Conference moira::parenting

    We have had bunk beds for years now and NO ONE has ever fallen - many
    have jumped, but that's another story.
    
    We always put the littlest one on the bottom bed.  Right now, they are
    in my youngest's room (he's 7) and he will choose to sleep in the top
    some nights or the bottom - whatever mood strikes.  The open bed is
    used for sleepovers, etc.  When we have guests, my oldest gives up his
    full size bed to them and he will move in with brother.
    
    Bunks have been a great lifesaver when we lived in a small roomed
    apartment.  Now they offer "play room" in the bedroom and a place for
    those sleepovers.  I highly recommend them - just make sure they are
    sturdy and easy to move around.
    
    -sjd
    

    
    
    We have bunk beds for our kids.  I think there great.
    
    My youngest is allmost 2 and she sleeps in the bottom with no problems
    what so ever.  We got the beds from This End Up - there's a railing
    on both the top and the bottom.  She can climb in and out herself
    but couldn't fall out, the mattress sits down low enough from the
    rail that it wouldn't be easily possible.  
    
    My oldest is 5 and loves to be on the top, she can climb up easily.
    
    They really do save a lot of space.  We have the L shaped set and
    there's a bureau that I'ld like to get someday that fits under the
    top bed, beside the bottom, so it doesn't take up any more space
    in the room.  
    
    Kirsten
     

    Why not buy the bunk beds but set up only one?  In a year (or five :-})
    when you think your son's ready for the top bunk, take it out of
    storage and finish construction.  I wouldn't set up the whole thing and
    then declare the top bunk off limits; to me that holds the same
    temptation as "don't put peas up your nose."
    
    Leslie

    My son is 3 and has been sleeping on the bottom bunk since he was 2.
    Only recently has he felt comfortable enough to climb up and sit on the top
    bunk by himself. (he still will call for assistance to get down)
    
    Lukas has always thrashed around at night when sleeping. He use to bump
    his head on the wall. We just put pillows against the wall and a few
    pillow on the floor, incase he rolled the other way. This has worked
    out fine for us. He still occasionally falls out of bed, but for the
    most part he loves his bunk bed. He keeps telling me that he cannot
    wait until his baby brother is big enough to sleep on the bottom and
    then he can sleep on the top. 
    
    /k
    
     ps. he also look forward to Grammie coming to visit and she sleeps on
    the top bunk.  ;-)

    Our son Tobias (now 8) begged us for bunk beds.  We had nothing
    against it, as the second bed would be good for a friend sleeping
    over.
    
    When we went looking he saw something else he liked better.  I think
    it's called a captain's bed.  At any rate, the bed is about 4' off
    the floor, and a chest of drawers fits right underneath it.
    
    He loves this, as the bed is at the same height as our windows, so
    he can look outside and watch the birds, etc.  A railing around the
    entire think keeps him from rolling out.
    
    So you might see if something like this would be more everybody's
    liking.

   When we moved my son into his new room, we decided to get new
   furniture at the same time - granted, he had already been in a
   twin bed, but I'm putting this in more as an option to "bunk" beds -

   we went to the Pine Factory, which is like This End Up - I think the
   big difference between the two is T-E-U is unfinished furniture and
   PF is finished (????) - anyway, we saw the bunk bed combos talked
   about in here, like the one wher you can tuck a set of drawers or a
   desk under one end.....

   I, however, also thought of the overall investment and what about my
   son in a few years.... based on the way he was growing, I had a problem
   with spending $$ on bunk beds and then turning around and buying a
   full size in a few years ..... we found the best of both worlds with
   a setup something like (.-1), except instead of a drawer setup under
   the bed, we purchased the TRUNDLE BED which fits underneath - when he
   has friends over, we just roll the trundle out and all's well !!!!!
   The other advantage is that later on, I can replace the trundle with
   the drawer set !

   Just my $.02 !

   Debbi

    
    Well, after I replied in here I ran into a problem with our
    bunkbeds.
    
    Haley, 22months, climbed up to the top bunk to play!  I would
    have never thought that she could get up there, but she did and
    very quickly too!  
    
    Any suggestions on what to do to stop her?  The bed is a ladder
    end bed so there is not a ladder that can be removed.  I'm afraid
    that she's going to climb up there some night after I put her to
    bed. She'ld really get hurt if she ever fell.  I still need it to
    be easy for my 5 year old to get in and out of bed.
    
    Kirsten
      

    We can easily put our ladder end against a wall kind of in a corner. 
    Would that work for you?  Actually, for us it is now a problem.  My son's
    room has an alcove where the bed fits and will stick out just enough to
    allow him access to the ladder.  Now that he is bigger (wider) he
    doesn't fit quite as well and has trouble climbing.  We will have to
    rearrange his room very soon.
    
