Mattress on floor- no bed frame

[noseovertailforyouth]

What would you think of this?

Child broke bed nearly year ago. Keeps asking for parents to buy new one.

Parents sleep in a bed.

Still no bed frame for child. Is this okay?

Under the impression it would at least need to be on slats for ventilation due to mould risks etc.

Yes, it should at least be on slats.

Is it a case of can't afford a new bed or the child is being punished for breaking the bed frame?

Is the floor damp? I would have though it would be fine on the floor, turn over routinely.

As pp if it's due to affordability it's fine but it should be lent against the wall in the daytime. Obviously if it's a punishment that's not ok.

Well it depends really. Bare floor, boards,carpet? No bedframe due to money? Or as punishment? Decent mattress or not? Decent bedding etc?

If it's about money, the parents having a bed is immaterial. But perhaps point them to local sites.if it's punishment I'd think it bad parenting but wouldn't meet thresholds for neglect

There is a wider picture missing to be able to make a snap judgement

No it is not okay.The mattress will not ve properly ventilated and will become damp and grow spores.

A child should be provided with a bed frame for their mattress.
I would have thought this could be prioritised in a year, if the parents could afford it from family marketplace, gumtree all have freebies or they could advertise that they need one free or cheap.
I'm sure one could have been sourced in a year.

This is what I think also.

Thank you everyone.

If it was due to lack of money, surely the parents would sleep on the mattress on the floor and the child would take the bed. I don’t know if it meets the threshold for neglect but at face value it’s shit.

Carpet, but windows are never open in the house due to indoor cats. Washing is hung up to dry indoors too.

I worry about mould spores. Child always has a cough/bad chest.

I did this for 3 months after moving last year.

I actually think it was a lot less comfortable on the floor as well, aside from the risk of mould, and the fact it looks gross.

When we first moved into my new house we slept on a mattress on the floor while we painted and decorated the bedrooms and built the furniture. It took two weeks. The house is old but well ventilated and heated. When I lifted the mattress there was mould all over the bottom of it and I had to chuck it and buy a new one.

I assume the child has a single mattress and the parents a double.

Both doubles.

What we think is irrelevant. You seem to know this child and have been into the house so it’s what you think that matters. If you’re a family member or close friend could you offer to buy them a second hand bed frame or point them in the direction of a charity that will help them?

Do you know why the parents haven’t bought a new one and how old is the child? Just wondering if there’s a logical explanation (other than lack of money) like they hurt themselves falling out, or broke it doing crazy gymnastics and the parents have decided a floor bed is safer/easier. I wasn’t aware of the mattress on the floor being such an issue, it’s what we did for DD then aged 3 when we moved from abroad and were waiting for the shipping container and it’s still under her bed 3.5 years for occasional guests. No signs of mould on it thankfully but might get some slats after reading the above posts! So it could just be ignorance?? I surely can’t be the only one anyway. The house sounds grim though! I have an indoor cat and we open the windows daily, and don’t dry washing inside except the odd delicate thing that can’t go in the dryer in winter so no damp issues here.

I wouldn't really make any conclusions. Unless this is part of some large pattern it seems like a bit of a non issue. I can't see any major consequences. Pre-central heating there would be issues with damp but it would be very unlikely in a modern house unless it has damp issues generally.

Both my children slept on futons from birth to around 6. What's the issue?

Was the mattress on a frame?

Whats the child's age?
I have a friend who's children's mattresses are on the floor, will be until they're about 7, to minimise the risk of rolling/falling out of bed.

Otherwise, it's a bit grim.

11 years old.

I was just under the impression that if it isn't on slats/or flipped etc to ventilate then it is bad for mould spores etc.

Child always has a cough/runny nose and says it's hayfever but I'm unsure hayfever is an issue during winter- maybe I am wrong but I am thinking it could be from potential mould?

No issues re money and the child regularly asks parents for a bed frame and the child is always told 'ones on order.'

What is your interest here?

Nobody is going to say this is fine so if you are looking for agreement that the child should have a bed you have it.

What you can't do is control how other people live. If you have wider concerns then pass them on, if not what are you posting for, other than a bit of a bitch and to be 'right'

Not at all- but thank you for your advice.

I'm not sure about the risks of no ventilation and mould,
Seasonal allergies can strike at any time, I tend to get allergies worse in the year..
But also, if there is mould or damp around then yeah possible that the kids picking up everything because it's not good for the chest.
When we lived in a grotty little damp house, I couldn't get rid of it, no matter how hard I tried, both DD and I had colds and chest infections all the time.

Sounds like they may have more to deal with than just a bed frame for their son if that's the case.

But a year without a bedframe makes me think they're either willfully neglectful or really struggling financially