Bunk Beds?

Supafly · Guru

Bunk Beds?

apies · Guru

Supafly wrote:

So, since we have a 3 bedroom here, the girls are going to have to move into the same room when #3 arrives. It is going to be a tight fit, although that room is somewhat long.

Anyway, we have briefly discussed bunk beds, but we are both hesitant about it. Anna will be 6 and Kate will be 2 months shy of 5 when the little one arrives. Would you consider bunk beds for them at those ages? Or do you think that is a bit too young?

Kate is a clutz, so she would have to be told she wasn't allowed on the top bunk at all. Anna hasn't had any issues for a long while, but has had a few episodes of sleep walking from time to time, which makes me a tad nervous.

IDK-thoughts? It would make better use of the space, but safety comes first!!! TIA!!!

jake has a loft bed with slide and we've had NO issues. he moved into it at 3.5 and never batted an eye.

i think they'll be fine!

Supafly · Guru

apies wrote:

Supafly wrote:

So, since we have a 3 bedroom here, the girls are going to have to move into the same room when #3 arrives. It is going to be a tight fit, although that room is somewhat long.

Anyway, we have briefly discussed bunk beds, but we are both hesitant about it. Anna will be 6 and Kate will be 2 months shy of 5 when the little one arrives. Would you consider bunk beds for them at those ages? Or do you think that is a bit too young?

Kate is a clutz, so she would have to be told she wasn't allowed on the top bunk at all. Anna hasn't had any issues for a long while, but has had a few episodes of sleep walking from time to time, which makes me a tad nervous.

IDK-thoughts? It would make better use of the space, but safety comes first!!! TIA!!!

jake has a loft bed with slide and we've had NO issues. he moved into it at 3.5 and never batted an eye.
i think they'll be fine!

LOL-Bill said he saw one with a slide, and he made the mistake of telling the girls about it. I actually think it is a great idea-so much easier than climbing down, but IDK if we could find one that would work in the space we have. Where did you get Jake's loft?

Thank you for the input!!! Bunk beds would definitely help space woes if they were ok with them.

apies · Guru

Supafly wrote:

apies wrote:

Supafly wrote:

So, since we have a 3 bedroom here, the girls are going to have to move into the same room when #3 arrives. It is going to be a tight fit, although that room is somewhat long.

Anyway, we have briefly discussed bunk beds, but we are both hesitant about it. Anna will be 6 and Kate will be 2 months shy of 5 when the little one arrives. Would you consider bunk beds for them at those ages? Or do you think that is a bit too young?

Kate is a clutz, so she would have to be told she wasn't allowed on the top bunk at all. Anna hasn't had any issues for a long while, but has had a few episodes of sleep walking from time to time, which makes me a tad nervous.

IDK-thoughts? It would make better use of the space, but safety comes first!!! TIA!!!

jake has a loft bed with slide and we've had NO issues. he moved into it at 3.5 and never batted an eye.
i think they'll be fine!

LOL-Bill said he saw one with a slide, and he made the mistake of telling the girls about it. I actually think it is a great idea-so much easier than climbing down, but IDK if we could find one that would work in the space we have. Where did you get Jake's loft?
Thank you for the input!!! Bunk beds would definitely help space woes if they were ok with them.

i got it at furniture row and i think that they have that there, right?

we looked at a house today where they had bunk beds with a slide. that would be cool! see pic here: http://recolorado.com/Search/propertyDetail.asp?mls_number=962987#

Supafly · Guru

apies wrote:

Supafly wrote:

apies wrote:

Supafly wrote:

So, since we have a 3 bedroom here, the girls are going to have to move into the same room when #3 arrives. It is going to be a tight fit, although that room is somewhat long.

Anyway, we have briefly discussed bunk beds, but we are both hesitant about it. Anna will be 6 and Kate will be 2 months shy of 5 when the little one arrives. Would you consider bunk beds for them at those ages? Or do you think that is a bit too young?

Kate is a clutz, so she would have to be told she wasn't allowed on the top bunk at all. Anna hasn't had any issues for a long while, but has had a few episodes of sleep walking from time to time, which makes me a tad nervous.

IDK-thoughts? It would make better use of the space, but safety comes first!!! TIA!!!

jake has a loft bed with slide and we've had NO issues. he moved into it at 3.5 and never batted an eye.
i think they'll be fine!

