high beds, middle beds, low beds or bunks best for our family life?

[linglette]

DS1(nearly 7) and DS2(4) enjoy sharing and I'll be moving them both into a larger room soon (hurrah!). Ds2 is outgrowing his cot bed.

The room has high ceilings and DS1 is enthralled by bunk/high sleeper beds. DS2 must have whatever DS1 has for obvious reasons.

But I'm thinking -
-first thing in the morning, who wants to have to negotiate a ladder?

• DS1 still bedwets and DS2 is still in nighttime nappies - how on earth do you make it to the loo at night if you have to climb down a ladder?
• what about story-time? DH and I wouldn't want to be airborne every evening. Would we end up putting an armchair in the room and losing all the space we'd "saved" by having the high bed in the first place?
• what about those moments when you've had a bad day at school or you want to sit down on your bed for a chat? You just want to flop, don't you? Not climb a ladder?

I would appreciate hearing about people's experiences. A trivial topic I know (makes a nice change for me).

we've got a 'shorty' bunk bed from ARgos which is great as it isn't very high. Even the top level is below my shoulder height.

I'd also have bean bags for daytime flops! (but don't have the room)

DDs (6 and 4) have been in bunk beds for 2 years.
Storytime - we sit on cushions on the floor leaning against the bed. During the day the cushions are on the bed or the girls sit on them whilst playing.

dd1 has mastered the art of stomping up her ladder to have a strop. I have occasionally climbed up the ladder to have a cuddle with her. She seems to manage the ladder ok to go to the loo at night.

HTH

we've always had bunks. The boys have a triple bunk now.

They flop on the bottom bunk, and we also have folding chairs in their room. We do stories downstairs on the sofas rather than in their bedroom.

Mine haven't had any problems making it down to the loo because of bunks, and ds1 manages the ladder even though he is physically disabled! It's not that high up and they soon get the hang on it.

three bunk bedders! don't they have arguments about who's going to get the top bunk?

I can see the beanbag thing working well.....IKEA or freecycle here we come!

Nope, the oldest gets the top and the bedwetter gets the bottom so it's non negotiable - might be a little more tricky for you!

We got 2 high sleepers for our DDs, one with a sofa under and one with a wardrobe and desk etc under. Whilst you can sit and read stories / have a cuddle on the sofa I really miss being able to tuck them in at night like I used to, and making the beds is the biggest pain in the bum!

I wish we had persuaded them to have the mid height ones so you can still see over the top but we needed to use the extra space underneath a high bed offered.

I have one in a loft bed and 2 others in bunks.

For story time I sit on a footstool they sit on the floor/on bottom bunk.

We didn't really have a choice and it seems fine.

If your ds1 regulary bed wets I'd just get him some pj pants to save the hassle it's not his fault.

"I really miss being able to tuck them in at night like I used to, and making the beds is the biggest pain in the bum! I wish we had persuaded them to have the mid height ones so you can still see over the top"

That's just what I was worried about, thanks for sharing your experience Flaime, much appreciated.

The bedwetting is another issue. DS1 has phases of it every few months (perhaps associated with some kind of growth spurt - who knows?) but not regularly enough to wear pyjama pants.
Thing is, at the moment, if he wets, we have a system going that works really well. He strips the bed, plonks wet bedding and wet pyjamas in the washing machine, adds detergent and turns it on! I'm happy, the room's not smelly and he feels grownup and like he is taking responsibility.

I think high sleepers have just been eliminated from our search. Midsleepers still a possibility though if the space underneath is either fully accessible or at least houses a full set of drawers for clothes. Anyone got one that really works as a chest of drawers?