# Bunk bed ladders & toddlers



## kaybee (Apr 30, 2003)

Do any of you have toddlers in bunk beds (the bottom bunk, obviously)? How do you keep them from climbing up the bunk bed ladder?

We have an 18mo that I'd like to transition out of our room and into a bottom bunk. Our 5 yo is fine on the top bunk. The problem is that the little guy has no problems climbing up the ladder to the top bunk, and I really don't want him doing that, esp. early in the morning before we realize he's awake. I suppose we could just try it and see what happens, but it seems to me the lure of big brother on the top bunk might be too much to resist.

Any ideas?

Thanks!


----------



## kohlby (Dec 5, 2005)

There's no way I'd use bunk beds with a climber 18 month old. (Or even with my 5 year old DS since he would get a bit wild jumping off the top! But, my DD would likely do fine at 3 on the top). I'd just put the mattress on a floor in a different room than the bunk bed room until he's older.


----------



## veganf (Dec 12, 2005)

The legal minimum age for a child to be in the top bunk in the U.S. is age 6, so we will be putting up a bunkbed this fall and I am also wondering how to keep the other boys out of it. NOT having bunkbeds is not going to be an option unfortunately as we are very tight on space.


----------



## mamalemon (Mar 25, 2008)

We have our 3.5 year old and 18 month old in a low-loft type bunk that is low enough that we can actually look down on the top. My 18 month old climbs the ladder, but I let her. She has never show any interest in jumping, and we have a tent around the top that would make it difficult to fall out. Even if she did somehow fall, she wouldn't have far to go.

How high up is your bunk bed? Would a tent around the top make it any safer? Sorry, no ideas on how to keep the little one off the ladder.


----------



## elmh23 (Jul 1, 2004)

We have bunk beds with our 3 year old and 17 month old, but neither sleeps on the top bunk. My 3 year old currently sleeps on the bottom bunk and the 17 month old sleeps on a mattress on the floor. My daughter is allowed to play up there (mostly she reads up there) but if they are both back there then the ladder is up.

Do your bunkbeds seperate in to two twin beds? Could you put it like that until your baby learns not to climb up it or can at least do it safely?


----------



## Mallory (Jan 2, 2002)

Can you take the ladder off and have the older boy just climb up and down on the sides?

Our bunk beds are two separate beds right now, but if they were stacked up I don't think the 2yo is big enough to climb up the sides, even though he could probably climb up the ladder.


----------



## redpajama (Jan 22, 2007)

We did the same as you--transitioned our (then) 18 month old into the bottom bunk of a bunk bed. We just turned the bed so that the ladder was pushed up against the wall, and it never an issue--he never even tried climbing up there until he was over 3.

He sleeps in a (different) bunk-ish bed now (this one) and his 20-month-old sister (who is a serious climber) can climb into it, but (if you can't tell from the photo) it's considerably lower than a standard bunk bed, and we've seen her climb into it enough times that we feel pretty comfortable with her having access to it (we wouldn't have her sleep in it or anything, but for as often as she tries to climb into it, it's all right).

Anyway, for now, if you don't have a bigger kid who needs access to the ladder, I would just push the ladder up against the wall if that's an option.


----------



## Keeping up (Apr 7, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *veganf* 
The legal minimum age for a child to be in the top bunk in the U.S. is age 6, so we will be putting up a bunkbed this fall and I am also wondering how to keep the other boys out of it. NOT having bunkbeds is not going to be an option unfortunately as we are very tight on space.


Is it really the law - or a suggestion of the manufacturer? ... a long the same lines as 'Beverage is hot' on coffee cups. I know my bunk beds are clearly marked for kids 6 and over, but wouldn't have considered it law.

Regardless - I did have my older pair in bunk beds - long before they were 6 and we never had a problem. I was very strict with no playing in the upper bed. The third baby - probably when he was 18 months old - would climb the ladder. We bought this ladder 'sleeve' - and it worked for a about a day - but then he just worked his way around it. However, he listened and he stopped going up there.

Now - in a new house - the babe at 14 months next week, can easily scale the ladder - disconcerting to turn around while getting pjs out a drawer (while just a few feet away) to find your baby laughing at the top of the ladders. Now - we don't have safety gates - so between the stairs, the bunk bed and the babe's ability to open any door in the house - we have a bit of a cruising wild man!

Then, oddly enough, my four year old was suppose to be sleeping (and i was laying down on the bed with the 3 year old trying to get him to sleep) and boom, over the rail came the four year old. He caught the top rail and hung on, so no problem at all - but still have no idea how he fell out of the bed.

So, down came the bunk beds last week. I will put them back up eventually - but not for a few years.


----------



## kaybee (Apr 30, 2003)

Thanks for all the suggestions.

I'm still not sure what we'll do. We have 18mo on a futon on the floor now (but in our room). Maybe we can start by removing the ladder and having 5yo on bottom bunk and 18mo on his futon in the same room. And we'll see how that half of the transition goes.

We could unbunk the beds, too, but the room will be pretty tight with 2 twin beds side by side. At least with the futon, we can roll it up during the day.

Any more ideas? I know some people manage this! I used to share a bunk bed with my little brother when he was a toddler and I don't remember him ever scaling the ladder and falling out (although I fell out several times - the rails were pretty flimsy back then







).


----------

