Would you put a 2 yr old in a bottom bunk? Post Reply

[stayathomemuminsw11]

Our little boy is 18 months, so in a few months time we'll be making the move to a big bed.

However, space is limited, and he shares, and will continue to share, with his sister (who will be 5 and a half when he turns 2).

Currently she is in a cabin bed, and he has a cot, but we'd love to get a bunk bed in a few months to free up the space where his cot currently is...

But I don't want to do it if it's not safe/recommended.

Would love to hear what others think.

Thanks.

[AbbevilleMummy]

I researched this quite a lot as my kids were desperate to share a bedroom with bunk beds.

The danger is that your youngest climbs up to the top bunk copying your eldest when you're not around, and then falls.

We've taken a temporary measure in buying one of those single beds from John Lewis where another bed pulls out from underneath. We just pull it out at bedtime and push it back in the morning.

[curly]

My daughter is in the bottom bunk but I did it a bit later than 2. I found that she couldn't climb up to the top bunk so there was no risk there and the novelty of wanting to soon wore off.

My daughter found the transition from cot bed to bunk bed too big a jump as the top bunk made her feel clostrophobic (can't spell it!!) but it only took a few weeks before she was excited to go into it.

Hope this helps

[clare74]

We did so for a week when visiting a cousin. My son, then just turned two, was absolutely fine. At home, even before then, he'd moved into a full-sized single bed to make way for his brother taking over the cot. Again, he's been absolutely fine. The biggest problem is that he tends to clamber out from the duvet and gets cold, so in retrospect I might have left him in a sleeping bag for longer.

As a previous poster mentioned, I'd say the biggest danger is him climbing up the ladder, but most bunks these days are pretty safe. (Some I've seen in Aspace are more like stairs to the top.) And you could either teach him how to climb it or improvise some sort of cover so that it can't be used except at night time.

[fiona f]

I moved my daughter into bottom bunk just before sh turned two. I assembled it and the children were used to it bring in the room. She is not allowed onto ladder or top bunk and she sticks to that rule. I put a bed guard on one side incase she were to fall out. She loves it and her big brother likes having her in the bunk. He is on the top age 5. It's a great space saver. Good luck

[Galwaymammy]

Hi,
We moved our daughter from her cot to the bottom of a triple bunk (double bed on bottom, single on top) when she was 2 years and 3 months. The purpose of the triple bunk was so my parents could have our room when they visited and my husband and I could sleep in with my daughter. We bought one which had a removable ladder and kept the ladder in the cupboard unless we needed to use the top bunk. We had absolutely no problems with it but in retrospect we may have gone over the top on the "climbing on the top bunk is dangerous" speech, because now, even at 5 and 1/2 years old, she refuses to sleep in the top bunk because she is afraid she'll fall out.

[claire4]

I think it's fine and did it with my son when he was about this age, maybe abit younger. We put a safety guard on the side of the bed so he couldn't fall out and got a bunkbed with a removeable ladder, which we could put on the top bunk during the day to stop him climbing. He's now almost 3 and has mastered the ladder really well, so it's not really an issue anymore.