We are in the process of buying new bedroom furniture for our 5 yr. old son. I want to get a twin bed with a trundle. My son and my husband want to buy him a loft bed with a desk underneath. I think changing the sheets will be a huge pain in the neck. I'm also afraid he will outgrow it. I want to buy furniture that will last until he goes off to college. Any input would be great!
TIA!
S.
I agree with the other moms, I would think changing bedding on a loft/bunk bed would be a pain. I personally had a full size w/trundle bed when I was a kid and loved it.
The secret trick of a very busy mom... when my daughter was little she slept in the trundle of her bed which prevented making the bed every day. When she woke up, I pushed it in, instant beautiful, tidy room.
Another idea, my son grew up with the bunk beds with a trundle. The trundle was his place to set up his Brio trains and later his electric train set. All his hard assembly work safe and sound, especially from younger cousins.
The upper bunk - a royal pain to make. Upper bunk became purely decorative with only a fitted sheet and pillows. We also had issues with ceiling fan injuries and popcorn ceiling raining down.
Of course it's between you and your husband, but I would second your motion. I think even a full size bed would be a better investment. Actually, my sister recently bought her 10 year old daughter a queen set bedroom. She figured she could also take it with her when she moved out or keep it for when they have company. I gave her a hard time at first but then realize it was a smart move. The queen wasn't even that much more than a full size. You can make a room fit for all ages, paint the walls, he'll want to change the scheme as he gets bigger anyway. I'm in agreement with you, buy something that will last longer than a few years.
Ours didn't last long either. First we had to remove the ceiling fan, then it got too hot up there. Changing sheets was a pain. Try changing sheets while you are actually on the bed. Then we really missed out on the good night hugs and kisses. It's not quite the same when you have to climb a ladder. And I was the one that insisted on the loft. I guess my husband was right. I'm with you on this one.
We have a two bedroom home and they are SMALL bedrooms. I thought a loft bed would be so great because our daughter (now 7 yrs old) could use the space underneath. BIG mistake! What a pain to change the sheets, and I am anal about doing that weekly. Now she has a bunkbed (still a pain to change the top sheet), but that is because we have another child now and need two beds, and in that bedroom there is literally not space for a double bed or two twin beds on the floor. I do NOT recommend a loft bed at all. Get a trundle bed as you would like to do, or whatever else seems to be right. Good luck!
Hate it! Love the idea, but when we actually did it...we too had to remove the ceiling fan, perform a circus act to change the sheets, etc. The final straw was when our son fell off the top, which we made sure we would make safe so it would never happen......well, after it did, the doctor told us a fall from a height 2ce that of a child can be deadly. At the time, our six year old definitely was up higher than 2ce his height on the loft bed. It came down that day.
I agree w/ the larger furniture now. Some people think the bigger beds are too 'grown up' but if you decorate the room to the child's age, it doesn't have to be that way. Our little ones love their big beds. I would love to be able to have a desk for each one of them in their rooms, but that may come later. In each room, they have a bed, dresser or armoir and a night stand. Hopefully later a desk will fit. Good luck!
My brother had a lofted bed and it took him a couple years to get comfortable with sleeping up there. In the meantime, he slept on the floor (or would drag the mattress down to the floor). Once he did start sleeping on top, he never sat at his desk to do work. He ended up just using that space as a dumping ground. Eventually, he hung a bedsheet over the opening to hide all of his mess. And depending on how tall your son grows to be, he will outgrow it. If your husband or other family members are very tall (5'11" or taller), you son will outgrow a regular twin bed, so make sure you either get a twin bed without a footboard or get an extra-long twin bed. Many college dorms are going the route of extra-long twin beds to accommodate taller men.
Don't do it! We don't even have one, but I agree with the others about the sheet-changing issue and the goodnight hugs, etc.
Also, your son will be growing quickly, so I would seriously consider a full or queen size bed. My nephews outgrew their twin beds by the time they were 13! Plus, with a double or queen, you will have room to snuggle with him while reading in bed, or on nights when he gets scared or is sick.
I notice lots of bunk beds and loft beds for sale on Craig's List - there is a reason!
Sounds like it's unanimous. My 11 yr old daughter begged us for one, so we finally got a full size loft w/ a futon sofa underneath. She sleeps on the futon whenever she can, and it makes it tough to snuggle w/ her when she's sick. I make HER change the sheets, cuz I'm 6' tall and just don't fit!
The desk area will always be cluttered, so unless your husband is the one who will be on top of the mess, go with your idea.
Well it was fun while it lasted but for the expense it did not last long enough. In the long run a twin w/trundle is your best bet and he won't out grow it. When your ready to resell the loft bed to upgrade to something more grown up you won't get anywhere near the price you want to for it therefore it will be hard to sell.
Lonie
