Bunk Beds or Not??

J.,

I would say to go with 2 twins or a twin with a trundle. Your 4yr old may have problems getting down in the middle of the night when going to the bathroom.

You may consider getting a twin on twin bunkbed and leaving the other twin in there for a while, until your oldest is a little older and can get in and out of bed with no problem...

hi J.~
i think for safetly they are suppose to be about 6 before they are on the top bunk. we always had them when i was little and never had any problems. but with my oldest son he was 8 and while on the top bunk he managed to roll out of the space where the ladder goes and fell out. we rushed him to the ER because he couldn't move his arm. he had a serious concussion and strained the muscles from the base of his skull down threw his arm and the one side of his back. i got rid of it and asked if they wanted to sleep together or thier own beds, they wanted a full. to this day even thou they have thier own beds they still sleep together and they are 12 and 8.

my suggestion is if you choose to get one when they get a little older make sure the railing goes all the way across and the ladder on the side, we learned it the hard way.

I think that the four year old is still a little young for the bunk. If I were you, I would have them share the full for a while, and maybe in a year or two make the bunk beds a big Christmas present. They are probably little enough that with a railing on one side and a wall on the other, they would fit comfortably. We have bunk beds in the boys' room (my daughter has her own room). My 10 1/2 year old is on top and my 2 1/2 year old is on bottom. The rules are only one at a time on top, and the 2 year old is not allowed up there. Well, about two nights ago, the 2 year old made it up the ladder before we realized it, and had a good old time up there, both siblings joined him because it was so fun to have a party on the top bunk. Now I have to constantly keep my eyes on him to make sure he doesn't go up. He does the ladder fine, but he doesn't understand he could get hurt if he looks over the edge too far or stands up. Other than that, I think they are a great space saver. But like I said, my oldest is 10, not 4. I really would wait.

Hi J.,
Our bunkbeds say that kids need to be 6 to be on top. Our 4 1/2 yr old sleeps up there and does fine, but he is our third kid... We were more careful when it was our first!
I think when kids are little it is important to set a rule right away that the top bed is NOT a place to play (unless you are okay with that) as that is what all the kids who visited us immediately wanted to do.
Also, nobody ever fell out of a top bed, but there were scraped and bruised legs from not being careful on the ladder.
We have four kids and two sets of bunk beds and they are great for saving space. Good luck with your decision and your new baby!

when my sister and I were younger, we had a bunk bed set, but it was an L shape, with one bunk tucked partially under the other bunk. It makes it so neither bunk is very high off the ground, and the kids are in separate beds but can still see each other, and the bottom one doesn't feel like they're in a cave.

It was a set that could be converted later to a traditional bunk bed setup, which is what we did when we got a little older.

and the beds could be used separately too, which is what we did when we got our own rooms.

I'd recommend looking into something like that.

I am not sure that I would do bunks at their age. It would be too much of a hazard in my opinion. You might try twin size captain beds-you know the ones with storage under them. You can free up floor spance and create storage space at the same time.

Hi J., Bunk beds are a great space saver, but I heard that a child should be at least 6 before sleeping in the top bunk. My 5 year old has had a bunk bed in his room since he was 3 and I have told him after he turns 6 he can move to the top bunk if he wants to. Good Luck and best wishes.

We opted for a trundle bed. During the day the trundle bed is slid under the other bed to create more space in the room. At night pull the trundle bed out for use. Once the girls were older and could have their own rooms again, the trundle bed became a handy things for when they had friends over. Our trundle bed is low to the ground but you can also get some that are on springs so when you pull them out it pops up.

I have been wondering the same thing...want to see the responses.

We recently bought bunk beds for my 4 and 2 1/2 year old. We set them up differently so that the top bunk was not too high. We put them in an L shape with the bottom one half way under the top one. the bottom one is on the lowest setting so it's almost on the floor and then the top one is still on the floor but on the highest setting. So they are not stacked on each other at all. And there is no ladder, my son just climbs up the rungs on the end of the bed. It has worked great for our family and saves room.

We used to have bunk beds in our boys' room and it still looked so full in there. We went to a trundle bed and everyones much happier!

I know they don't recommend the top bunk be used by kids younger than 6 so you might want to take that into consideration. If your 4 yr old is on the cusp of being 5 and you think she will behave safely on a top bunk then you might feel comfortable with her in a bunk bed. They also have beds with trundles that slide under the bed to give you more room during the daytime. It will just come out at night for your younger girl and scootch under the bed while they want to use the area to play or whatever during the day. I am not sure at the cost of them though. They could also share a full or queen sized bed. My twin girls, who are two, next year will be moving into one queen sized bed that they will share.
K. H.

