at what age are bunk beds okay? - Page 2

[mavery]

Thanks for all the replies. We've had the beds for about a week and for now I think we're okay with some caution. He needs help to get up and down, so the rules are easy to enforce for now. We're also drilling him on what activities are okay on the top bunk.

I realise now that it wasn't the wisest choice, but we were so excited that he had asked for his own bed and that was the one he chose (and it wasn't expensive and didn't contain particle board, etc.). It's good to have heard the scary stories since they'll make us cautious, and if he can't be sensible we'll either take down the ladder or sell the beds.

[Lact-o-Mama]

When we first got our bunkbeds, I set them up with the ladder against the wall so ds couldn't climb up. Once I turned it around, I made sure that I was in the room during playtimes just to ensure that the kids were continuosly reminded about safety etc.
The rule of thumb for readiness for me was, if he can climb both up and down unassisted & safely, then he's ready.
The bunkbed is still a source of worry for me everytime my kids are playing upstairs....but then again, I'm a super-mamma-worrywart

[chefjulie]

we have the reversible loft bed from IKEA - it isn't shown as bunk beds in the catalog or online, but the store has it set up that way. The one we have has a navy blue with stars canopy above 80% of the top "bunk" - that is the stuffed animal storage and a place to read books during the day. We put futon mattresses on the top and bottom (which is actually the floor!) and he sleeps on the bottom exclusively. He talks about when he's older he'll sleep up on the top. the canopy also acts as more of a railing to keep him in - he'd REALLY have to work to fall out of the bed at the canopy which again is at least 80% of the bed.

He'll be 3.5 at Christmas and transitioned to this bed in August when we stopped co-sleeping and HE chose the bed at IKEA. He still wakes up once a night here and there and needs help laying back down and finding his pillow I lay with him to help him go to sleep quite often and can't go in the loft - so until he can fall to sleep alone with me in the room but not the bed, he won't be sleepign in the top!

we loved his choice because we're due with #2 at Christmas and figure by the time this babe is ready to leave our bed/room, Andrew will be ready to move to the top and give the bottom up to his new roommate!

[annethcz]

Both my DS1 and DD1 started sleeping on the top bunk at 3 years of age. But both of them were climbers and had absolutely NO trouble getting up or down off the bed. Honestly, even my 2 yo (also a huge climber) has on occasion climbed up and taken a nap on the top bunk with her sister.

I think it really depends on the child and his/her capabilities.