Big kid bed - twin or full?

[MommytoEliana]

What have you done for your kids, and are you happy with your choice? We have a twin mattress set for DD that is just on a bedframe, and we're finally going to buy a real bed (see my other post about Young America/Stanley option). We've been planning to buy a twin to keep some space in her room, and because we already have the mattress set, but am I going to regret not going for a full-size?

Opinions/suggestions welcome. TIA!

[WatchingThemGrow]

Both my nieces have queens, but they have pretty big rooms/houses. I did a poll of lots of my IRL friends. A bonus to getting married/having babies late is that you get to ask your best friends' 16 yr old girls if they liked having twins or fulls. They both complained about hanging off twin beds, and that were done with their bunkbeds in middle school. They are all in full/queen beds now.

We opted (with our YA set) to get the full bed with a twin trundle for sleepovers. BUT...our rooms are plenty big to handle it. We also use that bed for our own when we have guests. DD goes to the trundle, we're on the full, guests are on the king in the master br. If my friends come with their teenage girls, mom/dad go on the full, teen on the queen aerobed or the futon, tween on the twin trundle, DD in the kid aerobed in DS' room. Yes, we actually DO have hotels in our town, but we like them all to stay here when they come.

LOTS of perfectly normal, practical families live with twins from what I can tell, though. FWiW, DD sleeps across her full right now...???....

ETA: The good thing about Stanley their beds is that you can choose what works for you for the next several years, then it is VERY likely they'll still have this bed or something that would work with the other furniture you have from the line, KWIM?

[brittone2]

DS is in a Queen. His room is fairly big, and we upgraded to a King when I was pg, so he got our old bed. We also have an office/bedroom in our 3rd bedroom (will be DD's bedroom eventually..she's still cosleeping). That room is smaller and has a twin bed.

When we have out of town guests stay, etc., DS sleeps in the twin in the office and our guests can use his bed, which is a decent arrangement. Also, with him in a Queen, we never used bedrails. The bed is pretty high but he usually stays in the middle, so he pretty much never fell out. That might not work for an active sleeper, but it worked well for him.

[kijip]

We have a small house and a full/qn would take up too much of his toy/play space. Both my husband and I slept on twin beds till we left home and I never really thought it was unreasonable for a teen to use a twin bed. We are both tall too (my husband is 6'1"). Heck, I have a 6'4" friend who slept on a twin bed all the way through college while living at home (till age 21) and then for 4 more years till he got married in his own apartment. Especially if you don't have another space for toys and play, I think a twin is a good bet in all but large rooms. If we had a much larger bedroom for him and a family room where we kept toys, I might have done a full to make bedtime stories a bit easier. On the whole however, based on you having the twin set already AND you mentioning the space thing, I think you will be a-ok sticking with a twin. My son's room is not tiny, but it is not all that big either. Just comfortably big enough for a twin, a nightstand, a dresser, a small armoire and a play kitchen. Books are in the armoire and on wall mounted shelves. His closet is used for toy shelves and bins.

[WatchingThemGrow]

I might have done a full to make bedtime stories a bit easier.

Totally forgot about that part. We do all cuddle up in the full for bedtime stories.

ITA about sacrificing playspace, though. In 98% of the houses we "tour" the bedrooms wouldn't fit a full bed and a play area - like a train table or a kitchen set or just floor space for at least 3 people.

How is your playspace situation in that room or elsewhere in the house?

[s7714]

We went with twin size to allow for more space in their rooms for playing and later desks for homework, etc. We figure by the time our DDs get old enough and big enough to need bigger sleeping arrangements it'll be about time to replace their mattresses anyway, so we can always upgrade sizes at that time.

[salsah]

we were in the same situation as you. we purchased a twin mattress because we live in a small house and we didn't want to take up all the space in dd's room with a larger bed. but we hated it whenever we would cuddle in her bed and read books at bedtime. when it came time to purchase a bed (frame), we thought about not only her bed but that we will need to put another bed in the same room for dd2 and possible even for a dc3. since two twins will not fit, we knew that we needed either a full that they can share or a bunk bed. we decided to get a twin over full bunk with trundle -- gives us lots of options. we love the extra space on the bed at bedtime for reading / cuddling. if we ever move to a larger home and have space for both a twin and a full, we can sperate the bunk (it is deisgned so that the twin and the full can both stand alone too). and it is nice that we can accomodate 4 people (family visiting or future children) in the space of one full.

