Would it be ridiculous to have a double bed for a 3 year old?

[IceCreamCastles]

Thinking ahead slightly here but would appreciate any experiences or thoughts.

DD is 2.3 and currently in a cot bed (sides still on) and very happy there.

I am due to have DC2 in February who will obviously be in our bed a moses basket for the first few months but will then move into DD's cot bed in his/her own room (current spare room).

The original plan was to buy a toddler bed or a single bed for DD to move into but as DC2 will be moving into the spare room we will have a double bed that we'll otherwise have to get rid of.

It seems a bit silly to get rid of one perfectly good bed and then buy another for DD.

Also thought it could be useful if we had guests as DD could share a room with her sibling on an airbed and guests could have the double.

Have had a couple of raised eyebrows when I've mentioned this plan in RL so thought I'd canvas opinion here.

only reason not to is if it takes up too much room and doesn't leave much space for playing. As they get older they tend to want more playing space in their own room IME. But definitely no hurry to get rid of the double right now.

Why are people raising eyebrows?

Very odd, one of my DCs has always slept in a double bed as it was already in what was the spare room. Why would you go to the expense of buying a new bed when you already have on.

I can't think of any reason that this wouldn't be a good idea.

My Ds has a double bed and is only 3. The reason being that when we moved out here, we brought my double bed with us (very good frame bed, very expensive etc.); and we bought a kingsize bed when we got here. We only have 2 bedrooms - so the kingsize is in the master bedroom and the double is in DS's room. He was supposed to go back into the cot, but he had got used to sleeping back in with me during the transition (3m between packing up our house in the UK and moving into our house proper in Australia) and having all that space, so didn't fit safely into his cot. No point getting rid of the double bed, useful for visitors etc., so it stayed in his room.

Originally the idea was for him to learn to sleep in it on his own, so I could rejoin DH in the kingsize - but it hasn't quite happened like that and tbh if I have to share with DS, I'd rather it was in a double bed than a child's single.

Raising eyebrows reasons have been because 'it just doesn't seem right', 'you can't get character bedding for double beds ' (that's a big plus in my book!) etc.

There will be enough play space and I'd be happy to swap for a single when she was a bit older if she wanted more

Bluddy - yes - night training could be an issue. I'll have to consider that one.

Thumbwitch - yes, we did think it would be useful to be able to share comfortably with her if she was ill or something.

Good to hear it's working for you

We have DD who is 4 in a double, for a number of reasons - we would have had to get rid of a good double to put a single in, it give us the option of using the kids room as a guest bedroom, she has somewhere to stash all her teddies, her little brother (who shares the room) can't climb up on it yet giving her a bit of private space

You can get kiddy theme double duvet covers, I've seen them linked on here before now (too lazy to find a link myself though). We use a single duvet BTW, it's all she needs (especially with the teddies!)

<a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=children%27s+double+duvet+sets&um=1&hl=en&client=safari&sa=N&rls=en&biw=1280&bih=702&tbm=isch&tbnid=Uua09Eis78dAeM:&imgrefurl=www.universal-textiles.com/UK-UT/utkb329.php&docid=nWzsaPt3s7I4wM&w=400&h=363&ei=1x5qTo6jKMTpOdGo7eYF&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=192&vpy=368&dur=131&hovh=214&hovw=236&tx=95&ty=102&page=12&tbnh=154&tbnw=179&start=225&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:225" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">noooooooo - there's no escape!

I would recommend it.
We made the mistake of starting with a single (aged2) we then got a high bed when he was 7 it was a nightmare to change, and then a double when DS1 was 11. At 11 years old DS1 was adult size.
Wish I'd gone straight for the double.
DS2 missed out the high bed and moved to a double when he was about 10.

No reason why not at all. If there's any danger that the room will double up as a spare then it's a very good idea. Actually, it's a good idea anyway, singles suck. I always wanted a double bed as a teenager but it Wasn't Done then :)

Sounds like a good plan to me, if it will fit in the room.

DC2 will be going into a double bed as soon as he/she is too big for a cot, as his/her bedroom will have to double up as a guest room when my parents come to stay.

I loved staying in double beds as a child - you can fit sooooo many soft toys in them, and sleep like a starfish!!

expensivepants (love your name). Think I'm a bit worried that It Isn't Done now either but suppose it's not as if I'm buying one especially for her.

She will definitely like the teddy space potential.

try next or next on ebay for double bed charachter stuff, they do a few

My 3 year old has one.
Ideal for guests or when she needs mummy or daddy to sleep with her.
Have never thought people would see this as unusual. Perhaps they do and I never realized!

My DD had one for ages (from age 3) before we moved house. She had a big bedroom so it was fine and great if people came to stay as could turf her out onto a camp bed in tiny spare room and put guests in it.

When her friends came for sleepovers they could sleep in it with her. Great apart from the friend who came for a sleepover and wet the bed

DD has as her room is also the spare room and was already there. She trumps about it sometimes because her sisters bunk is more fun. But then she remembers that even with the big bed her room is bigger.
However we are lucky to have a play room for train tracks etc. If we didn't I'd get her the sort where one half of the double bed folds under the other so she had playing space.
She does have a single quilt. Double ones are just too heavy for small children, they end up on the floor. Also most childrens' designs are singles.

Oh and single quilts look fine, they actually reach very close to the edge of the bed when you make it. You just need dark coordinating double bottom sheets, the bed will get sat on, played in and jumped on and the edges of the sheet show!
DD generally has 3 pillows the quilt one and the two that come with the bottom sheet so she can roll where she likes. Generally sleeps by her bedside table and fills the other side with animals.

This is exactly what we did .......we thought she would be less likely to fall out but she still managed it! and like you it was there already. No problem at 3 with this. Loads of children in generations gone by would have been in one.

DD had a double bed from the age of 11, to be honest I wish we had got her one earlier. She sleeps smack bang in the middle, god help her future partner.

Haven't had toddler bed here for two dc. Ds sleeps on ikea day bed that pulls out to king-size. As it happens it's in single state at the mo, but if he had a spell like his sister of wanting to co sleep I'd pull it out no prob. In fact I remember that vaguely from when he was tiny. And dd slept in a kingsize for two years . Admittedly it was ours and had us in it too

You do realise that when she gets divorced due to bed hogging tendancies it will all be your fault?!

I think it's Not The Done Thing because you know, having all that space in a bed means you are going to fill it with Unsuitable Boys from an early age!!

Unless I thought the room would be used frequently as a guest room I wouldn't set out to get a double for a child (singles are much easier to change and iron the bedding & the amount of space it takes up) but in your situation I think it would be silly to get rid of a perfectly good double and buy a single.

Ignore all the raised eyebrows - or better still, just tell people it's so that her boyfriend can come and stay

We are in same situation and DS aged 3 has been in a double bed in his new room for 6 weeks now. He looooooves it. And i love being able to lie on his bed to read bedtime stories (couldn't on his old cut bed).

I figured it was silly to sell perfectly good double for a few quid to then buy a new single. Plus is useful fir guests and we have plenty of floorspace (and he sometimes plays on the bed).

P.s. We got a beautiful dinosaur duvet set from hiccups brand, then just a stripey m&s one for spare. He'd prefer ben 10 but I convinced him they don't make them in double sized.