    -s

    
    The problem I'm having is that I need to keep the ladder end easily
    accessable for Breanne so that she can get in/out of bed.  
    
    I think what I need is a way to cover the end or something so that 
    Haley can't get up but something that would be easy for Breanne to remove
    to get in and out.  I thought about hanging a blanket over the end, 
    but I'm afraid that Haley will attempt it anyway and that would just
    make her fall easier.  
    
    Kirsten
    

    I have no solutions....but I empathise.  When my youngest was two he
    attempted to climb the bed but used a chair to get a head start (he
    pushed it over there himself).  He fell off the ladder, onto the chair,
    and onto the floor.  Luckily the only damage was a bruise to his cheek
    which resulted in a permanent dimple.  He's so proud of that dimple. 
    That was the only time he ever fell - (notice I didn't say he was cured
    of climbing).  Now we get called to the upstairs to help my 3 year old
    niece get down after she has climbed the ladder herself and can't get
    down. KIDS are fun!!
    
    -s
    

    Don't have any idea how to prevent it (they're such MONKEYS! (-;), but
    you could just anticipate your worst fears, and pile some blankets or
    pillows on the floor, in case they DO fall.  I think half the challenge
    is in getting up there before you can pull them down .....!
    
    

    Could you put the ladder end against the wall, then go buy a generic
    ladder which could "live" on top of the top bed but could be taken down
    and used by the older child?  Maybe there's a telescoping one which
    could hang by hooks on the top but go up like a window blind (and latch
    so smaller child can't pull it down)???
    
    Leslie

    HI,
    
    	I have BUNK BEDS for my 2 sons.  My oldest is 5 and did sleep 
    on the top bunk and my younget is 22mns and sleeps on the bottom.  
    It worked great for the first 3 days we had them.  NOW on the third 
    day an accident happened that my oldest AJ was just stting on the top 
    bunk and then rolled off.  He's fine now but he did get 38 stitches.  So 
    I had to take the bunks apart since it bottered him so much.  But after 
    that day I went out and got bed rails.  They have worked great and he 
    feels safer and so do I.  But all in all I would not give back the
    bunks.  I am now running into my little one Michael trying to climb to
    the top.  I do have a removable ladder so its not really to big
    problem.  Till he sees his brother climb up a different way.  

    	Thanks for all of the replies (here and off-line).  We've decided
    to go with the "This End Up" bunks.  The advantages are that we can 
    buy a "daybed" (top bunk, with rails) now, and use it as a single twin
    bed.  The second half (to make it a bunk) can be added in the future 
    (I didn't see this option anywhere else).  Since they've had the same 
    bunks for about 20 years, there's no hurry to get the second bed.
    
    	Peggy

    
    .14 - I thought the same thing when buying my kids beds at
    This End Up.  I thought that we could just buy one bed and get the
    second later when we needed it.  
    
    The only problem with that is that you'll end up with beds made from 
    different lots of wood and the color of the wood can be very different.
    When I asked about it, after I had allready ordered one, the sales 
    lady told me that alot of people are very unhappy when they do it this
    way because of the difference in the color.  I ended up ordering them
    both together and am very happy with them.
    
    BTW - there beds are on sale now til September 5.  Guess it's time to
    get the bureau!
    
    Kirsten
    

    Another vote for This End Up.  We went with the daybed - trundle
    combination.  Lauren loved it from day one - her "big girls bed".

    Well...  Before I order the "This End Up" daybed, I've got one more
    question.  Did anyone who has this get the mattress there as well?  I
    think that the beds are reasonably priced.  But, the "bunkie set"
    (which includes mattress and platform) cost about twice as much as they
    might be in a mattress discount store.  The salespeople say this is
    because they are custom made for TEU, have a metal frame which prevents 
    sagging at the edges, and include a 15 year warranty.  
    
    These are things I might consider if I was getting a mattress for my
    own bed.  But, I'm having a hard time believing this is so important 
    for my son's bed.  Am I underestimating the mattress quality needed
    for children?
    
    Any comments?
    
    Peggy

I got the mattress at Costco - works fine and only ~$80.  I did
buy the platform for the "pullout" bed and right now we have a 
futon on it (already owned one and it fits).

I thought the standard mattress prices were a little high.

    We bought a knock-off brand of wood bunk beds over 5 years ago for my
    boys.  We got them at Neumann's Furniture in Haverhill.  They were
    cheaper than TEU by far and all the same appointments.  We got the two
    (twin)bunks and a 5-drawer bureau.  We also got the bunkie boards.  We
    didn't need mattresses.  These beds have taken their fair share of
    "child abuse" and are still as sturdy and rugged as the day we bought
    them.  We have used them in a variety of setups and the bureau has
    withstood being a diving platform as well as a launch pad into the
    beds.
    
    Yes, we have boys! - but the girls can be just as rowdy!!!
    
    -sandy