J., If you set firm rules about jumping off the top for your four year old and keep the two year old off the top completely, I think bunk beds will be fine. You can find lower to the ground ones if you look - IKEA has a great smaller set (not the metal ones...). They'll probably really enjoy it!
See this link: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20102451

we had a loft bed for our daughter when she was about 4 1/2...she slept in there fine, but the 2 year old would climb up there to play and when she was angry...she liked to jump around too and i was nervous everytime they played in there. also they are a PAIN to change the sheets...so we got her a regular bed. Since you have 2 in the room, i like the idea of the trundle bed!! It saves on space as it is only out during sleeping and it is safe...if someone jumps off it is close to the ground.

I agree with the other moms that they may be too young for Bunks. We have full size bunk beds in my boys room, but they are 10 and 4 years old. The four year old is on the bottom. The only problem we have is my ten year old has a Star Wars collection up there. He has shelving that runs the entire length and width with all his guys and ships on them. My four year old when he wantss to play with them will try to sneak up there even though we have stricked rules that you have to be 5 to go on the top bunk. I have caught him up there almost daily. It is scary because he could lose his balance and fall down so easily. He never has, but just the thought of it happening is enough to freak me out. We also have a trundle bed in my daughters room. She sleeps on the bottom trundle as she is more comfortable there. They are pretty high off the ground compared to a regular twin, but it works pretty good. They are heavy to push in and out though and I sometimes just leave it out because I know they don't play in her room anyway. I only push it in when I know company is coming over or I need to vacumm. We bought our Bunk beds online two years ago, I think it was called simplybunkbeds.com ?? Something like that. we got the Ethan full over full and the price was great! I think it was 569.99 which is a good deal for two full size beds. I put them together by myself when they got here as my husband was at work, and it was my 10 year olds birthday gift and I wanted him to be able to see it all put together when he got home from school. It wasn't too hard. Good luck in finding what works for you. If you can fit two twins that can be stacked 2 years down the road I'd do that. Hope I helped a little.

J., I think what I would do is get the bunk beds and then you can set them up the way you are most comfortable and you can always change it later if you want or need. If you get the twin beds you won't have that choice.
J.

Bunk-beds are great, especially for sleepovers later on. They should last you through age 10 at least... my sister and I shared a room most of my life because that's all the housing my parents could afford. Bunkbeds were a great solution! We got our own sleeping space, and semi-private area all in one. When our friends came over we shared the two bunks (two girls per bed) and then the floor/cots/airbeds, etc. You will need to use caution with your four year old and make sure there are rails to protect her from falling off. One other though is to have your husband (if he's a handyman) or someone else, come in and build loft beds for each girl (either built-in or stand-alone) or purchase stand-alone ones online (see link below). If constructed properly with stairs and railings, you could have storage space for both girls underneath, and sleeping space above.
http://www.bedsbunksandlofts.com/1849741.html

We have bunk beds for our boys and originally our 5 yr old was on top and the 3 yr old on the bottom. One day the 3 year old decided he wanted to sleep on top and the 5 yr old on the bottom so they switched. It worked out great because the 5 year old is the one who has to pee in the middle of the night all the time. The 3 yr old is a little monkey and climbs up using the end of the beds rather than the ladder. The nice thing is the beds will separate into two twins when we finish our basement and they have their own rooms.

We went through the same...have 2 older boys (5 and 3.5) and put both in a room with a twin/full bunkbed. They love it; however, if they go to sleep at the same time, they tend to be a little giddy. But now they are in a routine and know that it is bedtime when they hit the bed. They will still have some ansy nights, but they'll settle down. They also talk. I sit outside the door listening some nights and you will just laugh at the conversations:) I'm glad we did it. Now we are adding on another bedroom, so I'm wondering what it is going to be like if I split them up? Hope this helps.

We had the same question this year and #3 arrived. My girls were 2+ and 4+ when we moved them into a shared room with bunk beds! They LOVE them and we love them too. If we had gone with 2 twin or otherwise, there wouldn't have been any play space. As they have gotten older (now 3+ and 5+), they spend more and more time playing in their room together. I love that aspect of it! Plus, the excitement of the bunk beds has yet to wear off- and it gives them planty of playspace. We shopped around and ended up with a bed from IKEA- we love it and will move it into our son's room at a later day. I also have a friend who has the ones from Target.com- a little bit smaller in size (less headroom on the bottom) but they also LOVE the experience of it all!

The thought of a bunk bed in my daughters' bedroom is frightening because I would be concerned for their safety. Also, when one of them needs cuddling and I've got a baby in my arms, I wouldn't know how to get up to the top bunk to console a child (consider flu season). Say, why don't you consider a trundle bed? You could have a twin bed in addition to it and get rid of the full-size or something like that. When you need an extra bed you can just roll it out. I totally know what you mean about wanting more floor space! Good luck!

