Care to share your bunk bed experience?

[JanBaby]

We are starting to think about transitioning to DS to a big boy bed. This is still many months away but he's never been a great crib sleeper so I'm hoping he might do better in a real bed. We were out of town last month and stayed in a condo with a twin over full bunk bed. Both kids LOVED it. DD actually slept in the lower bunk (desperately wanted to sleep in the upper) and DS was in a PNP but I'm intrigued about this as an option for his room. I can totally see them having sleepovers but maybe that would never happen and it would be a big waste. Does anyone have bunk beds for just one DC? His room isn't huge so it might be a bit crowded too.

[lizzywednesday]

I grew up sharing a bunk bed with my younger brother (I had the top bunk, he had the bottom) in a twin-over-twin setup. We shared that bedroom with our other brother, who was in a crib, so that would make me about 6 yrs old, the next one down would be 3, and our baby brother was about 1 yr old.

Later, that youngest brother and our sister shared a room with bunk beds - brother on top bunk, little sis on bottom bunk.

It worked for us, but in the situation you're describing, I wouldn't do it because you can't control whether or not your just-turned-2-year-old will not climb to the top bunk. No matter how much you forbid it, it's going to be a temptation. Plus, it doesn't sound like it's the best solution for your space.

I'd prefer to go to a twin or IKEA Junior Bed over a twin-over-full setup.

[JanBaby]

It worked for us, but in the situation you're describing, I wouldn't do it because you can't control whether or not your just-turned-2-year-old will not climb to the top bunk. No matter how much you forbid it, it's going to be a temptation.

That is an excellent point. He would, too, unless there was a way to block off the ladder or take it off. But then he might try to climb up the side.

[HannaAddict]

I would also hold off. I would do a trundle bed, they work for sleepovers and are easier to make the bed too.

[JBaxter]

We are just now talking about a bunk bed and Jack is 5. I wouldn't have one in the house with a 2 yr old especially how much of a climber I have.

[belovedgandp]

We got a bunkbed that worked great for our two boys to share. They were 5 1/2 and 2 1/2 when they moved into it. 2 1/2 YO had no trouble moving from crib to bottom bunk. But they had to share a room with DC3 on the way. I would not mess with a bunk unless I had to regularly have two kids in a room.

The three kids are now in their own rooms. I love the trundle beds we got. So much easier to make and not as massive in the room.

If the room is small, I might consider a loft bed when the kids are a bit older.

[JanBaby]

Thanks everyone! I think we'll bag the bunk bed idea. There is just too much risk with DS climbing.

[ckso]

My 5 year old really wants a bunk bed too but I too am freaked that my 2 year old might climb it

I've been thinking about the Ikea KURA reversible bed. Maybe start off with the bed on the bottom but when DD2 is older reverse it and turn it into a bunk/loft bed.

[Melaine]

The Kura is a great compromise, but I wouldn't think of doing it with a toddler in the room. We got two kuras for the girls when they were...3? 4? And it has been great for them but they also aren't risk takers. I might have to wait even longer for DS.

[mmommy]

We have a Kura set up as a loft, with a twin mattress on the floor. Our 4.5 yo DD is on top, 20 mo DD2 is underneath. It's working great for us DD2 can't climb up on her own yet, but I'm sure she'll figure it out at some point. We just won't leave her alone in the room until we feel comfortable with her ability to handle it.

[marinkitty]

My older DS (now almost 9) has had bunk beds since he was 5. Younger DS was then 2.5 and in a crib in a different room. We have a house rule that you must be 6 to go on the top bunk (for sleep or otherwise). Of course in the beginning they would not have followed that so we kept the ladder in the basement. But once my older son was old enough to sleep up there we just enforced the rule and really had very few problems (and my third kid is NOT a rule follower by nature). Now they are both 6 or up so they go up when they want, but they still don't share a room. Sometimes they have "sleepovers" on the weekend but for the most part still sleep in their own rooms. My son who has the bunks switches back and forth between the beds every now and then. The bunk is great for guests and when we have had overflow guests and our guest room is already occupied, we will move another kid in there are use the other kid's room as an extra guest room. It is nice flexibility. We are about to rehab a couple of bathrooms and my DD will be on the top bunk while her bathroom is being worked on.

[lhafer]

I bought a bunk bed for dd1 when she turned 4. Twin over full. She slept in the bottom. She's my risk taker and we never had issues.

When dd2 was ready to go to a toddler bed, we moved her bed into that room and turned the nursery into a playroom. We took the ladder off the bunk bed and climbing was never an issue. When dd2 was big enough for a regular bed, we unbunked the beds for a few years and they each gt their own bed.

Now they are almost 8 and 4, and dd1 asked to rebunk the beds about 6 months ago. I was fine with it as dd2 follows rules and isn't a risk taker. We bunked the beds with dd1 on top and dd2 on bottom. It's been great. They have the same bedtime routine, and dd1 became a MUCH better sleeper once her sister started sleeping in the same room with her.

[essnce629]

DS2 (4.5 yrs old) has bunk beds in his room that we bought when he was 3. He slept on the bottom bunk and wasn't allowed up top till he was 4. He's been sleeping in the top bunk for about 6 months now and we've had zero issues.

[wifecat]

We have a flexa loft bed. They aren't sold in the US anymore (to my knowledge) but you can find them on Craigslist. We LOVE ours. It's only about 4 feet of the ground. We actually put a mattress on the floor underneath it and ds now sleeps under it (3) and dd (almost 5) sleeps on the loft bed. They love sleeping in there together, and I love that it's not anywhere near as high as a traditional bunk bed.

We just bought another Flexa bed (a low one) off Craigslist and it's going to go under the loft bed to get ds off the floor.