[MommytoEliana]

Thanks for all the input! Her room is about 12x13, I think, and has a closet that should hold most of her clothes once we get a closet organizer in there. The front part of our living room (it's an open floor plan, but it is sort of its own space) is where all of the big toys are. But I want to keep some play space in her room, too. Right now we have a round table and two chairs in there; we'll want to keep that space for her to do artwork, etc, and then eventually put a desk in there when she needs it.

I do think we could put a full bed in, but it would be cozy. I'll have to do some playing with dimensions before making a final decision. Having the extra space for snuggling with bedtime stories, etc., would be a definite plus.

Thanks again!

[kijip]

ITA about sacrificing playspace, though. In 98% of the houses we "tour" the bedrooms wouldn't fit a full bed and a play area - like a train table or a kitchen set or just floor space for at least 3 people.

How is your playspace situation in that room or elsewhere in the house?
Toby's room is decently sized but not big and has a large closet where most of his toys are. It is a big closet so there is easily room for baby toys there too. He is going to have to share the whole room with this baby in the future (once baby is out of our room). Nearly all of his toys and zillions of books are in his room. He has an easel and a table (for art, playdoh, writing, friends over to play) and a stack of board games downstairs. We have a compact desk with his computer on it in an alcove off the landing just outside his room. His toys in his room are mostly in bins that allow him to bring toys down to the yard and the living area but the rule is they go back upstairs when he is finished with them. We don't have a family room or a playroom (the house has a garage, hall, bathroom and small office on 1st floor, a living room, bathroom and a combined dining/kitchen on the 2nd floor and 2 bedrooms, a hall, the alcove and big bathroom on the top floor. Laundry is pretty much in the bathroom). Our living room is too small to accomodate toys without driving me bonkers. It's fine to play in there with toys, but it's easier that the toys live in his room for sure.

Because we have to make it a shared room, we are shopping for a bunk bed. If the room was large enough we would do the full under twin option, but bye bye floor space for the train table to pull out and the toy kitchen and room to spread out blocks. With two kids, play space is going to be needed. We will likely move the toy kitchen to the dining room with this baby is big enough to play with it- we had it there for T till recently.

[bubbaray]

We got a twin for her. It just seemed more "kid" like. Plus, she looks so small even in the twin.

[alexsmommy]

We have a full and I am so glad we made that choice. I like being able to lie down with him when he is ill. I like snuggling during bed time story. We live in a 100 year old home and the bedrooms are not large. I chose the bed (also a Stanley YA) based on how it would work in the room. If we have a third child, DS2 will share the full with DS1 until my stepdaughter is old enough to move out on her own. At this young age I was not comfortable with bunk beds (personal choice though). DS1 cannot wait for DS2 to be old enough to sleep in his bed with him. My DSD's room is very small and we just upgraded her to a full after she broke her twin. I choose a low platform type bed with minimal wood on the sides to take up the smallest footprint possible and to visually keep the space open. Granted, we had enough space to put an upright dresser in her closet so that it what we did, but in the room itself there is still her bed, desk and a bookshelf. I am so pleased with how it worked out that if we have a third and DS2 eventually gets that room, I would get him a similar type bed. I had a twin until I moved out for good at 22 so I have no issues with that concept, but I do like the versatility and space of a full.

[egoldber]

We bought a full for Sarah. Her room accommodates it and I wanted to have an additional guest bed. She doesn't play a lot in her room and seems to have no trouble playing in the space that there is. I want her computer and desk to be downstairs, so I wasn't thinking we have to have space for that in her room.

Amy's room is smaller though, so she will need a twin when the time comes.

[MommytoEliana]

Thanks for your responses. I'm so tempted to get a full, but at this point it would mean not only the extra outlay for the bed, but also for a new mattress set and new bedding. I think we're going to do a twin for now and then reevaluate in a few years...though I keep second-guessing that decision. Just one of the many parenting choices I agonize over way too much. :-)

Thanks again to everybody.