LOL-Bill said he saw one with a slide, and he made the mistake of telling the girls about it. I actually think it is a great idea-so much easier than climbing down, but IDK if we could find one that would work in the space we have. Where did you get Jake's loft?
Thank you for the input!!! Bunk beds would definitely help space woes if they were ok with them.

i got it at furniture row and i think that they have that there, right?
we looked at a house today where they had bunk beds with a slide. that would be cool! see pic here: http://recolorado.com/Search/propertyDetail.asp?mls_number=962987#

Very nice!!! That house looks great!!! How did you like it? And how about the NJ house? Any offers yet? I hope one of the people who has looked at it decides to put in an offer.

IHNI if we have furniture row, but I will look into it. I am sure someone around here has them!! Thanks!!

Sara · Guru

I would think they would be fine.

Owen actually sleeps on the top bunk, that is what he wanted and Bryce did not care.

They got them in July right before Owen turned 5 and Bryce 7.5.

No issues other than they are horrible roommates..lol

Supafly · Guru

Sara wrote:

I would think they would be fine.

Owen actually sleeps on the top bunk, that is what he wanted and Bryce did not care.

They got them in July right before Owen turned 5 and Bryce 7.5.

No issues other than they are horrible roommates..lol

Thank you, Sara!!! That definitely makes me feel better too.

But UGH. That is my biggest fear-that those two will not room well together. Kate is SO picky about things, and she is SO dramatic. Not to mention she doesn't require as much sleep as Anna. Blah. But we have zero options on them sharing a room, so it is going to have to work out somehow!! What do your big boys fight about?

mctex · Guru

We bought them, BUT we bought full size bunk beds.

That turned out to be a mistake.

The girls had full size beds before, because when they have bad dreams or whatever, we preferred to go lay with them over having them lay in our bed.

But I got super paranoid about one of us on Alexandra's bed along with her... and Victoria sleeping underneath us. Yes, it was crazy paranoid. But I made a "no one in Alexandra's bed but Alexandra" rule.

So then we'd go in and lay with Victoria, but not with Alexandra. Understandably, she got super upset.

So we took them apart, and they are now are side-by-side in their totally tiny room. I have bruises all over my hips from trying to get around in there.

BUT, to your question... yes, they were absolutely fine/safe in them (outside of my ridiculous fear I was going to crush Victoria in her sleep). And I think if we'd just bought them twin bunks and said "no one in your bed but you", we would've been golden.

Supafly · Guru

mctex wrote:

We bought them, BUT we bought full size bunk beds.

That turned out to be a mistake.

The girls had full size beds before, because when they have bad dreams or whatever, we preferred to go lay with them over having them lay in our bed.

But I got super paranoid about one of us on Alexandra's bed along with her... and Victoria sleeping underneath us. Yes, it was crazy paranoid. But I made a "no one in Alexandra's bed but Alexandra" rule.

So then we'd go in and lay with Victoria, but not with Alexandra. Understandably, she got super upset.

So we took them apart, and they are now are side-by-side in their totally tiny room. I have bruises all over my hips from trying to get around in there.

BUT, to your question... yes, they were absolutely fine/safe in them (outside of my ridiculous fear I was going to crush Victoria in her sleep). And I think if we'd just bought them twin bunks and said "no one in your bed but you", we would've been golden.

OMG Michelle. I had never even thought about that, but I could completely see having that fear!!!

I am so sorry you are now trying to get around 2 full size beds-that stinks!!!

But thank you for the input about bunk beds-I am glad to know everyone's kids seem to be doing ok with getting up and down, and not falling out or anything...

supergrover · Guru

Our boys have been in bunk beds since this summer. They are not allowed in each others beds, it is the one place that is only their own. We got the lesser expensive ones from Walmart because we knew they were for now and not their forever furniture. We've had no issues (unless you count some nights them telling jokes to each other for-freaking-ever. Brother giggles=cute until it is WAY past their bedtime).

The only challenge is that technically, Koda could probably go to bed a little later, but we keep them to the same bedtime. Koda has dealt fine though. He looks at books for a while until he feels sleepy. Bunk beds bought new are pretty impossible to fall out of the top bunk. They have the raised siding all around except at the ladder. For the bottom bunk we put up the safety rails you use on toddler beds so that we wouldn't have to worry about Tristen falling out.

sbucking · Guru

I got a set when Carter was born off Craigslist. They are unstacked right now, but they were stacked when the kids were 2 and 4 and they were fine.

