Bunkbeds, Who Actually Uses the Top?

Please don't get bunk beds.

My best friend from 7th grade all the way through college lost her elementary school age child when he fell off the top bunk. He just died right there on the spot. He was not playing or wrestling, he was just there and fell off.

They are too dangerous for kids and I would never have them in my home.

I have never met a kid that doesn't consider the top the prime real estate. My sons had bunk beds, the older one claimed the top.

This is probably only funny to me but if there is only one kid using the bed they take the bottom. When they have friends over the friends get the bottom.

Meh, maybe the fear of falling is less than the fear of having someone fall on you. :)

Since my girls have been in bunk beds since they were VERY little, the older child got the top. The bunk beds we have have a twin on top and a double on the bottom, so the compromise is one gets top, but the bottom has a bigger bed. I guess because it's been this way for so long, they've never argued it!

Now, if your daughter is the one asking for the bunk beds, I'd say she gets first dibs. Bunk beds are a HUGE space saver! I've never regretted this purchase ONCE! :)

My daughter (5) and son (3) currently share a room. We got them bunk beds about 5 months ago and we love them. My daughter sleeps on the top bunk and we have never had an issue with her falling or anything. We spent a little extra money to purchase the bunk bed frame that can be seperated into two twin bed frames for the future.

My 4 and 6 year old just started sleeping in bunk beds. My 6 year old's on the top, 4 year old on the bottom. They fought about it at first, they both wanted the top, but after my 4 year old figured out that he could build a "fort" on the bottom by tucking blankets under the top mattress, all was good! They also like to share a room because they get scared at night. My 6 year old was a little scared about the top bunk at first, but was fine with it after she saw that it has a rail on the side so she won't roll off. :-)

my husband built my oldest a platform style bed with rails all around it that only had a top bunk at the age of 3. Yes, 3. He has been on the top ever since!
We also purchased him a "real" bunk bed when his little brother converted to a big boy bed from crib (they have shared a room since day1).
for a brief stint we converted the play room to a bedroom and got a second twin bed, but the boys like being together and now they are 7 and 4 - fighting over the top bunk - but older brother wins out - always LOL!

We are planning a move in the next 18 months and when that happens little man will FINALLY get his own "top bunk".
go for it and if her bed, let her have the top, but if she doesn't like it, is afraid, be flexible.
Heck, YOu could even let one child have the top for a month, then alternate if a huge deal:)
Best,

We started with bunks although younger and after a year into it my daugther 4 at the time begged to be back on the floor. The bunks we had we could make nto two seperate twin beds, they spent a year on regular floo beds and now both are in loft beds. And LOVE their lofts beds. Not sure how my third is going to react when she realizes she will not be getting a loft. Hmm.

My 9 year old has had a bunk bed since he was about 3. For about the last 3 years or so, he has slept on the top. We are actually redoing his room soon and we'll be taking it down and only using the top (they are the kind that can be used separately and the bottom is a full) to make more space in his room. So yes, some kids DO actually sleep on the top!

I have bunkbeds and two loft beds. Both boys have slept in the loft beds. One got it at 8, the other moved into his at 4.
The girls got bunk beds at 3 and 5 and my oldest slept up top until 2 years ago. She is 16. She loved it, but she is like a cat and likes to be higher so she can see what is going on.
All the top bunks have railings so the kids won't fall off. My 22 yo slept in his loft until he left the house.

The JPMA recommends no child under 6 on top, so that means your son will be up there until she is older. We have two sets of bunks (4 kids) and both tops and bottoms get used.

Our 4 year old has bunk beds. We started out with him sleeping on the bottom bunk, and after a few months, bought the top mattress and now he sleeps up there. I told him only big boys could sleep up top, and part of being a big boy is straightening the bed yourself b/c I'm not getting up there. So, he did a few months of straightening his bottom bunk. He loves being on the top, except when he is "camping" (he drops the top comforter down sometimes and makes a "tent" for the bottom bunk. My sister (age 8) is coming soon and will sleep on the bottom bunk during the visit.

