guests and remind one another of the rules. And they're not rule-sticklers in general.

 

The only accident we've had involved the under-the-bed drawer, the last piece you'd think of as a safety hazard. :D

 

Cat

[Nestof3]

I tend to be an overly cautious person, so we chose an IKEA bunkbed which is lower than most. Of course, they were out of stock when we went (it's four hours away from us), so my husband took a picture, jotted down measurements, and built his own.

 

You can see pictures here. Our youngest is still on a toddler mattress on the floor, but we will be changing to a twin for him. His mattress rests directly on the floor, but we've had no problems with this.

 

http://ournestof3.blogspot.com/2008/08/my-wonderful-husband-part-2.html

[mamaof2andtwins]

My girls have been in a bunk bed since they were 3 or 4 years old. At the time, all 3 girls shared a room. Only the oldest was allowed on the top bunk. The twins took turns switching from the single bed to the bottom bunk bed.

 

We have moved since then, and our oldest has her own room now. The twins still share a room. For a while they did not bunk their beds, and there was not much space in the room at all. Now they have them bunked to get more floor room to play. It has worked out well, but now they are lobbying for their own bedroom.

 

Jennie

[Reya]

We went with a trundle bed rather than bunks, but my oldest son (5) would certainly fall (or jump) off of the top bunk. We also live in Texas so ceiling fans are a must, and fans are a big no no with bunk beds.

 

Why? It's not like they hurt even when you jump into them when they are moving.

 

And YES, this is the voice of experience!

[Aunty Social]

.

[Reya]

....and I HATE them. Not for safety reasons, my kids are old enough that I don't worry about that. I hate having to make them. both the top and bottom bunks are just about impossible to make - to the point that I'm sweating and sore by the time I'm done (we have one set of bunks and one loft). The result is that I seldom change the kids sheets (yes, it's gross and really skeeves me out, but I seldom have the hour and half that it takes to change the beds), and the beds are almost never made. I really, really want to change them to regular beds, but the rooms are small and they won't have anyplace put dressers or play. I still try to figure out ways to make it work every month or so though.

 

I guess I'm saying be sure that they are easy use, or that you are better equipped than I to change the bedding. I think safety will be ok - lay down firm rules and monitor them closely for a while.

 

 

WHY do you make the bed of kids old enough to sleep on a top bunk??????

[Nestof3]

I hate having to make them. both the top and bottom bunks are just about impossible to make

 

Our youngest boys just have fitted sheets and a large blanket. The blanket is folded and placed at the end of the bed. Sheets are just a pain for bunk beds. Sometimes they help me make my bed, so they are still learning how to make one properly.

 

Our oldest has a loft bed, and I don't know how often he uses the sheet as opposed to the comforter. He doesn't have much room before the mattress and the ceiling. He learned how to make a bed properly when he had a regular twin.

[Mommyof4ks]

Why? It's not like they hurt even when you jump into them when they are moving.

 

And YES, this is the voice of experience!

 

Because, a friend had her son on the top bunk, he leaned too far off of the bed and hit the fan. The fan apparently hit him near his temple (sp?), and now he has seizures. He never had them before that day. At least the ceiling fans today don't have metal blades like they used to so no one loses a limb, but still the danger is there in other ways.

[KristenS]

My son has bunk beds. We found it locally via ebay, of all things. Sturdy, it's the T-shaped kind where the supports on either end are a desk and a set of drawers, and the bottom bunk sticks out from the middle.

 

We got it when he turned 5, and only rarely was he allowed on the top bunk at that time. Over time he's gotten better, and safer. He's 7 now. No one else is allowed up there (especially not little sister!).

 

*I* worry tons about accidents, but so far it's really been okay. The rails are higher than the mattress (I was surprised how many models we saw that weren't!!!) and it feels pretty safe.

 

It's also designed to take apart and separate into twin beds, if we want to, though his room won't fit that much furniture.

 

Not sure if it was a great decision ... but so far it's been okay. And he really enjoys them. He usually sleeps on the bottom though. :)

[Peek a Boo]

love bunkbeds, even w/ younger kids. {{and even w/ ceiling fans, in TX :)}}

 

our problem hasn't been the kids getting hurt, but the top bunk "owner" being territorial when the others want to come up and hang out too.

 

making a bunk bed??

