Do You Make Your Bed?

Updated on April 19, 2012
M.M. asks from Detroit, MI
40 answers

The chores question got me thinking... I saw a lot of responses that included making the bed. Am I the only mom out there who doesn't make beds (or expect the kids to make theirs)? I just can't see the point! I'm a working mom, so I leave my bedroom in the morning and don't return to it until midnight -- maybe it's just that I don't see my bed all day so I don't care what it looks like. Before I get in bed at night I do straighten up the sheets and blankets, but I don't tuck them in or anything like that. Is there some other reason besides "looks" why the bed should be made? I can't remember doing this as a child... I think my mom only made me make it when I changed the sheets/cleaned my room once a week.

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Featured Answers

T.K.

answers from Dallas on

I agree, I see no point to it. I hit the ground running every morning and don't look back. Beds are only made when changing sheets or expecting company.

2 moms found this helpful

V.W.

answers from Minneapolis on

I HATE when my fiance makes the bed. He always tucks the blankets under the mattress and then I can't wrap them around my feet (I'm a weird sleeper) so then I have to get up in the middle of the night, pull the blankets out, and try to fall back asleep.

The only reason I see for a bed being made is if company is coming over.

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B..

answers from Dallas on

Nothing irks me more then having to take the time and UN make the bed!! When I finally go to bed, I'm REALLY tired. I don't want to deal with that nonsense. That is one chore I don't enforce. If we're having company, no one better be in MY room...so I don't even make it then!!

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More Answers

J.W.

answers from St. Louis on

If by making the bed you mean picking up the bedding that fell on the floor then sure! :)

If not, not on your life! If someone isn't coming over, scratch that, if I am not having a party the beds are never made.

3 moms found this helpful

K.M.

answers from Chicago on

I have TRIED but I just do not keep up with it - I too do not get the point of it.

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K.H.

answers from Indianapolis on

Nope! I have a million other things to do than make my bed! :)

2 moms found this helpful

A.W.

answers from Kalamazoo on

I quickly pull my comforter up to cover my pillows - so I kind of straighten it up. This is only because we have two cats that sleep on my bed during the day and I don't want them on my sheets or pillows :)
Kids just have to make sure that bedding is ON the bed not the floor.
So, no, you're not the only one. :)

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K.C.

answers from Texarkana on

I only make my bed when i need to dump the clothes basket on it the find panties or socks lol

1 mom found this helpful
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C.N.

answers from Baton Rouge on

I see no point in making the bed. No one but me sees it.

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A.S.

answers from Boca Raton on

I am sooooo not domestic but one thing I pretty much do every day is make my bed. It just seems weird not to, and you get alot of bang for your buck (i.e. the room looks neater instantly).

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K.B.

answers from Detroit on

I straighten out the sheets, blanket and comforter but I don't have a fancy-shmancy made-up bed with a hundred pillows and shams all over it that has to be undone every night and then put back together. I like having the blankets and stuff straightened out when it's bed time and I am climbing in but I am the only one to sees it, so why does it have to be perfect?

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D.K.

answers from Cincinnati on

Yes, I do. I also answered the original question on chores. One reason I make the bed is that it creates a sense of organization for the start of my day. If I look at a cluttered room, I feel stress. The easiest way to make the bedroom less cluttered is to make the bed. Also, I like the bedding to be neat to crawl into at the end of the day. If I need to make my bed right before going to sleep, it irritates me and brings me out of my relaxing bedtime routine. The National Sleep Foundation did a study that found bed makers were 19% more likely to sleep soundly than people who skipped doing that chore. Every one knows that getting a good nights sleep has great health benefits. I did find a study that supported not making beds as being beneficial to allergy relief. Since my son suffers from asthma and has an allergy to house dust, this was a great find. The non bed making study suggested that making your bed right after waking up encouraged the production of dust mites. We get up early, have a big breakfast, then make our beds. (Eating breakfast is another important habit for good health.) Plenty of time to dry out and have an orderly looking bedroom to retire to in the evening. If you don't like the heavily decorated beds, don't do that! My bed is simple, sheets (in warm weather) or a blanket (in cold weather) under a quilt with two shams and two throw pillows. It takes me three minutes to make the bed.

