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Original poster

At what age are you 'allowed' to use bunk beds?

32 replies

oliveoil · 01/11/2006 11:49

I may have asked this before but cannot remember...

dd1 is 4, dd2 is 2 and they want to share a room. Could squeeze two beds in their room but I think bunks would be far better.

And the catalogue says over 6, has anyone 'disobeyed' this?

xx

OP posts:
Bucketsofbloodydinosaurs · 01/11/2006 13:32

My nephew has been on the top bunk since he was 3 and a half but he was always an agile little monkey. If you're confident your eldest isn't too clumsy and is definitely unlikely to have many wet nights I'd go for it. Can't imagine it's much fine stripping a top bunk in the middle of the night, trying not wake up the one underneath.

GoingQuietlyMad · 01/11/2006 13:35

My neighbour had their oldest in a bunk at 3 and a half, but the children are very agile, and have been climbing around since about 9 months . I wouldn't risk it with mine who seem to be a bit clumsier. I would bet it depends on the child.

zubb · 01/11/2006 13:42

ds1 went into top bunk at 4. My worries weren't about him at all but with ds2 who was 2 and who I didn't want climbing up. I laid down the rules at the start - no playing on the bunks, ds2 not allowed on the top bunk, ds1 only allowed to go up there at bed time - and if they did any of these then the bunks got put back into single beds. Amazingly ds2 has never tried to climb up to the top bunk, which as he tries to push every other boundary as far as it can go is bizarre (I must have gone totally overboard!).
Only problem I have had is when other kids come over to play and they want to climb up.
Make sure you get really solid bunks that can be made into singles if needed.

tweetyfish · 01/11/2006 13:48

Ds is 4 and DD will be 2 in a few weeks, and the bunk beds are due to arrive in 10 working days...

I thought quite long about it, but he is agile, he;s not one to fall out of bed at the moment and is so excited that I'm 95% sure he'll be fine.

My main worry is for DD who will be making the move from her cot, and whilst I know she will love the beds, I've been having sleepless nights at the thought of getting her to stay in it!

I think at the end of the day those are overestimated guidelines so that people can't turn round and say that its the manufactured fault that little X fell out of bed...

Bucketsofbloodydinosaurs · 01/11/2006 13:56

Just moved my 21m old into a bed this weekend, was quite worried because he's quite uncommunicative and plays by his own rules but has been good as gold about it. Very chuffed indeed to be able to swagger in to our room in the mornings! He would definitely be up a ladder like a shot though so I'm glad I don't have the bunkbed dilemma.

Olihan · 01/11/2006 13:58

We've just bought bunks for ds and dd (2.10 and 14 months) because we're expecting dc 3 in Dec and ds and dd will need to share a room, which isn't big enough for a single and a toddler bed. We've bought a Thuka Maxi 17 like this as it has a sloping ladder with safety rails and a solid barrier on the bottom bunk. It also splits into 2 single if you need it to. We've only had it for a couple of weeks but we haven't had any falls yet! The top bunk is about my shoulder height so it's not really high either (i'm 5'6).

The one thing we did consider when we bought it is that ds is VERY odd and does not ever get out of bed at night, or in the morning - he's been in a bed since 14 months too and has never got out of his own accord. I don't think we'd have got bunks yet if he was the sort to be up and down the ladder all night.

They do play on it during the day, but only when I'm around and dd can manage the ladder with no problems, but then she is a little daredevil!

I think if you can trust your older dd to be sensible then bunks wouldn't be a problem, we looked at a few that said they were suitable from 3 years but I couldn't see what the difference was.

tweetyfish · 01/11/2006 14:00

To be honest, I hadn't even considered DD going up the ladder... Am hoping she just won't be able to yet (she's not good at going up on slides) otherwise....
Oh cripes!

Pfer · 01/11/2006 14:01

DS1 was almost 4 when we got bunkbeds, we did look around though and found one that was lower (from the top) than many others, there was about 15cm in it, which may not seem a lot but it looks quite different when you're up there! I think you have to just see if you dc is ready for them.

tweetyfish · 01/11/2006 14:02

that's the one we're getting olihan - are you pleased with it?

