to think nearly £1,000 is too much for a child's bed?!

[threeleftfeet]

A very kind relative has offered to buy DS a new bed when he grows out of his toddler cot-bed, which will be fairly soon. this one

While on the one hand I'm delighted (and not half as much as DS would be!) it costs the best part of a grand! That's more than I think any of our possessions actually cost!

We spent less than that on our last car (about half as much on the one before.)
We're pretty skint atm. It seems obscene to spend so much on a bed! Our own bed was £300 and that was a luxury purchase for us. Most of our furniture is off ebay or from IKEA and cost under £40.

Would it be churlish to say "Thanks but why don't you buy a cheaper bed for DS, and spend the rest on some other useful stuff for him? Or put it in an account for him perhaps?".

That sticks in my throat though, it seems really unkind to turn a gift down.

I suppose I can see the funny side of DS's bed being the most expensive item in the house! I wouldn't resent it one bit, it just seems obscene! I didn't know you could spend a grand on a child's bed

WWYD?

Personally I would accept any gift in good grace, but if I knew that much was to be spent on DC's bed, I would want something that would last them until teen years/they needed a double bed. That one would be great for a child now, but I'm sure once he reaches 10 it will be deemed too babyish! (just my opinion though)

It's a lovely bed, but by the time your ds is 9-ish he might find it a bit babyish. I think bunk beds are a better bet; even if he's too small to sleep in the top bunk now, in a few years it'll come into its own when he has sleepovers. He could still use the top bunk as a eyrie for now, so plenty of play value.

Oh God, how could I have forgotten vomiting from a great height? The absolute carnage...

I would let them buy it for him. It looks like a good quality bed, and if they were to get a cheaper one you might end up replacing it in a couple of years.

I would never turn down an offer from someone who wanted to buy me an expensive piece of furniture

It does look like a fabulous bed, which I'm sure your DS would have lots of fun with. Though I wouldn't contemplate buying something like this myself, if someone volunteered to buy it for DD I'd be delighted! I would just accept the gift and let DS enjoy it.

I had the 1990 version of that bed from john lewis (although a slide was not an option then!), I realised when I scrolled down and saw they did the L shaped bunk combo that I had. I got the beds when I was 12 and they only got chucked out by my Mum 4 years ago, they would have lasted longer had my nephew not been the last child to have them as he managed to break a couple of slats jumping up and down on them with a great deal of force!
Yes they are very expensive and I really do understand how much that can sting when you are thinking of all the essential things that cash could buy but they are fantastic quality and will last for years and years. I never treated mine well and once I left home they were used by many others and they still managed to last 18 years!

I bought a very similar bed for DD1 when she was 3. Luckily I bought it 2nd hand though it was only a few months old and originally cost about £900. On a practical level, they are terrible. You have to allow space for the slide itself, and also enough room at the bottom of the slide so that they will not go careering into a wall. So unless your DS has a MASSIVE room, it will be a nightmare as it cuts right into their play space and you're forever tripping over the bloody thing. Also the novelty of the slide, which to be fair is not the most exciting slide in the world, wears off very quickly and I found my DD stopped using it completely after a couple of months. I ended up selling the bed on ebay after less than a year and bought her a more practical one (well OK it's shaped like a princess carriage but it takes up a lot less space). Even if your DS does love it, by the time he is 6 he will think of it as a baby slide and it's a lot of money to shell out on a bed which will need replacing after such a short space of time.

YANBU to think it's too much and they ANBU to want to buy it for your DS!

Lucky you to have such lovely relatives

Good solid bed is so much worth it though. If someone is prepared to pay for it for me, I would be very happy to accept (another IKEA person here, although I buy more expensive matrasses). You can always sell the bed once they outgrow it and put the proceeds into the account.

Did you check/can you guess the second-hand value for it?

I agree with posters who suggested a more grown up bed. A classical-style, quality bed will always be useful whereas the one being considered will be outgrown v. quickly.

