Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

Flip

Original poster

Top bunk

16 replies

Empress · 29/01/2004 12:37

Our daughter's got a bunk bed, and she sleeps on the lower bunk. shes 5. I gather kids under 7 aren't supposed to sleep on a top bunk, but not sure if thats because they're deemed more likely to fall out of bed before they're 7, or whether it's because if they did they'd be less hurt if they were 7 or over!! Our daughter's never fallen out of bed, the top bunk has a low rail around it anyway, she'd love to sleep on the top. i'm about to redocate her room, and it'd be nice to promote her to top bunk at the same time. what do you think - should i wait another 2 yrs or just get on with it??!!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

batey · 29/01/2004 12:46

My dds have been in bunk beds for about 18ms, dd1 is just 6. We've never had a problem, but dd1 NEVER gets out of bed at night. Dd2 would be a different story. I wouldn't trust her not to fall if trying to get out of bed for whatever reason.HTH.

batey · 29/01/2004 12:46

whoops!

nutcracker · 29/01/2004 13:33

My dd has slept on the top bunk since she was 4 with no probs at all

Momof2 · 29/01/2004 13:36

We have had bunk beds since dp's dd was 4 - she sleeps on the top when she stays, no problems at all she is now 6.5 - except from them playing spy kids and climbing up not using the ladder

nerdgirl · 29/01/2004 13:45

My DS has also slept on the top bunk with no problems since he was 4. Go for it Empress.

Lou33 · 29/01/2004 13:50

We have bunk beds for my two girls aged 11 1/2 and 7. Last summer holidays, unbeknown to me dd2 and ds1 aged almost 5, got onto the top bunk. Ds1 fell off and broke his arm badly in 2 places, and needed an op to manipulate it back into place.

roisin · 29/01/2004 13:56

Empress - yes the safety rules are age 7, but it depends on your children really. My sons have a bedroom with no toys in where they sleep, and do not play. They don't get out of bed in the middle of the night, and have always obeyed our instructions about how to get in and out of the bed, and never to stand up on the top bunk. They have each slept on the top bunk from age 3.5, and have never fallen out, or fallen whilst climbing in or out.

annh · 29/01/2004 13:56

I didn't even realise that under 7's weren't supposed to be in the top bunk! DS1 has been on the top bunk since just after turning 5. I agree however that it really depends on the child. DS1 never gets up a night but DS2, on the other hand, likes to wander in to our room about 2ish to have a chat - grrr - so he will be staying on the bottom for years to come!

Demented · 29/01/2004 14:36

My DS1 has just turned five and we have ordered bunk beds for his room, I thought it was under six's who weren't supposed to sleep on the top bunk and we used the reasoning that DS1 is big for his age and quite agile so would be OK.

The thing that worries me is that DS2 (almost 20 months) starts climbing up and could fall, has anyone got any good tips for keeping a toddler from climbing to the top bunk? The bed we have ordered doesn't have a removeable ladder.

steppemum · 29/01/2004 16:07

We bought Ikea bunk beds several years ago (before we had kids) and I remember the instructions said not for under 6, but I always assumes that it would depend on the child.

SoupDragon · 29/01/2004 16:13

Demented, if the ladder has to be constructed by you, you might be able to leave the bottom rung off. Depends on the spacing of the next rung up though - your DS1 might not be able to get up either!

Both DS1 and 2 have had mid-height loft beds since they were 2.5. DS2 did once fell off DS1s bed when he was about 18 months old but that's the only accident so far (touch wood)

hmb · 29/01/2004 16:42

DD lsept in hers from age 5 with no problems.

misdee · 29/01/2004 20:15

i have bunkbeds for my two. dd2 is till in a cot, but she climbed onto the top bunk the other day so i removed the ladder. then this morning she climbed out of her cot for the 1st time, so am having to borrow a junior bed to pop her in til she is old enuff to be trusted not to climb up there (bout another 2years) as she is only 17months old.

Demented · 30/01/2004 09:31

Thanks Soupdragon, will look out for that when it arrives.

lydialemon · 30/01/2004 09:55

Ds1 was 3.5 when he went into the top bunk. We made sure he was confident going up and down the ladder first, and for the first month we left a big duvet on the floor around the base of the ladder 'just in case'.

I don't know how you can stop a toddler climbing up the ladder (how do you stop them doing anything? ) DS2 would do it all the time, but could never climb back down again and would just sit up there shouting until I rescued him!

Flip