What age would you put a child on a top bunk?

[ImFree2doasiwant]

I've been given bunk beds, dc2 will go on the bottom. Dc1 already has a bed, but they share a room. I'm pretty sure DC1 will want to sleep on the top bunk but I'm a bit nervous about it, he still falls out of bed occasionally. (I know there's a rail to stop him)

I think the recommended age is 6, so that’s what I go with.

I remember falling out of the top bunk when I was probably 5 or 6 (I was trying to balance by lying tummy down on the wooden rail bit on the edge...) and it wasn’t too bad, although it did give me a shock

That's helpful, thanks. Dc1 is 5, and is a bit if a rule flower, so if I say it's "not allowed until you're 6" he'll happily go with it!

DS has had a midsleeper so almost but not quite as high since he was 4. I realise the age is 6, but it has a solid rail, he isn’t a ‘jumper/climber’ and he has never fallen out. We did go for one with steps rather than a ladder though. (We’re several years on now and no dreadful accident occurred)

There's a label on the side of ours that says top bunk should only be used by people over 6 years old.bmy youngest is not impressed and is passing the time by asking when she'll be 6. The answer is the same every night, 2 years... She's happy with that but still asks every night 😂

Mine wAs 4 when she went on top bunk

Age six. The safety recommendation is to do with the average size child being able to slip between the bars and end up hanging. If you've got solid sides, this recommendation would not apply.

DD has a high sleeper and was 6 before it came from DN, who was also 6 before she got it. DM has bunk beds for her grandchildren and they have a sticker saying 6+ on them. The high sleeper is higher.

I know age 6 is the guideline, but I put a sensible 4yo in the top bunk with no issues.

6 for dd too.

My eldest was 5, he was quite sensible back then tho..

@Stompythedinosaur the safety guidance is to do with size, not how sensible the child is.

You might have had no issues, but that doesn't mean it is a safe thing to do. That's like people of my age (oldie) saying "when I was a child we didn't wear seatbelts - I don't know anyone who was hurt in an accident". Doesn't make it safe!

Depends on the kid, depends on the type of bunk beds. We got given ladder type ones when the kids were like age 3 and 2 - so we just didn't fit the ladder at that point - the 3 year old used the bottom bunk and the 2 year old used her cot bed (the free bunks were too good an offer to pass up).

Then we had bunk beds with steps up the side - and I think they were about age 4 and 5 when we swapped to those - they coped fine with them - apart from the fact they were the staggered out type of bunks and we caught the top bunk resident dropping books onto her sister's head to wake her up and come read her a story!

Mine was 4 when she went on the top bunk. She’s taller and heavier than her 6 year old sister so the ‘slipping through the bars’ thing didn’t apply in our case.
She’s slept on there for over a year now with no issues.

DS2 has slept in a top bunk at his Dad's house since he was 4 (little sister on bottom bunk). It was the only way they could all fit in and have a bed, so no choice! It's been fine, he's never fallen out or had any issues.

I also wanted DD to be dry at night beforehand as I didn't fancy trying to change a wet top bunk in the night!!

Mine did from age 4