Best Beds for Kids

At 3 we just moved my daughter onto a mattress on the floor - to avoid rolling off of a bed . Then later moved it onto a frame. I too would avoid bunk beds at this age. Ikea has great stuff - as does JCPEnny.

For the bed, our neighbors have a bunk bed style bed from IKEA that their two oldest have been in since they were 1 and 3. The bottom "bunk" is actually just directly on the ground, so the top bunk is very low. You can also turn it the other way until your youngest is ready to be out of the crib, which will get your oldest some extra time pre-bunk bed.
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10123996

As for the mattress. Get a waterproof vinyl cover. I have one on my son's mattress and one on my own as well. It also cuts down on allergies because dust doesn't get into the mattress and you don't have to worry about bedbugs (ick). It basically goes all around the mattress like a pillowcase and zips closed. Then you put your regular mattress pad, sheets etc. over it.
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=109102&am...;

HTH
T.

I second the bunk bed from IKEA. We got one 3 years ago for our boys when they were 3 and 1.5. Like the other poster said, the bottom is just a frame and the mattress goes directly on the ground. Because the bottom bunk isn't raised, the top bunk is lower than a traditional bunk - I'm 5'3" and the top rail comes up to my armpits. You can also put up a mattress guard on the bottom if you're worried your youngest will roll off (it may not hurt him rolling off the mattress, but it'll probably wake him up). Since it's a regular twin bed size, your boys should fit it for quite a while. Good luck!

Hi G.,

I am a Mom of 4 kids - 6 years old, (almost) 4 years old, (almost) 2 years old and a 3.5 week old. When my oldest was 2 I got a "Cargo" bunk bed convertible bed. It has a rail on the side so I knew he couldn't fall out of bed. Later I got a an actual bunkbed set by Cargo off of Craigslist. I like the old Cargo brand or "This End Up" they are that unfinished pine. Very sturdy, the kind of set that will last for 20 years easily. The beds can come apart and be singles.

I would definitely get a protective cover for the mattress. I have one on every mattress in our house. It is MUCH easier to wash the protective cover then try to clean a mattress and accidents happen. The kind I have I got from the mattress store, but recently bought another from amazon. It fits like a sheet and is a terry cloth material almost - but its sealed on the inside of the sheet so it protects from spills/accidents. These are $100 at a mattress store, but it was $30 on Amazon. Potty trained or not - these protect against any fluids... the first time your child throws up in bed you will be so thankful it's not in the mattress! (Things like that are why we have them on ALL beds.)

Hope that helps!

We use my full-sized futon on the floor for our 3.5 year old. You can purchase single/twin sized ones, too. We have a waterproof mattress cover on it, just in case. I love that kiddo doesn't have to worry about rolling off: he usually just sleeps right through it, because it's a 3" drop, nothing bigger. We'll likely buy him a new futon when he's ready to graduate to using the frame and sleeping in his own room.

I'd save the bunk beds for a bit older. My sis and I had them when I was 6 and she was 4. I've worked with other families who have had them sooner; even very agile kids can have significant falling accidents. Oh, and skip that whole toddler mattress/bed thing, esp. if your sons are big; IMO it's just a waste of money. :) At least a twin size is best and most economical, and a twin mattress on the floor will be a short fall distance too!

You might look into beds that convert into a bunk bed in a few years so you don't have to buy 2 sets of beds. My good friend has a very small house and her two girls share a room too. She got them bunkbeds over a year ago now. They girls were about 5/2 I think. It works for them, but the older one of course sleeps on top. Your boys are still a bit young but I understand the need for space. I wouldn't put the 3 year old in a top bunk anyway until he's fully potty trained. You could consider a trundle bed...a twin bed with another twin bed that slides right underneath it. This way you could push the lower bed underneath during the day so the boys would have extra room to get dressed, play, etc. The little one could obviously sleep on the trundle part and maybe?? it would be a good transition to a big boy bed, I don't know.

As far as the potty training/bed issue, I would buy a waterproof mattress pad, actually get two and two sets of sheets. This way if there's an accident you can just switch out everything and not have to wait for laundry in the middle of the night. Ikea is pretty great, we don't have one but I wish we did! You can always order on line if necessary!

I totally agree with IKEA. My son has a very small room and we found a great bed for him. They are well made and not made with any harmful chemicals. They also have sheets and blankets, for very inexpensive. His sheets were 1.99 and 2.99.

NO BUNK BED FOR A CHILD 3 YEARS OLD! Please don't do that . . . it is SOOOO unsafe! They are highly discouraged for children under 6, http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080602075809.... Instead, why not get a trundle bed? This is when you have an extra mattress/bed that pulls out from under a regular bed. Since you're on a budget you can probably find one through www.craigslist.org, such as this one: http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/fud/2085484410.html. They even have one with a trundle and storage space, http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/fud/2085191942.html. And then just get a waterproof mattress protector so if there are any night time accidents the mattress won't be ruined. Good luck!

I would also avoid bunks at this age. I can't imagine a child old enough to safely sleep on one before 5 or so (I really have no idea--I just know it would be a disaster if my 4-year-old were on a bunk) and if the bunk is in the room at all, it needs to be safe for all the ages sleeping in the room.

We just have a basic frame with rails and a headboard (set from an estate sale) which doesn't take up much space with twin mattresses for both of our boys. I bought a cheaper mattress from Wal Mart which is a Slumber 1 Youth Bunk Bed Mattress (does not need a box spring but you need to make sure there are enough slats or a plywood base on the bedframe) and it was around $130. I considered nicer ones, but decided that since my boys are likely to be too tall for twin beds when they are older and I will probably have to buy bigger ones whenever that is I didn't want to invest a lot now. I don't mind it when I snuggle with him, it is nice and firm, and it is moisture-resistant. A mattress pad is also a good idea--you can just use a thick cloth one if you prefer over a vinyl cover, which sometimes tears. There is nothing wrong with a mattress on the floor, either, if you can't afford the frame. My husband and I slept on the floor for years (not really by choice) and while it was a bit uncomfortable for me when I was pregnant, it was not the end of the world. I like having kids closer to the floor anyway since they don't have much of a fall. :)

Is there an IKEA around you they some pretty sturdy and economical beds with storage options. Also buy a decent mattress and waterproof pad. You could also just buy a mattress and box spring they usually give you a metal frame then buy a head board later or bunk beds in a couple of years when the little one is bigger.
J.