Child sleeps on a mattress on the floor

It’s not ideal, but it’s fine. My DH grew up like because they couldn’t afford a bed for him, he’s fine. But, do you have other concerns?

Well thats quite a modern thing, kids rooms having a 'theme' like its a playground or something

Its not my cup of tea but I know people tend to do that.

Only if it’s not properly aired. Like most things, really.

It encourages mould growth on the mattress.

@Calliopespa

I quite agree

I would add the seeming inability to distinguish between a lack of cleanliness and being cluttered and untidy.
My home is often untidy, there are usually dishes in the sink. As a foster carer I have frequent social worker visits. Never had a problem. Because a bit of clutter doesn't mean its not clean.

This describes the sort of childhood I'd call idyllic! Rich in fantasy and generally embracing the delight of chidlhood.

This touches on a really interesting point, which has often struck me on MN and which I have also observed IRL.

There was a thread a while back discussing a home where the mother was a GP. The OP had visited and said the mum spent her spare time playing with the children on the outside play equipment etc, but all the time there were dirty plates in the sink and toys and games piled on the spare bed when she went to get in.

I know several mothers - and one in particular - who would consider herself a far superior mother to most because she has an absolutely immaculate home - immaculate to the point there is almost nothing in it, and, to be honest, not a house I could feel comfortable in, with its lack of interest, books, games and just general self-expression of some sort. There is a large and very expensive tv centre stage on one wall. Nothing comes out of a kitchen cupboard but that it is scooped up and whisked back in the minute it has been used. She seems constantly to be wiping the nearest surfaces (though, in all honesty, I sometimes think to myself I'd rather let the mess build a bit, then get a clean cloth and do the job once with a cloth designed for that specific purpose) so everything LOOKS clean (even if it was swiped at with the same cloth as she dabbed at a spot on the floor with). Under NO circumstances would her dc sleep on a mattress on the floor.

BUT at the same time, under no circumstances would guests be traipsing upstairs to be shown a model made by the dc when the bed wasn't immaculate - and in fact I'd give the model three days post construction of being allowed to remain disturbing the empty aesthetic before it was spirited off to the bin - and that's if such a messy activity was allowed in the house in the first place. Her dc have very, very few toys ("can't stand clutter" she'll say as if it tops her belief system), they have hardly any books and I know she seldom if ever reads to them, let alone plays with them.

Personally, it isn't my aesthetic to have bedding on the floor, and I love a freshly-made bed, but when I read this thread, it did occur to me that possibly that was far less the thing to be judging the "neglect" on than the fact the child had a model that the mum had taken enough interest in to suggest the dc has the input of people going up to see it.

MN can be a funny old world at times.

I slept on a mattress on the floor aged 12 to 18, I had the whole attic room to myself, we quite low ceilings and had two single mattresses on the floor in one corner. It was super cosy and I loved it! I did have a bed up there in another bit, but much preferred my mattress bit so slept there! My mates were always round as I had the best bedroom 🤣

My friend and her sister shared a double mattress in their house as teens. The house was immaculate and clean. Each week when they stripped sheets off the mattress was stood on its side for the day before turned over and remade .

I don't recall any mould issues

I just checked DD's mattress, having been made slightly paranoid by this thread, and there are no signs of mould there, although he's been floor sleeping for years, at his own request. We got rid of his bed after a year of him taking the mattress off to move it to the floor. He prefers a mattress on the floor, and we make sure he has suitable bedding, a desk, chair etc in his room. At 16, he's responsible for washing his own bedding, though, so it's not always as clean as I would prefer, but he's just done a big declutter/tidy/clean ready for the start of term so his room in in pretty decent shape at the moment.

It's worth pointing out that many people world-wide sleep on futons right on the floor.

If you have no money just putting the mattress on pallets is a good idea, otherwise they do go mouldy

You obviously don't live in the real world, sorry ........

It's very common isn't it? Both of mine had big mattresses so I could hop in with them and they wouldn't get hurt if they rolled out 🤷‍♀️

Well, I think a themed bedroom or some matching is a bit odd. I can’t quite picture what you mean. I’ve never seen a themed bedroom. Certainly my dc didn’t have them. And what do you mean by “ some matching”? Like a light shade in the same pattern as a duvet cover? That seems completely over the top. Never seen that, either.

My DS (7) has a bunk bed,but still occasionally wets the bed,so I keep his old toddler bed mattress on standby, with clean waterproof and bottom sheets so that he does have an accident,I can give him a quick clean up and then get him back to sleep. Many a time,I've put him to bed and when I've gone to check on him,he's moved himself onto the mattress instead because he sometimes prefers it. And he quite often uses a fleecy blanket (similar to a throw) because he gets too hot at night,even in winter. So,IMHO,I don't think it's that concerning as long as there are no other red flags.

Do you ? It's been quite hot for a while and still gets pretty warm at night. Maybe he only uses the duvet when it's colder.

But if you were doing this properly you'd have a slatted floor bed base. £80 in B&Q

A mattress really shouldnt be directly on the floor.

I dont see a problem with it. A lot of adults do this.

It's not the absence of structure that's problematic but the absence of sheets and duvet. A simple mattress on the floor with nothing is unhygienic and sign of neglect.

Loving all the how i survived on one packet of cheap noodles a day and slept on a mattress with a coat as a blanket comments, as if this scenario is acceptable for a child 🙄.
Christ alive 🫣.

We used to stick children up chimneys...

its 2026, the world has moved on, evolved etc, straw and bugs ffs

I slept on a bed on the floor at my flat while I was a uni. Worked fine, no problems.

Our trick was to layer:

wet mattress protector
fitted sheet
wet mattress protector
fitted sheet
wet mattress protector
fitted sheet

ready made up pillow and duvet ready to go. Works for bed wetting and vomiting bugs. Our DCs are older now but we still keep a ready made up duvet and pillow for emergencies.

All you have to do is remove the wet stuff and not worry about making up the bed entirely. Ours are in bunk beds and made our life’s so much easier, especially in potty training and nursery bug days.

I think it fully depends on circumstances. My DCs slept on a couple of mattresses the last time we moved for about 3 weeks as we had zero furniture and was buying everything new. Fitted sheets didn’t fit so multiple flat sheets thrown down. DH slept with them while I slept on a cheap futon I was able to get delivery on move in day. All duvets and pillows had appropriate bedding.

The only person I’ve known that grew up sleeping like this lived with 2 hoarder parents, their home was vomit inducing. We were late teens when we met and she didn’t think anything of her lifestyle. When she moved in with her boyfriend she could not sleep in a normal bed. Her boyfriend could only stand a mattress on the floor so long.

i agree with others it’s not healthy. It’s different if it’s a bad on a floor with a base to allow ventilation, but also you have no idea how much the parents ventilate. If it’s temporary then I suppose it’s fine.

i grew up very very poor, a bed is a necessity even in the poorest families. Myself and my siblings slept in draws not baskets or cots until we went in beds. Both my parents were one of 10 surviving children, one side was 12 in a 1 bed flat, but they had a bed they shared, my grandparents slept on a sofa, same on the other side but they were lucky to have a 2 bed house. Funnily enough the friend who slept on a mattress in a horrible disgusting house was posh, posh school, posh parents who ate out 7 nights a week (I waited on them) and decent jobs, but zero hygiene skills of basic knowledge of parenting skills.