1 mom found this helpful

C.C.

answers from San Francisco on

Now that I am only working part time, I do. When I worked full time, the beds were never made, except on the weekends. My mom always insisted that I make my bed because she said it's the fastest way to make the bedroom look cleaned up. I think she was right, but as you say, when you see your bedroom for 5 minutes in the morning, and don't return until midnight, there really isn't much point! It bugs me when the beds aren't made, but on the other hand, there are other things I would prioritize higher.

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M.P.

answers from Raleigh on

I don't, but I wish my bed was made every day. The reason is that I like the sheets and blanket to be perfectly smooth and straight. My husband and I toss and turn all night and by morning the bedding is a twisted mess. But like you, I am a full time working mom and just don't have the time every day.

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☆.A.

answers from Pittsburgh on

I make our bed daily. I usually also make my son's bed, because he doesn't "get the point" either! And he "destroys" his bed every night...LOL
I don't like crawling into the same shell I crawled out of and I think my house looks messy with unmade beds.
I guess it's a habit. When I was growing up, all beds were made daily.

1 mom found this helpful

⊱.H.

answers from Spokane on

I only make ours if we are having company and someone may need to go in our room to get to another bathroom :) and once a week when I wash the sheets.
The boys don't make theirs daily either.

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S.Q.

answers from Bellingham on

Yes, I make our bed every morning. I'm a working mom,, and it's one of the little things I can do to help my husband around the house. That, and set the coffee for the morning and unpack the dishwasher. And, I love the feel of getting into a smooth, well made bed. It also makes our bedroom a nicer place to hang out in (our house is only small, so nice space is premium). And, my husband doesn't make it to my liking!
He makes the boys' beds. Sometimes they will do it too.

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☆.H.

answers from San Francisco on

LOL! No! Not unless we're having a party and our room will be used for coats/ backup bathroom.

1 mom found this helpful

T.S.

answers from San Francisco on

I make my bed every day, but that's because I'm at home and I use it as my laundry folding station. I think if I worked all day I may be more like you :)

I don't make my kids make their beds because I HATE the way they do it! I'm pretty anal about housework so rather than dealing with their less-than-perfect bed making skills I just keep their bedroom doors closed. Outta sight, outta mind LOL!

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I.G.

answers from Seattle on

Nope, you are not the only one. We never made beds in my family growing up and I do not make the bed as an adult nor do I require DD to make hers. We only make our beds when someone comes over that may for some reason peek into the bedroom (like for parties for people to put their coats). I don't even usually make DD's bed for playdates...she likes to build tents with her blankets so it wouldn't stay made for very long anyways.

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J.P.

answers from Chicago on

Yes; I like the look of a made bed, and if I didn't, I'd have to sleep on a extra layer of cat fur at night- knowing that helps make me motivated to make the bed and put a cat cover over her sleeping square. My kids make their beds because it's something they can pretty easily do at their ages and it makes their rooms look better.

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J.L.

answers from Chicago on

I never make my bed. Never have, except maybe when we're having a party where people might actually be upstairs. Otherwise, the sheets stay exactly as they were when I got out of bed! I guess I do feel like the room looks neater when it's made, but I don't care enough to put in the effort every day. I don't plan on making my son make his bed either. It's just not a big deal to me. I'd much rather focus on picking up clothes, putting away shoes, etc.

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S.B.

answers from Houston on

I make my bed in the morning, well, just pull up and straighten the shee and quilt, but I don't expect my kids to make theirs. I probably should!

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A.G.

answers from Seattle on

I usually try to pull the covers up and over the pillows to prevent dust from settling on them during the day. But now I am religious about making the bed after our latest experience with law enforcement. We had the SWAT team in our bedroom because they had a vantage point of being able to see quite a lot of the neighborhood when they were looking for someone. So after having the SWAT team in our bedroom for more than two hours, my bed is now made every day. Not that I plan on them coming over to set up an operation in my bedroom again, it will just be nice knowing it looks presentable.

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M.G.

answers from Seattle on

I make my bed everyday as does my daughter. I make the bed because it actually makes my small and somewhat cluttered bedroom appear to be more streamlined. I have my daughter make hers as honestly just part of her chores. I guess there's really no logical reasoning behind it.

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C.B.

answers from San Francisco on

Hubby and I make our bed every morning and require GD to do the same. It's just a habit. My mom always made us make our beds.