I agree w/ Reya -- let the kids make it!

or better yet, make it w/ a few changes of sheets and instead of REmaking it, just strip off the top layer if you absolutely must do it yourself ;)

 

making the bed completely and then using sleeping bags is another option.

[yvonne]

We got our boys twin beds that can be made into bunk beds. Their room fits the two twins, but they would love to have more space to play with their Legos. (And I'd love to have their Legos contained in one room! :) )

 

I have this terrible image in my head of the top bunk falling down on the bottom one. Is that even possible? Logically, I know there are tons of bunk beds around. I've never heard of that actually happening. If they weren't safe, I doubt they'd be used so much. .... Am I being irrational?!

 

yvonne

[Peek a Boo]

I have this terrible image in my head of the top bunk falling down on the bottom one. Is that even possible? Logically, I know there are tons of bunk beds around. I've never heard of that actually happening. If they weren't safe, I doubt they'd be used so much. .... Am I being irrational?!

 

yes, irrational...but no more irrational than my insane fear of roaches ;)

 

everybody's allowed [or should be, lol] at least one irrational fear. I figger fear of bunkbeds falling, roaches attacking, or outside dirt being tracked in are pretty minor in the grand scheme of things :D

[Ria]

WHY do you make the bed of kids old enough to sleep on a top bunk??????

 

Have you ever tried to make the bed on one of the top bunks? It's all my husband and I can do to get that blasted bed made. It's awful. Just plain awful. Making a top bunk is *nothing* like making a regular bed.

 

Bunks are fantastic if you don't have space for twin beds. But that top bunk...ugh.

 

 

Ria

[DarlaS]

It was out of necessity. If you look at the bed and wonder if the top bunk can fall down, don't buy it.

 

We went to a furniture store and really checked them out. I got a set with removable double rails and it was made by Stanley Furniture. Very very sturdy! A little pricey though...

 

I suggest if you do this, get one with the ladder up the side and not one where they are supposed to climb up the end. Too easy to fall off.

 

Darla

[Susan in TN]

Our two boys have bunk beds. !3yo is 6ft. tall, 140lbs (on the top bunk) and 4yo is much, much smaller :) The bed is very sturdy and has two deep drawers underneath for storage.

 

We bought a new ceiling fan with very short blades, which helped with that issue. Dh build them each a long, narrow shelf and attached them to the wall to hold things, and made a small "lock-able" cabinet for my 13yo to store things out of reach of little hands.

 

If our little ones are having trouble staying off the top bunk, we simply put the ladder up onto the bunk. This helps, although the 4yo can still get up if he puts his mind to it.

 

My 13yo can make his bed (and 4yo's bed) if compelled to do so, but they have pretty simple bedding - just a bottom sheet and a top blanket. We don't bother with top sheets at this point. They just get kicked to the bottom or off the side of the bed.

 

For our 2 sons, bunks were a must because their room won't fit 2 twin beds. But they can be separated if they ever get a larger room.

[dirty ethel rackham]

We would have bunk beds if we either didn't have ceiling fans or had a large enough bedroom where ceiling fans would not be an issue. I have been hit in the head by them when doing stuff too close (like cleaning off tops of cabinets in the kitchen or hanging blinds.)

 

Dh is really attached to the beds we have (they were his and his brothers from when he was a kid - Ethan Allen). If I had my way, we would get the t-shaped bed where the top bunk is not so high.

[dcjlkplus3]

We have never had a problem with 3year olds (boy or girls) on the top bunk.

However, our top bunks are somewhat boxed in with rails. They have to try really hard to fall off (more like jumping than falling).

[PollyOR]

We've had bunkbeds for years. Only the oldest child is allowed to sleep on the top.

 

They are a pain in the butt to make. And no, I'm not going to let a 3 or 4 year old make her own bed.

 

And yes, we have had the top bunk mattress fall on top of a child on the lower bunk. It was an ancient rickety bunk bed(no slats) and the kids were pushing up on the mattress from below with their feet. Thankfully there was a mountain of blankets on the lower bed which cushioned the fall. Please note that this bed was not sturdy like the beds you are describing.

 

Edit: I want to clarify. My kids do make their beds daily. Remaking their beds after washing the sheets is what is really hard.

Edited February 22, 2009 by PollyOR

[Nestof3]

I have this terrible image in my head of the top bunk falling down on the bottom one. Is that even possible? Logically, I know there are tons of bunk beds around.