My only pet peeve is that I couldn't sit up on the bottom bunk to read stories. So we sat on the floor.

I know they make them now where there is more height for the bottom. (Both footboards go on the top bunk and both headboards on the bottom, assuming headboards taller than footboards.)

Sonya · Guru

We've had the kids in bunkbeds since they were 2 and 4. They do fine. Charlie's on top and Josie's below.

I hate not being able to lay with Charlie (same fear as Michelle).

Our kids also never get out of their beds until we ok it so I don't have to worry about charlie coming down in the middle of the night - we have to get him out when he has to use the bathroom (a rare thing).

Josie never goes up. I don't think she has ever considered it.

But we also don't play in our rooms - just sleeping.

3s_a_crowd · Guru

as for the fear when i was little my sister had bunk beds. my grandpa was napping on the bottom andall 5 of the cousins went on top. it collapsed. luckily no one was majorly hurt

as for the question i think theyd be fine at those ages

-- Edited by 3s_a_crowd on Monday 24th of January 2011 10:38:30 AM

Corey · Guru

my kids got them for xmas and they are fine. we don't have any rules about staying out of each other's beds at all and they are always hanging out on the top bunk.

we also read stories 1 adult 2 kids on the top every night and i have never worried they were going to collapse. ours were $199 from walmart online and they are surprisingly nice. even my father, who made my bunk beds as a kid, couldn't believe how well made they were.

Sara · Guru

Supafly wrote:

Sara wrote:

I would think they would be fine.

Owen actually sleeps on the top bunk, that is what he wanted and Bryce did not care.

They got them in July right before Owen turned 5 and Bryce 7.5.

No issues other than they are horrible roommates..lol

Thank you, Sara!!! That definitely makes me feel better too.
But UGH. That is my biggest fear-that those two will not room well together. Kate is SO picky about things, and she is SO dramatic. Not to mention she doesn't require as much sleep as Anna. Blah. But we have zero options on them sharing a room, so it is going to have to work out somehow!! What do your big boys fight about?

It is actually rare it is fighting. They just keep each other up.

I do not mind a little talking but there are many, many nights we have to get on to them and they are still up at close to 9 pm which is ridiculous!

Then Bryce is an early riser and many days he will just wake Owen when he wakes up.

Owen requires his sleep or is a grump!

Juni · Guru

The boys have been in bunk beds since the summer...so age 3 and 5. I love it. They were sharing a room anyway so for us it freed up quite a bit of space and gave Owen the room he needed in his bed. They do great. There are times they keep each other away telling fart jokes and sneaking into each other's beds but I love that they enjoy each other so much so I don't worry all that much about it. (It doesn't happen all that much.)

They don't wake each other up in the morning. If Owen needs to go to sleep and Gavin doesn't I tell Gavin and he goes into his bed until Owen goes to sleep and then he gets to come out. He doesn't mind and it helps Owen go to sleep. That is rare too. Gavin actually sleeps the same or more at night than Owen since Owen still naps.

I LOVE having bunkbeds.

muffy · Guru

what about a trundle bed instead?

i say that because you said the room is small, and bunks might make it smaller - a pull out trundle under the main bed could work?

clara has a bunk, has had it for the last year and we have never had a problem.

Juni · Guru

Made their beds tonight and remembered the negative side - I HATE making the top bunk. Hate it. Such a pain. But other than that we love having bunk beds.

Supafly · Guru

Thank you so much for all of this input!!!

Juni-BARF. I hadn't even thought about making the top bunk. Super BARF. I will HATE that if we go that route.

Megan-interesting idea with the trundle. It might work, but I am not sure that I would like dealing with pulling out someone's bed every night. I will mention it to Bill.

I am very glad to hear that so many kids have them without issue. That is reassuring to me!! And I am glad that I had made the decision a few years back to buy them matching quilts, in case we were still in this house when another baby came. For a while I was beginning to think that was a really dumb thing to have done, but now it seems it will work out!!

supergrover · Guru

Honestly, I don't make the top bunk. The comforter is tucked in tight, and Koda just uses throw blankets instead. We just fold up the blankets in the morning.

No one in this family sleeps under normal sheets and covers even when the bed is made properly...so, perhaps we aren't the best models.