J.B.

answers from Houston on

I make it right before we go to bed... so the sheets and blankets are straight and smoothed out (like Lovemylittleone said).
I don't put the duvet on, straighten it all out. :)

M.L.

answers from Chicago on

Do I like the look of a made bed - definitetly. And there's something about a crisply made/clean bed, etc. But, like you, I'm a working mom - I leave the house at 6:30am and don't go back into the room until later in the evening - it's something I do not take the time to do. Also, sometimes my husband is still sleeping in it so that's another reason not to make it!

Shoot - there's tons of other things I'd like around my house but don't have that either (everything in it's place, laundry all folded and put away, etc., etc)

B.B.

answers from Grand Rapids on

To each his or her own. I had to make my bed as a kid but i just roll myself up in my blanket now days...

A.G.

answers from Dallas on

We make our bed every day, and our youngest makes his, too. Our oldest sleeps on the top bunk of a bunk-bed, so no one can see it. He doesn't have to make his.

I have to have a neat house. It's a control issue with me. If the house isn't neat, I feel lost. Even though I work full-time, and most days no one outside of the family will see our home, it makes me feel better to have a tidy house, including beds that are made. Thankfully my husband also likes having beds that are made, so many days he's the one that makes our bed. :)

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K.S.

answers from Detroit on

I'm the first to leave the house in the morning, which is before anyone else is awake, so I don't see it as my responsibility. It gets straightened up is someone is coming over.

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R.K.

answers from Boston on

Every day (except when I was in my 20's). And my children did as well. But I'll bet a gazillion dollars that neither of them do now.

I always have, but really I like doing it now, because I love my newly painted bedroom and want it to look nice. Fresh blue paint, crisp white curtains, lots of "stuff" tossed out and an easy to pull-up comforter. It's like a present I give myself. And sometimes it's a present my husband gives me!

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W.K.

answers from New York on

Only when we have visitors otherwise its stays that way all day!

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K.M.

answers from Detroit on

No I don't make mine n I do expect the kids to do there own I don't do it for them

Updated

No I don't make mine n I do expect the kids to do there own I don't do it for them

C.M.

answers from Washington DC on

when we lived in a 1 story condo, I made ALL the beds, daily. It was the first thing I did everyday. Now that we are in a 4 story townhome, it rarely gets made. Also I have been pretty sick the last 3-4 months, so I haven't had the energy to upkeep it. Once I'm feeling better though I will get back to it. It just makes the house feel cleaner. I stay home, so I have to look at it all.

M.L.

answers from Houston on

I don't have a sheet on my bed. It's just a nice comforter and a few pillows, so it's easy to make look tidy. That said, I do, but not every day... ob days I slack, my husband makes when he gets home from work!

As for kids, I think it teaches a good work ethic on being tidy, responsible and keeping their room clean.

F.H.

answers from Phoenix on

Well, we don't technically "make" it, we just sort of throw the covers back over the pillows...so to us that is "made". But we don't take a bunch of time and make sure its all straight and perfect. And we tell the kids the same...to "make" their beds, but really they do the same, just pull the blankets back up to the pillow. I do however freak out if the sheets become untucked while I'm sleeping...so every night before I go to bed, I lift them up, retuck them all in and then climb in...LOL!

☼.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

I make mine because otherwise my dog will go and sleep on my pillows when we're at work ... grrrrr! I'm kind of hit and miss in asking our 6 yo old to make hers. Sometimes I enforce it, sometimes I don't. If we're having company over or it's the weekend, yes, the beds are made.

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C.B.

answers from Detroit on

only when I change my sheets. Immobility curbs how often you do things, quite a lot. I didn't much as a kid either.
If I',m expecting company I might do it to make it seem that I'm not a total slob, but then again I figure people get the idea of my situation.

To me it isn't a big deal. I'm not Suzie Homemaker anyway.
Before my cat died last Friday, I was for about a year putting bed pads on top of my comforter ( so yes I did sorta make the bed) so he wouldn't jump up on my bed and pee. Yes he did have a cat box, but old age does things to the body. Since January I haven't had to do that because he was too weak to jump up there. So it was nice not having to have a cover of Early
American Bed Pads! (I do miss my kitty tho)

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A.L.

answers from Chicago on

I am the same as you. I will straighten the covers, but that is it, nothing else, and I don't make my kids either, since we all get up so early.

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