 

I envision the same thing happening! My husband has assured me that he made it very sturdy -- it is even stronger than the IKEA one b/c it has metal braces and such, but I still imagine it crashing down on Ben sometimes.

[yvonne]

Peek, you made me laugh! And fear of attacking roaches is not irrational! :) Some of those buggers are huge!

 

We have Ethan Allen beds, too. Got them used, but, really, what can happen to a bed? (Well, as long as they're both on the floor.) You're fortunate that your husband was able to make yours, Dawn. I think I'd feel better if my husband made ours. I'd be more confident about bunk beds made by someone who cares as much I do about the children sleeping in them.

 

yvonne

[SapphireStitch]

No bunkbeds at our house, but my brothers had them when I was little. DH and his twin had them, too. DH as a teen liked the bottom bunk because he could decorate his "ceiling" with a Union Jack and rock posters. :)

 

My brothers' beds had foam mattresses on them, and I remember Mom pulling the whole mattress down to change the sheets. I guess they were pretty lightweight.

 

When I was a teen, a friend's younger brother rolled out of a top bunk and landed on his head. Sadly, he suffered brain damage to the point of eventually having to be institutionalized after he got too big for his parents to handle at home.

 

That's anecdotal evidence, and I don't know what the guardrail situation was on that particular bed...but just knowing about that family made me very reluctant to consider bunk beds. OTOH, I know many families have them with no problems...and there are many ways a child can get hurt in life no matter how we protect them.

[mamaof2andtwins]

Because, a friend had her son on the top bunk, he leaned too far off of the bed and hit the fan. The fan apparently hit him near his temple (sp?), and now he has seizures. He never had them before that day. At least the ceiling fans today don't have metal blades like they used to so no one loses a limb, but still the danger is there in other ways.

 

One of my twins did this also. She did not hit her temple and suffered no ill effects, but it did happen. She was nearly 6 at the time.

 

Jennie

[LaxMom]

We have bunk beds (single top, double bottom... and incidentally, I am planning to get a wool mattress for the double shortly... spooky), two 4 year olds and an 8 year old, and a ceiling fan. No injuries, no issues. The boys sleep together in the bottom, the girl child in the top. (this was an arrangement they lobbied for - we have another bedroom)

 

However, now that roach attacks has been suggested as a possibility, I will be hiding in a closet, so somebody else will have to make the top bunk. :leaving:

[sweetsouthern]

we have bunk beds for the girls, but they sleep so messy that we have never used them! lol! im afraid either of them will fall off the top!

[Reya]

Because, a friend had her son on the top bunk, he leaned too far off of the bed and hit the fan. The fan apparently hit him near his temple (sp?), and now he has seizures. He never had them before that day. At least the ceiling fans today don't have metal blades like they used to so no one loses a limb, but still the danger is there in other ways.

 

Holymoly!!! Ours didn't move all that fast. You could stop it with a pinkie, and it didn't hurt. I guess it depends on the fan! I suppose I'd test the fan first.

[Reya]

Have you ever tried to make the bed on one of the top bunks? It's all my husband and I can do to get that blasted bed made. It's awful. Just plain awful. Making a top bunk is *nothing* like making a regular bed.

 

Bunks are fantastic if you don't have space for twin beds. But that top bunk...ugh.

 

 

Ria

 

My kid sleeps with just a comforter over a fitted sheet. :-) So it's easy no matter where you are.

 

His bedroom also has cathedral ceilings, so there's tons of room. It's much harder to make the lower bunk....

[yvonne]

Well, my boys are thrilled--they finally have a bunkbed! My husband put it together yesterday.

 

How about you, mamapjma? Are you going to put one up?

 

yvonne

[mamapjama]

I think so. I found one on Kijijji that would save me driving back to the original store but I think someone else must have got it first. I think he would love to make forts and things out of the bottom. But I don't think we will get the bed with the double on the bottom. It is just stressing me out with the whole concern of the new mattress arriving this week etc.

 

So at this point he's going to have the new mattress but no bed to put it on :lol:

 

Thanks for all of the yay's and nay's! Your experience was very helpful!

[Starr]

He'll love the mattress on the floor option. :) Whatever beds we have we use duvet covers. It would make bunk beds much easier to make. IKEA has them.