Child sleeps on a mattress on the floor

[Ovenpizzasarerank]

Went for dinner and a playdate with my Ds new friend. Mum is very nice, child lovely. Ds called me upstairs to show me his friends lego building and his bed was a mattress on the floor, is this normal? Mum very bohemian, house very messy and not well looked after-I am not judging and these things don't bother me, my house needs painting and some new furniture, so I get it, but is a mattress as a bed ok?

It can be as hollow as you like (though many have drawers, storage, other mattresses etc filling the hollowness), but if it has a solid board between that hollow gap and the mattress, as divans generally (always?) do then no air is flowing underneath the mattress?

I thought most divans nowadays had perforated top boards.

A solid board is fine with a sprung mattress but problematic with one that’s all foam.

The problem with a (foam) mattress on a solid base is exacerbated by cold, though and that’s not as common in homes now that central heating is standard and most people don’t let bedrooms get so cold at night. So those on here (inc. me) who have mentioned it may be overstating the concern.

Perhaps the op could wangle another play date so she can inspect for mould, fully assess whether its the right sort of mattress and monitor the air flow

I think you might be right here.

Our mattress is on a divan and we took the feet off it as it created a dust space that you could not get the hoover head into.

It is perfectly mould free.

This thread has been making me curious as to why it seems to work for us, but when you mentioned foam mattresses, I realised that is probably the issue. Ours is sprung and made from all natural fibres, including wool and then pure cotton casing. So it breathes.

😂

And see if the bedding is in the washing machine...

My bed looks like a mattress on the floor but it’s built onto a very low frame that isn’t visible
My house is quite boho and ramshackle too 😭😂
I wouldn’t lose any sleep over it OP

I agree with everything you've said here. We don't know the reasons why the room looked the way it did but it doesn't necessarily point to neglect.

We don't know if finances are a problem at all in this family but if they are, the mum may have weighed up what's really important to her son and his wellbeing, and decided having enough money to entertain his friends and give him the toys he wants is more important than a bedframe.

When I lived overseas, it was the custom in the household I was staying in, to strip back the beds each morning and then redo them much later in the day. Different cultures and households have different ways of doing things, there is no wrong or right way, so long as any children involved are loved and well cared for.

The comments certainly do show up people's narrow minded attitudes.

Pictures 5-6.
https://www.futoncompany.co.uk/shop-by-product/beds/size/single/authentic-tatami-mat-76-x-198cm.html?

Just mind your beak. Obviously you care otherwise you wouldnt be here talking about it.

Sounds alright. The only thing I'd be concerned about is lack of air circulation. Its better to have it on low pallets for example.

Imagine getting up in the night for the loo! 😬

But I guess an eight year old isn't too bothered by that exertion, and I'm happy to accept different things work for different people.

I hate the "it ain't what we do round here" attitude on MN at times.

Also, I don’t think just taking the feet off a divan would matter anyway as they normally have open frames that are covered in relatively loose weave fabric that air can circulate through.

My son is 11 . He has slept on the floor underneath a perfectly good cabin bed for 5 years now - we added a mattress topper a year ago . He spent the summer in a tent . He prefers a firm surface and likes the underfloor heating . Our home is a comfortable temperature.

Before that he chose often to sleep on a duvet next to my bed rather than in his bed.

Well loved child , clean sheets and clothes ,private school , probably neurodivergent .

Now at secondary school we are coaxing into a bed. It’s not necessarily dirty / neglectful to sleep on a mattress on the floor per se .

My grandson who is almost 3 and autistic sleeps on a floor bed. It has a sheet and bedding. This is to keep him safe because he kept climbing/ falling out of his cot.

Imagine getting up in the night for the loo!

Errr... the Japanese manage somehow? :)

😂 my house is pretty tidy and very well kept but my 17 year old refuses to use her perfectly good bed frame which is now in bits in the loft and has a mattress on the floor instead. It all stems from fear of people being under the bed not neglect. For a kid who didn’t stop waking me up multiple times a night until she was about 15, she could sleep on the actual bloody floor if that is what she wants!

There’s a difference between a futon/low bed on a frame a few inches off the floor (ie so air can circulate and sweat/moisture evaporate) and a bare mattress on the floor, though.

I agree with PPs who point out that this is pretty sqalid and, personally, I think it warrants a call to school safeguarding team or SocServs. If there is an issue over lack of funds, social services can usually help with a grant and or refer onto other agencies and charities who can help equip a child with a proper bed and bedding.

Imagine what MN would think of this https://roominabox.uk/products/bed-2-0?variant=41704617902185 😂

They sleep on cardboard boxes, call SS asap!

Maybe they have ordered a new bed and waiting for delivery?

I suspect it keeps them more agile than me!

I feel quite stiff on waking. I'm sure I'd look like a cow in labour getting up half asleep from that.

Really? You might voice that opinion to the whole of Japan then. Or parts of Asia and South East Asia where - shock horror - a sleeping mat is the done thing.

I worked for a multi millionaire and his child slept on the floor in a Montessori type bed.

My DGS’s double-sized very comfortable mattress is on the floor. When he cries during the night someone can comfort him back to sleep and continue their night there with him, instead of him going into theirs.

When I finished child minding back in the early 2000s I did some babysitting for local families to keep my registration just in case I decided to go back to childminding.
One family that I babysat for had four children - all of them slept on blowup beds. No sheets, pillows that were dirty and throws rather than duvets.
The house was large with a lot of land and they had fancy cars which they clearly prioritised over furnishing their house.

The only reason I would say its not a good idea is because mould can develop under the mattress between the carpet and mattress. The only way to prevent it somewhat is for them to use an encasement waterproof mattress protector. I had my mattress on the floor for the last month waiting for a delivery from mattress man. I was very worried about this issue. Other than that, its not an issue or neglect in my opinion.