Do you think bunk beds are dangerous?

[freestyler]

This is a serious question. We have five kids and are running out of bedrooms. I'm thinking about bunkbeds....but does anyone think they are dangerous? I'm so worried about the younger ones playing on top and falling out and breaking their necks. Do you all think this is a real danger, or is it a non-issue? I just don't know. I've never had five kids before (oldest one is 11, three girls and two boys.) And I've never had bunk beds.

Please advise! I think bunk beds would be great and also fun. And extremely good for saving space. But not if it means that kids get hurt. Another option is to have two kids share a double or queen-size bed. But I know that having your own "space" is nice too, if possible.

Is it hard to change sheets and stuff with a bunk bed? What if someone in the top bunk gets sick during the night? (Like puke sick.) How do you change the sheets without bonking your head on the ceiling or getting a backache?

[mamadelbosque]

I'm looking for bunkbeds right now, for my DS who just turned 2 in march. I'm not planning on setting them up right away, but eventually when DS2 (due in august) is about 2+ and ready for a 'big boy bed' I will be. I always wanted bunk beds as a child, and slept on top bunks while at camp and friends houses.

[zinemama]

No. I shared a bunk bed with my brother. No accidents.

My boys have shared one for 4 years. No accidents.

If someone is sick, we generally put that person in the bottom bunk. I've never had the situation of a kid getting sick during the night, though. (Mine don't tend to throw up a lot).

We got the smallest solid wood bunk Ikea sells. There is plenty of headroom to change the top sheets.

[tallulahma]

i shared a bunk with my sister for years!

I fell off one time but this was in 1988 & we didnt have very high railings on the side. i think the rails are safer these days!

i plan on getting bunk beds for dd1 & dd2 next year, also from ikea

[karne]

Yes, for MY children they would be dangerous. My youngest is a monkey and would delight in jumping. But you know your kids best.

[onlyzombiecat]

I shared a bunk bed with my sister. I was 11 or 12 and she was 14 or 15 when we got it. It was better than when we were sharing a larger bed. We had the bunk beds until she went to college.
My sister had the top bunk. No one ever fell or vomited over the side but she would throw things off her bed (like books) without regard to who or what was below and spilled cups of water she took up there.
I think it could be challenging to make the bed at times.


http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/WELCO...bunk_beds.html

[LittleBlessings]

I do not think they are dangerous but they can be if your child is not ready for it

[Whistler]

I loved my bunk bed growing up! Never fell out once but I wasn't a rowdy kid either.

[SAHMinHawaii]

We've had bunk beds since my dds were 6 & 4. The older one sleeps on the top bunk. My ds was 1 when we got them. Rules are NO one is allowed on the top bunk except my older dd. No friends, no little brother, no one! I remember my ds trying to crawl up there many times, we would take him down and tell him no danger! He is 2 and still tries at times but normally gets right down. Since we dont allow anyone up there but dd, there hasn't been any accidents. And yes my 2 year old ds is a climber, jumper, explorer. The bunk has been great for us. The bunk has a warning that they shouldn't be used until age 6.

[kay4]

No, I don't. I have 4 kids, 3 girls and 1 boy. My son really wanted a bunkbed and I was afraid of someone playing around and falling off the top bunk. It's been a year and at the very beginning we made the rule that NO one was allowed to play on the top bunk. He was the only one allowed up there and that was only if he was planning on sleeping up there or making his bed. Happy to say that in the year he's had it there have been NO accidents. We did let him know that IF there was any playing around up there that we would take it apart to be 2 beds instead of a bunk so that may have been incentive for him

[zoebugsmom]

My brothers had bunk beds as kids. We used to throw all the blankets and pillows on the floor and jump from the top. : None of us ever got (seriously) hurt. We'll most likely be getting bunk beds for our boys when they're a bit older.

[annethcz]

I do think that bunkbeds can be dangerous, but no more so than other things around the house.

