Customising a lower bunk bed

[TheRiggs]

My (massive) 2 year old is still in his cot, but it won't be too much longer before he gets too big for it - and the cot is royally knackered and being held together but duck tape. Developmentally, he's at about 12 months - crawling and climbing but not walking. We have a bunk bed as we have a 4 year old too so wondering if we can customise the lower bunk for the 2 year old to keep him caged safe.

Anybody else done anything similar and suggest how we would go about it? We've got one of those side railing things from when DS1 moved into the bed.

This is the bunk bed: rooms4kids.co.uk/barcelona-bunk-pine?search=barcelona%20bunk

What a great idea! I know a little chap who might benefit from your idea too!

I hope you manage to do it!

What about something like this? would it be any good? especially if you had a stairgate so the child cant get out the room.

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00KXAKLEM?psc=1

We'll be putting a stair gate at the top of the stairs once he comes out of the cot. Our 4 year old regularly comes into our bed in the middle of the night and I couldn't guarantee that he would close the gate and 2 year old wakes up v v v early.... yawn.

shazza, that's a great bunk but I don't fancy forking out for a complete new sleeping system :-(

Ineedmorepatience, his OT said that the best thing to do would be to customise maintstream stuff. Either take the side off the cot (not comfortable with this) or cage the lower bunk somehow.

Yes because custom made furniture for children with special needs costs an absolute fortune!!

Would this be an option?

www.amazon.co.uk/Safe-Sleep-Sleepwrap-Classic-White/dp/B003BNZRY2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1435077310&sr=8-1&keywords=safe+t+sleep

or these

www.amazon.co.uk/Deryan-BT-BLUE-Bedtent-Blue/dp/B00MN7KRO2/ref=pd_sim_sbs_21_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0Z2AN6J0S7J5CX8047FD

www.amazon.co.uk/Privacy-Pop-Bed-Tent-Twin/dp/B006XBJ3UI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1435080731&sr=8-1&keywords=bed+tents+for+single+bed+black

Thanks for all your suggestions. For those that are interested, this is what we FINALLY ended up doing. We had been given IKEA toddler bed by his SN nursery. We chopped the legs off the bed ends and, using cable ties, closed up the gaps at the end of the bed. I used another IKEA piece - the lid of our toy box to create a hinged "gate" with a bungy cord thing to close it while he's sleeping. He has enough awareness of danger that he doesn't try to climb over the side that is remaining open. This means he's safe in the time between when he wakes up (usually before 6am) and when we choose to hear him! Hoorah! The bags under our eyes are receding as we speak :-)

I've also put the mattress from aforementioned toddler bed against the wall to a) plug the gap a little more and b) to stop him to deciding that's a good place to rock against.

I should also mention that he's started walking since my OP

ha,snap I was going to suggest using the bits of the cot and screw to bunk bed.

Canvas panels are a good idea! Wish I had an extra few hours to implement that though...

He figured out how to escape - reversing out the ladder hole! I've plugged that hole by strapping a pillow onto it but need to find a better solution so it doesn't inhibit my other son's ability to use the ladder.

Thanks zzzz. I'll have a think about that but it should work! (Also, I know I'm incredibly slow to respond).