Bunk Beds: A Love/Hate Relationship

Ah, bunk beds. The coolest kids had them when I was young. As a parent, I now understand how these are largely purchased out of necessity rather than anything else.

But they still look cool. And they make for easy fort building, too! *BONUS!*

Levi enjoying fort time with a blanket Grandmom made.

I have had several parent friends ask about our beds: when we decided to purchase, are they safe, do they really save space? Also, how do we know if the kids can stay in their respective beds?

Our purchase was out of necessity. We moved into a three-bedroom home when I was pregnant with my second child, and a year later I was pregnant with my third. By the time the third was ready for his own room, we knew we couldn't trust my middle child to be in the same space with him. Too high a risk of him trying to "share" extra toys and blankets with the newborn, and climbing inside the crib at night.

Thus, bunk beds! Levi was 4 when we purchased them, but he was 5 when we actually moved Amos into the room with him (Amos was 2). It definitely took some adjusting, but ultimately the best decision for our family.

Before you make a purchase, there are some harsh truths to bunk beds you should consider.

Changing the sheets on a normal bed is mildly irritating. Changing the sheets on a top bunk bed is colonoscopy-irritating. Going through the potty training period with a top bunk is like amateur weight training. The easiest way to change the sheets is to take the mattress off the bed. Now imagine this as a regular occurrence throughout the week since my kid wets his pull-up around midnight, then decides to take it off and chance it for the remainder of the night.

Then there is the climbing. If you have very young kids, bunk beds can be a risk. Are they going to try climbing the ladder? Will they fall off the top bunk? Will they try jumping off the bed?

Yes. Yes to all.

The good thing is, when a young kid falls they don't know to tense their bodies like we do. They don't brace for impact. Much like a drunk person, they fall like wet noodles, and somehow this often miraculously saves their little bodies from serious injury.

Amos has literally jumped off the top bunk and landed in a bucket of toys. Let that sink in.

I would be in a body cast.

Amos just started laughing, like the Power Ranger action figure tickled his back rather than stabbed it. He crawled out of the bucket, and instantly climbed back up the ladder to go for round #2. Yes, we have had more than a few talks about what the bunk beds are for. (Sleeping, sleeping, and oh -- sleeping.)

Oh, and if you build it, there is stays. So pick your area of the room you want it in because that sucker is not going anywhere. On the flipside of this, if the bunk bed model moves and comes apart easily, it's probably not sturdy enough for young kiddos.

The beds aren't super comfortable either. But we didn't buy them a memory foam mattress or anything. However, your standard bed mattress on a bunk bed doesn't quite feel the same level of cush considering there are no support boxsprings underneath.

The top bunks have either metal bars (oh-la-la!) or movable wooden slats (this is what we have). The bottom bunks sometimes have a spring option, but usually include a storage feature instead. Ours has another hide-away bed under it for maximum kid occupancy.

Even with these cons, our boys LOVE the bunk beds. They truly LOVE them. And the beds are still a huge hit when other kids come over, too. The boys are so excited to show them to guests, and I can't emphasize the fort thing enough. Also, they never complain about the mattress comfort. Probably because it feels different to their 40lb bodies vs my not-40lb-body.

Another perk is probably the most obvious -- space saver. Some bunk options are quite large so this is not always the case. Ours fits the need now, and that is the point. This is a great way for us to maximize space in a small room for two growing boys.

This last positive is connected to the previous. I truly enjoy having my children share a room. Would I prefer it if they didn't wake each other up at 5:30am every morning? ABSOLUTELY. But it hits my heart in the right spot to see them bonding and sharing at such a young age.

So with all these pros/cons listed -- it's clearly a love/hate relationship I have going with this bed type. But I would definitely purchase it again, and recommend it for any growing family.

#bunkbeds #sharedroom #spacesavers #boymom #forts