Let them sleep together for as long as they will. It solves a miriad of issues (I'm lonely, I need a hug, I'm scared, I just don't want to be alone!). We never let any of our kids use the top bunk until they are at least 6-7 yrs old. It's too dangerous and kids are too unpredictable in their behavior to trust them in high places! Our first two girls (three years apart) shared a standard double bed which gave them plenty of space plus togetherness. My youngest two boys now share a double futon and another child has the top bunk.

SAHm of seven in a small house

I don't have 2 kids yet but my friends have discovered that the kids who are close in age end up sleeping in the same bed so a full seems to work best for them.They will start out with 2 beds but then one will continually move into the other's bed and sleeps better that way. Something to do with the closeness seems to be reassuring for them.

Well our Doctor was insistant that in order to be on top bunk a child must be six years of age. So we waited and waited some more... Finally when my son was 5 in an half we got bunk beds, even though he wasn't 6 and even the bunk beds say child 6 or over on top.

We told my son again and again that he couldn't jump off top bunk ever, he wasn't to be up there unless it was bed time and he was trying to sleep, it wasn't for playing and our daughter who is only 4 is NEVER allowed up there. We told her that as well. So what happens... our 4 year old daughter who is typically an angel and NEVER Does anything wrong climbs up there and jumps off and hurts her leg.

So I wish we kept their twin beds now. So I kinda say wait until all children are at least 6 before you get them. Otherwise you risk broken bones or hurt ankles if they jump off. My doctor even told us that she see's lots of broken bones and injuries from children and bunk beds that is why she didn't recommend them.

We bought our girls bunk beds at the same age. After bunking them a few nights We realized that our 4 year old couldn't get down quick enough in the middle of the night to make it to the bathroom. So we weperated the bunks and used them as regular beds. They are now 6 & 8 and each have there own set of bunk beds. It works great for when they have friends over for the night.

We did the same thing. Our girls were 3 & 5. They do well with bunk beds. We were nervous to put the oldest on the top yet so we have a twin/full and they both slept on the bottom for about the first year. It saves a lot of room in the bedroom to do it this way. We tried a trundle bed first and that took up too much floor space.

My two- and four-year-old sleep in bunk beds. We were concerned about our son on the top, so we have a taller plastic rail that slips between the mattress and the bunk bed frame for extra protection (I highly recommend it!). We also make sure he has bare feet when he goes to bed now because slippery socks on the ladder at night can be hazardous.

Of course, we have some non-negotiable rules as well, being the bed is ONLY for sleeping, my two-year-old is not allowed on top, and once my son's up there he has to keep his head on the pillow (except when he has to go to the bathroom) which prevents his from standing up or messing around much.

When I was expecting my 2nd daughter, we put bunk beds in my oldest daughter's room (she was just 2 at the time). She always slept on the bottom bunk until she was about 3 1/2. With that being said, if you get bunkbeds, just be sure the top bunk has a high guard rail on it so if you have a child that is a roller, they won't fall off. Now, that my kids are 4 and 2 they somtimes share the room to sleep. We still have our crib for the 2 year old and will keep it until she outgrows it. The hardest part is keeping the 2 year old in bed (since she likes to get in and out. So , I would recommend putting a bed rail on the bottom bunk so your youngest stays put at night -- it does work. All in all, we have had really good expereinces with our bunk beds and the girls love having "sleepovers" and bonding in their room! I hope you find the right fit for you family. A.

hi, we have our kids, 4 and 2, in bunkbeds. we let the 4 year old move up just before he turned 4. since we really needed the space and he really was very good at climbing the ladder already at the parks, we felt he could do this at that time, and he has had absolutely no trouble at all, even with the night time climbing for the bathroom. another option is that ikea has a bed that can either be a canopy type twin or a real low bunk bed.

You sound exactly like me. I'm a SAHM of a 4 and 2 year old daughters and a 5 month old little boy. We put the girls into the same room because we were expecting our son and we purchased bunk beds (whaich was perfect, but didn't assemble them yet, don't trust our two year old with climbing up on upper. We purchased their bedroom set at Colder's, and the upper bunk is assembled already with the guard rails (so you won't need those cheesy white guard rails). They love to share a room and once we trust our two year old probably within the next year we'll assemble the bunk beds and our oldest will then get our now two year olds bed with the guard rails on it. Works out great!!!!

Good luck!!

L.

great space saver but if your older child needs to get down fast to use the bathroom in the middle of the night or get's sick (vomits) being way up there is going to make things difficult.

I prefer two twin beds or a daybed with a trundle underneath

Twin bunk beds sounds ideal. I would just worry about the 4-yr-old on the top bunk! You'd have to have a side rail for a while, of course.