My sister and I had bunk beds when we were young. My sister was 5 and I was 6. Prior to this, we had a day bed, so when we slept, the trundle was right next to the regular bed like one big mattress. We had no problem transitioning to the bunk beds. I slept on top because I am the older sister and my parents felt that was safest. WE were still able to chat and giggle at night, so I would think your daughter would be ok with it. I would also suggest having her sleep with an extra pillow or large stuffed animal in case she likes to sleep against her brother. The only downside to the top bunk is that it can be difficult to make the bed. Once we were older, I was stuck with the top bunk and HATED making the bed, but when I was younger, I LOVED it!

My kids have bunk beds at their grandparents house.
They are 6 and 9 , they have to toss a coin to see who gets the top first and they trade off every other night

My boys had a bunk bed and then we got my younger son a bed for himself. My older son, now 9, kept the bunk bed and slept on the top for 3 years. No one on the bottom unless we had a sleepover (usually just his cousin...or nap time for the little girl I nannied).
L.

ikea has a great bunkbed that actually sits directly on the floor so the top is lower as well. it works great for my kids, and my 6 year old likes sleeping on the top.

My sister and I shared a room, so we used our bunks and I used my elder sister status to keep the top bunk til we unbunked them.

When my stepdaughter wanted one we got one used that had a twin on top and full on the bottom - so she could have sleepovers in her room with her best friend or cousins. She mostly used the bottom bunk. The top became a catch-all.

If you have two kids, I think it's likely that the top will be used, but I think you can't have the 5 yr old up there yet.

Get beds that can also function separately and you'll be fine either way. When SD got tired of the bunk, we eventually gave it away because it was hard to sell people on the beds that couldn't stand alone. It was also an awkward footprint.

And invest in a good wooden set. They last and last and can be used later. So those are my 2 big suggestions - get ones that function solo and get nice wood.

We put our 4 yr old in one (on the top) and he loves it. We are not using the bottom bunch; his little brother is still in a crib. He seems to be less scared at night. He comes out of his room less often because he is scared.

Good luck.

My youngest has a bunk bed, but he mainly sleeps on the bottom. We use the top for sleepovers or when family is visiting we'll put both boys in the bunks. Otherwise, it just collects dust. Nice to have when you need it though, but a trundle is another option - or a pad on the floor - for visitors/sleepovers.

We always had bunk beds. When you have 6 kids in a 3 bedroom place... there really isn't a choice! lol. We loved them. Not only are they good for sleeping, but you can make forts, hang hammocks (We would tie opposite corners of sheets to each end, and sleep in it. lol.), etc. A lot of bunk beds do come with safety railings on the top, so that can help with any safety issues.

I'm glad I bought a bunk bed that is easily separated or "un-bunked". Initially my daughter (the oldest) used the top bunk until she scared herself one night coming down. Right now my two boys are using the bunks as single twins and I have the hardware (metal pins and railing for the top bunk) stored under one of them in case they ever decide that they want the extra room having bunk beds will give them.

But that might be the solution you want to go with - to have a bunkbed that can easily convert into single beds. You could go one where its a full size on the bottom and a twin on top - so the younger one could still co-sleep with the older one on the full and they won't be so cramped together in a twin - even if you don't have them stacked.

I grew up sleeping on the top bunk. I only fell out once. I survived.

Your kids will survive, too.

I think 5 may be a bit too young for the top, so until she's older I'd have your son sleep up top.

My oldest 6 are in bunk beds b/c we have 2 to each room. The youngest ones are still in a crib and toddler bed-obviously not old enough for bunks yet-but when they are older they will be as well. There is just no floor space left for playing if we have two beds on the floor in the bedrooms!
I grew up sharing a room and was in a bunk bed as far as I can remember back....so even when I was really young! I remember it being a huge thing when I got the chance to switch to the top!