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Original poster

Child's bed next to radiator

29 replies

CarolinaWeeper · 03/03/2021 18:37

My 3 year old really needs to move to a single bed (currently in a small toddler bed). Because of the width of the room I can't fit a single bed in the place the toddler bed is so would have to turn it lengthways. The only problem is then the single bed would be under the window and against the radiator. Have any of you had the same thing and was it ok?

OP posts:
Serena1977 · 03/03/2021 18:41

Turn off the radiator when child is in bed or make sure the radiator is nearer the feet than head or turn it down.

Yebanksandbraes · 03/03/2021 18:41

Hi, we had this. I screwed a flat wooden board (from DIY shop) onto the side of the bed between it and radiator so child couldn't accidentally touch radiator while asleep. It worked well for years

LaurieSchafferIsAllBitterNow · 03/03/2021 18:42

I'd be wary, with such a young one tbh...can you get a radiator cover....I know they are naffness personified these days but needs must and all that. Some radiators get very hot imo.

Having said that I LOVED having my bed under the window and against the radiator as a teen...toasty feet! Our house was freezing back in the day! ice on the inside of the windows and everything!

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3 year olds Home improvement
MsFogi · 03/03/2021 18:46

I spent my entire childhood with my bed under a window next to a radiator. Did me no harm Grin.

TierFourTears · 03/03/2021 18:48

Which bit would be next to the radiator? Head/foot or the side?

mynewself · 03/03/2021 19:04

We have used the baby bumper cover on the radiator and it works well. The radiator is turn down so it doesn't go to hot.

Blueberries0112 · 03/03/2021 19:04

Feet. All my life I was told to take care of my feet. Warmth keep the circulation flowing in the feet . Your feet is usually the first thing to get frostbitten and such

And the brain always need to be cool. It’s why people always kept cool cloth on sick people’s head to keep the fever down.

Blueberries0112 · 03/03/2021 19:08

What type of radiator anyway? Is it heated by Water? I have water type radiator, it is not supposed to get too hot . There are radiator cover that let the heat out but keep people from touch it. You should consider one

missbridgerton · 03/03/2021 19:08

I had to stay in a spare room of one of DH's friends once, and the bed was pushed against the radiator. The heating came on in the morning and I got a really nasty burn on my leg that took ages to heal.

I wouldn't ever sleep near one again!

MargaretThursday · 03/03/2021 19:09

I had one next to my bed as a child. I loved it.
The only issue I remember was when I got my foot trapped behind it. :D

DareIask · 03/03/2021 19:10

I was admitted to hospital as a teenager to have a skin graft on a burn to my leg caused by a radiator.

Pipppin · 03/03/2021 19:11

Yes, we just turn the radiators off. To be fair ours is a well insulated house so it doesn’t really make a massive difference as it’s always fairly warm in their rooms anyway!

Mumdiva99 · 03/03/2021 19:18

You can get shorter long beds (look up Argos Shorty beds) or an IKEA extendable bed ( www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/busunge-extendable-bed-white-70305700/ ) .

Would either of those fit in the space where her cot bed currently is?

AlohaMolly · 03/03/2021 19:24

We keep the radiator off permanently in DS’ room - initially his cot was up against it, then the headboard of his bed. It’s also a small room and we keep his door closed at night and I was worried about him over heating.

We live in snowdonia and it gets really cold over night, we just make sure to dress him in long pyjamas and have plenty of blankets! In the midst of winter he has a thin fleece blanket under his duvet and then a knitted blanket on top of that. It’s often cosier than my bed!!

24butfeeling80 · 03/03/2021 19:26

I’ve put a radiator cover over ours and make sure it’s off at night anyway.

I would be more concerned about the window, please make sure it is locked and f it isn’t locked you have a child catch installed on it, it will only let the window open a bit, preventing them climbing up and falling out of the window.

Original poster
CarolinaWeeper · 03/03/2021 19:28

Oh no talk of burns has worried me! It's a pretty standard radiator, it would be on the side of the bed about halfway down if we turned the bed round that way. I did consider an extendable bed, I suppose I was just hoping I could get a single bed that would then last into teenager years.

I may have to look into some sort of radiator cover that still allows the heat out.

OP posts:
Original poster
CarolinaWeeper · 03/03/2021 19:30

Oh I agree about windows, all windows upstairs are locked or have a child lock on them.

OP posts:
Maybemay123 · 03/03/2021 19:59

I actually moved a radiator because of this.
I used to work on a burns unit and saw a few children come in after suffering burns from sleeping next to a radiator. Please either consider moving it or switching it off.

Suzi888 · 03/03/2021 20:02

Switch it off or get a cover.

yaybacktoschool · 03/03/2021 20:02

We moved a radiator to help with this. Replaced it with one of the tall vertical ones to save wall space

wouldukissafrog · 03/03/2021 20:05

We also have a small bedroom for our DD3 and will struggle with a single bed. We are getting a shorty bed (Argos do some) they are not quite as wide or long as a single bed

GreenSlide · 03/03/2021 20:22

I'm fantasising about moving my bed next to the radiator now Grin I'd try popping a bed guard in along the side of the bed for protection.

AnathemaPulsifer · 03/03/2021 20:39

Radiator cover is a great idea.

Rainallnight · 05/07/2021 15:19

Thank goodness for old MN threads. I’m facing this precise dilemma at the moment but with two kids in the room and it’s keeping me awake at night!

GhoulWithADragonTattoo · 05/07/2021 15:52

Turn the radiator off at night in cold weather. Surely it isn’t on in the summer anyway?