I had a bed much like that when I was a kid, and it was the best. thing. ever! Let him have the bed, what difference does it make to you if a relative wants to buy it? :)

It's a divan bed that got drawn on so all the material bit that covers the base (luckily dh hasn't noticed) have it cleverly hidden with a valance :)

Cunning, Neverever! :)

(Paint was a pretty bad idea then!)

What about asking for a Flexa bed as you can adapt them from something styled for young children to an adult.

It's a lovely bed and the relative obviously thinks an awful lot of your ds to choose such a fun and expensive bed.

I think you could say something like 'I am really grateful that you've offered to buy the bed & it will help us loads but it is such a lot of money I'd feel more comfortable if you bought a cheaper bed'.

But ultimately if they want to buy that bed and they have the money you may just have to accept the kind offer.

Similarly I don't think I can suggest sensible super-comfy over something that DS will adore, I don't thisk that's the game here! I think my relative wants to enjoy DS absolutely loving her gift and knowing he plays with it lots (which I'm sure he will).

Agree with the above. I bet she just wants your ds to have the super cool bed with the slide.

I almost bought a similar one for DS when he was 2. We ended up procrastinating, as we were moving, and he slept in a normal single for further 3 years. We were never sure whether the slide would be a good idea, as we could just imagine him flying off it onto the wall. Anyway, by the time he was 5, he finally went to get it and guess what? He thought it was "babyish", so he chose an Argos bunk bed instead with a desk underneath for a few hundred pounds less. Best procrastination ever!

My DD has the bed with turrets. We got it from littlewoodsdirect when they closed down and I got a good bargain with it. It has survived my DD1 (now 11) using it for 7 years as well as being dismantled and rebuilt by me for DD2 who has now used it for 5 years. It is as solid as it ever was (despite me having a spare bolt left over after reassembling it in my DD2s room).

They are a great storage solution and my DD loves playing on and under hers. And you can always hear when she is up in the morning as she comes down the slide at full pelt. (I suggest a cushion at the end of the slide for comfort).

Haven't read the thread because Im on phone cba but mt ds has the Argos version of that bed and uts bloody fab!!

I got very similar for my son, much, much cheaper, we're talking about less than £200. Ok that was about 8 years ago and from Argos. We got the cheapest with slide and fabric covering. So in today's money ? No where near a grand. Honestly it doesn't look any different.

It is still going strong. Last year I took the frame apart, took the slide off, changed the ladder a bit, so it would fit into a box room, for the next son.

Ok it's not oak, but real wood that can be sanded and painted.

I don't want to just ask them to get a cheaper one, unless they're going to spend the difference on something else for DS

So, you don't want them to spend almost 1k on bed, but you want them to spend almost 1k on your ds? It sounds to me like you know they are happy to spend a grand, but want to get the most out of them as possible, perhaps even for them to buy a cheaper version & give you the difference to spend how you like..

Greed. Pure & simple.

I'm sorry, but not my cup of tea. Personally, I'd prefer to pay for a good quality orthopaedic mattress and box spring, with a headboard. (Just my humble opinion)

If getting a loft bed (which I might do if the bedroom was small) it could at least be one with a desk and dresser, or storage, or even a futon, (great when a parent needs to sleep in with sick child, or for overnight guests built in underneath it. www.cleverclicker.co.uk/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/800x600/8a02aedcaf38ad3a98187ab0a1dede95/f/i/file_155_2.jpg

Storage and play area both. www.amazon.com/dp/B003OR3FP8/ref=asc_df_B003OR3FP81958691?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=nextagus0068670-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395093&creativeASIN=B003OR3FP8
Anyways, hope your dc enjoys the new bed!

That's a lot of money for a child's bed, it's not like your son will be using it for many years either as I expect he will want something a bit more grown by the time he's 12 years old.

It's up to you what to do, but I'd suggest to the relative something similar they can get elsewhere or say you spotted something in a sale and show them?

I suppose the other thing to consider is can the relative afford to spend that amount, if they can easily afford it, it might be best to just accept and say a big thank you.