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Parenting

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Original poster

Bunk beds - How old?

14 replies

Skyler · 17/04/2007 19:26

How old would your child be before you were happy to put them in bunk beds. We are pondering when to move dd2 (22 mnths) out of her cot and it would be great to pop her and her sister in bunk beds to give us some room. DD1 is just 4 but a good sleeper (when she finally goes to sleep) and doesn't fall out of a normal bed or get up in the night.
What did you do?

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lovemybed · 17/04/2007 19:38

skyler i bought bunks when dd1 was just turned 3 and dd2 was still in cot, the idea was dd1 would sleep in bottom bunk until dd2 needed it then she would move up top, did not work like that!!! dd1 loved the top one so much that she went right into it, i was a nervous wreck and my mum thought i was being stupid but here was no way she would budge and we had just thrown her old single out t make room for the bunks.

everything worked out fine though, we never had any kind of accidend at all, the only thing i would suggest is keeping the baby monitor in the room at night and asking her to shout if she had to get up for any reason.

Original poster

Skyler · 17/04/2007 19:52

Thank you. DD1 is def a shouter if she needs anything. I am fairly content that she will be fine, but I am waiting for the horror stories.....

OP posts:

dingdongjustforyoufg · 17/04/2007 20:38

my DTs are 3.4 and I would love to get them into bunk beds, they are great sleepers but waht about the fights over the top bunk?

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DaisyMOO · 17/04/2007 20:43

When ds2 came out of his cot we put ds1 (who was 3 iirc) in a mid-sleeper type bed and then put a mattress directly onto the floor underneath for ds2 so that neither of them had very far to fall if they did fall out in the night, but it gave the same space-saving benefits of bunk beds. We then got them 'proper' bunk beds when ds1 was 5 and ds2 was 3 and both were very good at climbing up and down to the top bunk. I think they started off by taking it in turns to have the top but they often end up in the same bed together anyway now

ChasingSquirrels · 17/04/2007 20:54

a friends boys went into theirs at about 4 and 2. They have been fine. BUT the 4yo is in nappies at night so doesn't need to get up, not sure I would be happy about my 4yo in a top bunk as he gets up in the night to go to the loo.

Nemo2007 · 17/04/2007 20:57

not exactly bunk beds but Ds has a midi sleeper which is only slighter lower than a bunk bed and he has had it for a year now so he will have been 21/2 when we put him in it and he is fine has never fallen out of it and now DD1[16mths] climbs up and down his ladder to sit on it aswell.

rarrie · 17/04/2007 21:01

I have bunk beds for my DDs. My eldest is 3 1/2. She plays in the top bunk, but sleeps in the bottom one at the moment. When DD 2 moves in from her cot, DD1 will take the top bunk. She will be 4 then and I have no worries at all - she scoots up and down the ladder like a pro!

tigi · 17/04/2007 21:18

Think my little one was 3in the bottom bunk, and the older one just 5 for the top . Never ever had a problem. The top has a safety rail around it. The bottom has the ladder at the side, which keeps him from falling out!I have to say that whenever we've been on hol etc, they usually always fall out of that bed!

frogs · 17/04/2007 21:22

We have a lovely cast-iron Victorian bunk bed which has no safety rail on the top bunk, so I think 6 is the youngest I've let one of mine sleep up there. Visiting children aren't allowed to sleep up there at all, full stop, on the basis that it clearly isn't safe for a child who's not used to it.

WendyWeber · 17/04/2007 21:33

The recommendation is 6.

Trouble is if they play in the room with the bunks in, they can get silly and decide to parachute (or something) off the top. DD1 managed to fall off her top bunk when she was older than 6 - can't remember circs but we had an old solid oak double school desk next to the bunks and she hit her face on it on the way down she was badly bruised but it could have been a lot worse.

Ours had a sloping detachable ladder which I used to take away during the day but they would just shin up and down the ends.

If you can avoid it I would wait until they are at least 6.

Original poster

Skyler · 18/04/2007 16:16

Thank you for this.
Ouch for your poor dd Wendy. It was looking promising until your post .
I will have a bit more of a think. At the moment they don't play in the bedroom as all their toys are downstairs as there is no room. The idea of the bunks was to make room for some toys though . Will have a think.

OP posts:

nappyaddict · 19/05/2007 15:54

i know this is a bit old now but lovemybed how old was your dd2?

mumeeee · 20/05/2007 21:54

The reccomended age for top bunks is 6.

maisemor · 20/05/2007 22:09

Our children got a bunkbed when they were 4 and 2.5. Eldest sleeping in the top bznk. Never had a problem, but there is a rail all the way around it (the cheapest wooden one from Ikea). They also use it as a climbing frame.

If your daughter is a good sleeper then I would say go for it. My 4 year old has even gotten down herself and gone to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

If any of your friends have got a bunkbed, you might want to ask them if your daughter can sleep in it one night and then ask her if she thinks it is a good idea.

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