We have five-year-old twins who are autistic and we just bought bunk beds but kept them separate for now. When they get to be better sleepers we may bunk them, but that seems a long way down the road since every other night someone is waking at 4-00 or so.
B. H

They seem pretty young to me to put in bunks. I seem to remember reading somewhere that kids should be at least 6 before sleeping on the top, even with a railing because they can fall over. My niece fell out when she was 9 & broke her arm. I fell out of one when I was about the same age--didn't get hurt, but woke up AS I was falling, & boy, was that a weird feeling! For safety & ease of making (they ARE a pain to make, both bottom & top when they are together), I'd recommend keeping them separated for now, or storing the bunks for now & having them both sleep in the full bed (I came from a family of 7 kids with 4 bedrooms; we all shared a bed at some point with at least 1 sibling & it worked fine).

J.,

We have bunk beds for our boys - bought them when the kids were 2 & 4 and it works great. Just make sure your kids don't roll a lot (or off the bed) in their sleep. I think most bunk bed sets now have rails that go around the whole top bunk, so falling off is pretty difficult. We got a really low set because there is a ceiling fan in the bedroom. The top of the rail/headboard on the top bunk is only 4 1/2 feet off the ground.

We have a rule that the only person on the bed is my older son and the only thing he can do on it is lay down. I do know someone who let their 3 year old have a bunk bed and two days later he had a broken hip and was in a cast for almost 3 months. So just make sure your girls will be obedient about not getting rowdy on the top bunk.

Good luck,
S.

Bunk beds do help clear up floor space, but they are a pain to make!!! Changing the sheets on the upper bunk is very difficult. I also didn't like the fact that I couldn't snuggle or comfort my older daughter on the top bunk. Especially if she had a nightmare or wasn't feeling well. I would go with the 2 twin beds if I were you.

Huh, nobody mentioned why I don't like bunk beds. MAKING them is a pain in the butt! You have to climb on the top bed most of the time to get it made and maybe it's just me but it seems the top one always comes unmade more too! We do have them at our cabin because we need to fit 3 kids into one small room but I would suggest twin beds.

J.,
We have 2 boys ages 3.5 and 4.5. We recently put them into the same room. We did have toddler beds for both, but wanted to get them new beds. We decided to buy twinbed bunk beds, but we left them unbunked. We put one on each wall. This is working great, and it still gives them floor space to play in the middle. But actually, their favorite thing to do is to play under their beds. Go figure. It works for us.
J..

With their ages, I would definitely look for a very low bunk or a low loft and daybed combo, like the Ikea Kura bed mentioned below. (if you can find an old Ikea Vradal model it's about the same thing, but you can put a mattress on the floor below in an L-shape instead of straight bunks.)

I fell out of the top bunk when I was 6.5 - just rolled right out over the railing and landed on the floor, with my head just inches from the night stand. I wasn't hurt at all - just startled when I hit the floor and woke up - but it definitely made me think twice when it was time to shop for bunkbeds for my kids. If they're going to fall I'd much rather have it be from 3.5 - 4 feet.

I would say that for now most likely twin over twin bunk beds would work really good for now.. if in the future you get more room and they can have their own room they can and then there is no arguement that one has a bigger bed than the other.. i have a boy and a girl so i didn't have to worry about that but my sister and I had twin bunk beds growing up and used them till we went to college :)

If you go to twin beds let the children have some say so .
Like on if you choose the area to put them ask each child
seperately which spot they want, idea is four choices is best.

They can maybe pick out their own sheets you have now or buy.

Idea is they have their own voice and when baby comes keep it up by haven them choice their own private area for a favorite toy or lamp they use or?

A little freedom and adult responsabilty to their minds will be special and may save you alot of head aches.

D.

When my girls were five and three we switched them to bunk beds. One suggestion if you do use bunks: when friends are over I put the ladder up because I don't want any accidents.
We live in a small house and with two twin beds the girls had almost no room to play in their room so bunks works good for us.
My daughter on the top bunk has wet her p.j's on the way down the ladder and that was a bummer. So now we really make sure they both go to the bathroom before bed!

We will be getting the Kura bed from Ikea when my youngest is out of his crib (hopefully not for a long time)! Yes, bunk beds are kind of a pain to make, but you can put several sheets on at once (with mattress pads in between) so you just have to strp off a layer when needed.

I have a two and a four year old too. I ended up getting a four foot "reversable" bed from Ikea. I works like a bunk bed, but the bottom bunk is flat on the floor, so it's not as tall. Both kids always want to be on the top, so they have been sleeping on opposite sides of the the top bunk.

I'm hoping to upgrade to a real bunk bed which is what my friend with kids this age already has. It is working well for her. If your kids are good climbers, or wouldn't both want to be on the top I'd go straight to the bunk beds.

YES!!! I am a SAHM of two girls, 21 months & 3 yrs old.
We decided to get bunk beds last month & they love them!
Our 3 yr. old sleeps on the twin on top bunk. Our 21 month
old sleeps on the bottom, which we got the double. It saves
so much space & both girls are more playful overall being
in the same room:) It makes storytime much easier too!

K. B