My kids are climbers and are super active. We do have bunkbeds, and they did play on top bunk. And we did occasionally have someone fall, but no one was ever seriously hurt. Then again, I've had kids climb onto the tops of counters, dressers, furniture, the fridge...

I have 4 kids, and bunkbeds were very helpful when they were all sharing rooms.

[Amylcd]

It depends on the children.

[ChampagneBlossom]

From a personal experience, yes, I think so. My cousins had one in their room. I don't remember how old they were. I think they were 8 and 3? 4? The little one tried to crawl up there one night when she was tired. She fell and hit her head; she was between life and death for days and had serious complications. She made it through OK but they got rid of the bunk beds ASAP. She could climb them perfectly well but all it took was one accident.

If the kids were maybe a LITTLE older than that, like maybe ages 5 and up, depending on the child, I wouldn't worry.

[Oonah]

We have a bunk set up in DS's room but I don't let him sleep in it, it stresses me out big time. Luckily he doesn't really care and would rather cosleep.
I guess after buying it and setting it up...it just doesn't sit well with me....too high...what if ds tries to climb down half asleep to use the bathroom....etc...etc. Low lofts are a nice alternative...Ikea has one...it can be used like a bunk.

you could easily put a twin mattress under THIS

[kay4]

Originally Posted by ChampagneBlossom

From a personal experience, yes, I think so. My cousins had one in their room. I don't remember how old they were. I think they were 8 and 3? 4? The little one tried to crawl up there one night when she was tired. She fell and hit her head; she was between life and death for days and had serious complications. She made it through OK but they got rid of the bunk beds ASAP. She could climb them perfectly well but all it took was one accident.

oh that is scary, sorry that happened We have the ones from kmart and they have long saftey rails on them. My son prefers to sleep on the bottom 99% of the time...

[FreeRangeMama]

My boys have high lofts, one is calm and the other.....not so much. He DID fall off the top, but only because he was trying to slide down the hammock chair (beside the bed) head first and he missed. He was okay thankfully, but being the kind of kid he is he will ALWAYS find something to climb, leap from, and eventually fall off of, so I don't really see it as an added danger He did learn to be safer in high places though, and if he hadn't we would have removed the bed immediately!

We made a ladder cover that zips over the ladders so our youngest can't climb up (it also helps when we have guests who don't feel comfortable with their kids climbing). We also have some kids who have come over and tossed all sorts of valuable (and breakable) items off the lofts, so we make a "no bed" rule when they come over! It seems that some kids really shouldn't be in high places.

I also have the small loft for my dds that I will use as a small bunk bed now that dd2 is old enough to climb the ladder well. Dd1 fell off of that one at 10 months and gave herself a mild concussion, but that was my fault for not taking precautions enough to keep her from climbing it.

Nothing is totally safe, I have heard horror stories of kids doing severe damage falling while running, or falling off couches. Accidents can definitely happen, but as long as you take appropriate safety measures (including NOT getting a bunk for a kid who you know won't behave safely on one) they are as safe as anything else we expose ourselves to on a regular basis.

[SunShineSally]

Ds got his at 4 it has

a learning ladder (it is slanted)

guard rails on top that are as high as the rail that was on my bed.

It is all solid wood so it is totally sturdy

The bottom bunk has LOTS of head room

I bought it at a mom and pop shop so I got it really cheap. If I can find a picture I will post it. Good luck my Ds is a monkey also but he never tried anything I talked to him and yes he monkeys around on it but only on the bottom bunk

[rere]

Originally Posted by Oonah

Low lofts are a nice alternative...Ikea has one...it can be used like a bunk.

you could easily put a twin mattress under THIS

My daughter has that bed and I don't even have to get on the bed to change the sheets(I'm 5'9" though).

[WeasleyMum]

My sister and I had bunk beds, growing up. We loved them! I don't recall any falls or hurts, and we treated the thing like a piece of jungle-gym equipment.

Anything is or can be dangerous, to some extent. I don't think bunk beds or loft beds are paticularly dangerous, but you will always be able to find someone who disagrees based on personal experience.

Oh, and we had to change our own sheets.