When my second son was born, I somehow became enamoured with the idea of the boys sharing a room when they got older. They seemed to love each other’s company and constantly climbed into each other’s bed and cot.
Since the house we were in had very small bedrooms (gotta love modern design – NOT!) and both boys were climbing into and over every single set of bunk beds we ever came across in furniture stores, the decision seemed easy. Bunk beds it was!
The bunks arrived. The men put them together. Easy! The boys could barely contain themselves with excitement and began climbing up and down before the beds were even made. Boys were very excited!
And then it struck me. And continued to strike me every few weeks. Mostly on my head, but sometimes on my knees and ankles.
The number ONE reason that bunk beds are a bad idea – YOU are the one who has to make the beds and change the sheets!
Reasons 2 to 5 – see reason 1.
Unless you really enjoy climbing, are a masochist and/or a contortionist – DO NOT get bunk beds!
Our house?
Bunk beds have been separated into two single beds.
Boys have been separated into their own bedrooms.
Sanity prevailed.
Blundermum says
17 April 2012 at 12:24 amI had bunk beds as a kid, I knocked my head enough then. At least I didn't fall off the top bunk though. Or get peed on. I'm also using the excuse that if I get bunk beds for the girls then I can't put in a ceiling fan.
Melissa says
17 April 2012 at 12:42 amWhen I was about 2 or 3 I was jumping on the top of a bunk bed, fell off & split open my eyebrow!!! When my brother had bunk beds they were in an L shape and we had great fun making cubby houses out of it.
sarahbraaksma says
17 April 2012 at 1:15 amoh I agree changing the sheets and making the bed on those things is hell on earth! we have a set but Im over it as well and planning on seperating them!
Lisa Warren says
17 April 2012 at 3:02 amUrgh! Making beds sucks at the best of times, let along when you're hair's getting stuck in the springs of the bed above! Makes complete sense to separate them.
Elephant's Child says
17 April 2012 at 6:08 amThis is a truly gross story which happened to a friend of mine. She and her boy went away. They were staying in a house that had bunk beds. Her boy insisted on the top bed. During the night she heard disturbing noises. She leant out of bed to see if he was alright. And he threw up on her face.
Bunk beds are baaaaaad.!
Marita says
17 April 2012 at 9:22 amWe had low line bunks from Bunkers – changing the top bunk was pretty easy, bottom bunk not so much.
Heidi jumped out of her top bunk and banged her face on a chair, we got rid of the bunk just a couple of weeks ago.
Trish says
17 April 2012 at 1:19 pmWe have no choice now living in tight quarters in the shed. Hate changing sheets , so glad no one wets the bed.
Miss Cinders says
17 April 2012 at 1:51 pmArgh I soo agree! We had TWO sets of the darn things for years!
Toni says
18 April 2012 at 12:24 amMy sister backed off the end of the top bunk while making it when she was little.
My boy has a loft bed (like bunks but without the bottom bed) and all his Lego is in the play area underneath. I have a love hate relationship with that bed. I can't wait till we live in a house with bedrooms big enough that he can just have a normal bed!
Lisawasdream says
18 April 2012 at 4:37 amWe used to have three boys in one room (one set of bunk beds and a single bed) – I so hated having to climb onto that bunk bed to make it 🙂
Now we have a set of bunkbeds in our Motorhome but I never make the top bed – either our Son Nicholas makes it or it stays unmade! My brothers also had bunk beds many years ago…it soon become single beds/separate rooms!
Crack You Whip says
18 April 2012 at 4:48 amI had fosterchildren so needed the beds for a set of twins and I hated changing the sheets. One of the boys loved to climb and jump off. Luckily he was made of clay dough or something because he never broke a bone.
Dorothy @ Singular Insanity says
18 April 2012 at 6:07 amOh, the jumping off and climbing and using them as monkey bars used to drive me batty!
Now I just have to put up with the jumping! Because, obviously, the trampoline outside is just not the same.
Dorothy @ Singular Insanity says
18 April 2012 at 6:10 amOnce mine are trained to change their own sheets, they can have their bunk beds back J
Superrelish says
18 April 2012 at 8:46 amMy guys got bunks when they were really little, in fact Santa made them for them in their bedroom late one Christmas eve. The best injury sustained to date was when the boy fell from top bunk face first into a pile of lego. He had an awesome imprint of a lego piece on his forehead.
Dorothy @ Singular Insanity says
18 April 2012 at 11:35 amOh my! I shouldn’t laugh, but that’s just “precious”. So many lessons to learn from that one J Thankfully, our top bunk had raised sides, so no falls were recorded. Just lots of bumps…
Robyn says
19 April 2012 at 5:52 amWhy on earth would YOU be making the beds and changing the linen? How old are these boys? Maybe too young, I guess. But ours do their own!
We have bunks for the same reason – house is too small. 🙁
Dorothy @ Singular Insanity says
19 April 2012 at 8:45 amWell, if it’s too hard for me to change the linen up high, it definitely was for them. They did help though. Good idea about teaching them to do their own linen now, except I mostly do it when they’re not around…
Kebeni says
13 July 2012 at 11:09 ambunks suck! end.of.story. My daughter was always getting her hair caught in the wire under the top bunch and I lost layers of scalp making the bloody things
Dorothy @ Singular Insanity says
13 July 2012 at 12:49 pmOuch!
Against my better judgement I have put the bunks back together and they now live in my younger son’s room, while the king single I’d initially bought for my older son is now back in his room. This way we have a spare bed if we need it.
And of course it’s the top bunk that is being used. Eeek!