(sorry for hijack OO)

BonfireNemo1977 · 01/11/2006 14:05

DS is just 3 and has had a midi sleeper for the past 6mths or so.
Think the recommendation was age 4 or 5 but he is more than able on the ladder.

zubb · 01/11/2006 14:06

ds2 is great with ladders - it's the power ranger jumps of the top bunk that would worry me! which is why I'm so amazed he hasn't ever tried to get up there.
We didn't really have a choice with bunks though - they wanted to share and let ds3 have the small room and with a wardrobe / bookcase / toys etc in their room there was no way I was going to get 2 singles in there as well.
In some of the catalogues they had different age recommendations so I just went ahead as I felt comfortable with the decisions.

Original poster
oliveoil · 01/11/2006 14:09

hmmmm, you see dd1 is not very agile at all, can't jump etc and sometimes has problems with kerbs (!!!!!), I kid you not.

So probably not a good idea then.

She never gets out of bed either Olihan, I just hear "mummyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy"

dd2 is a minx so god help me when she gets out of her cot and into a bed.

I think I will have to look at singles then.

thank you!!

OP posts:
zubb · 01/11/2006 14:12

If dd1 never gets out of bed in the night then she sounds like she would be fine in the top bunk - you'd have to go and get her in the morning but sounds like you have to anyway.

Get the singles that can be made into bunks then you have the best of both worlds.

Bozza · 01/11/2006 14:17

Agree with zubb. Your DD1 should not be a problem. And you could start off with singles and then make them into bunks when they are a bit older.

GoingQuietlyMad · 01/11/2006 14:23

Interesting, oliveoil, because I just read the same thread and came to the conclusion that I will give it a go with dd1 (3yo) when the time comes (about 6 months from now).

I think bunks are perfect for children sharing, because they get their own little space as well as the company.

I will try the Thuka one, thanks for the rec

GoingQuietlyMad · 01/11/2006 14:24

btw dd1 can't jump either - nice to know she isn't the only one in the world.

the other day she said to me "mummy I have lost my jump" (didn't have the heart to say that she never had it)

Original poster
oliveoil · 01/11/2006 14:27

I know, bless

she has not rhythm whatsoever and her little sister is jigging away at the side like she in on COme Dancing or something

I can't link that recommended bunk bed atm, my computer is playing up (again)

OP posts:
Bozza · 01/11/2006 14:29

TBH olive it sounds like your DD2 is more likely to be a problem than DD1 ie climbing where she shouldn.t. My DS is another non-climber.

notagrannyyet · 01/11/2006 14:31

We've broken the 6 yr rule for bunk beds. We had to to fit everyone in. The younger ones always slept on the bottom bunk but they all climbed up the ladders to play. The main problem was when friends came to play....they weren't allowed in the bedrooms.
The worst thing about buck beds is balancing on the ladder to change the sheets on the top bunk. I've had more mishaps on the ladder than the DC!

Olihan · 01/11/2006 14:33

OO, I get the 'mmmmmmmuuuuuuuuuummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmyyyyyyyy' thing too. Have tried everything I can think of to get him come to us but it's not happening .
Ds isn't very agile or coordinated either!! Dd is far more active and able now than he was when he turned 2. The ladder only has 5 steps and he manages it fine, especially with the rails, and the fact that he's very cautious is great because he doesn't try anything silly.

Tweety, they are fantastic! I love them. They are rock solid, easy to put together and don't even move when dh (who's a 17 stone rugby prop forward) is up on the top. The mattresses are great too, really comfy. We put the bottom safety rail the opposite way round to the pic, so the gap is under the ladder and that seems to contain dd fairly well!

Fauve · 01/11/2006 14:35

I might have to start a separate thread on this, but does anyone know when they should STOP using the top bed? Is it still OK for a hefty 12 year old?

I think ours both started in mid sleepers at about 6, and we've never had any mishaps.

Fauve · 01/11/2006 14:37

Oh, have just read about your 17st dh! I think there IS an age limit though!

tweetyfish · 01/11/2006 14:39

That's a really good idea about the gap olihan, will tell dp when he builds them !
I'm so excited for them as I always wanted bunk beds when I was a child (but not to share with my bro!) and when I first met DP if we stayed at his mum's house we'd have the bunk beds, they were so cool!

nappyaddict · 01/11/2006 16:22

my cousins have been in bunk beds since they were 3.

GoingQuietlyMad · 02/11/2006 09:33

I think most beds have to be strong enough to take an adult at least, so your ds should be ok.

I know a family where two of the children were in bunks till they left to go to university at age 18.