Bed size for kids

Howdy folks

Since we are moving into our new house soonish, we thought we better buy some new furniture.

Currently BOTH our kids sleep in bed with us (yes tragic I know ). DH, being Aboriginal has a belief that the baby should be close to the parents when they are newborn....funny enough DD is nearly 3.5 and hardly new anymore

Anyway since sleeping in a bed with the 2 of them - one who lays horizontal across the top of our heads and the other who attempts kickboxing in her sleep, we have decided that enough is enough and they will be going into their own beds

So now on the quest for beds....our DD is 3 and our DS will be 2 in October.

Originally I was set on double beds, I thought because they have always been in a 'big' bed they would feel comfortable in the larger space. Also because they roll around everywhere I thought they would have more room and be less likely to fall out. I'm not hugely sold on the rail idea as Kobe got stuck in them a few times when he went down for a day sleep in his cot...

We intend on buying good quality beds, so thought the double bed might last them longer into their older child days and we would just replace the mattress....

But now I'm sort of leaning towards king single beds, because a few people I have spoken to think it is ridiculous to put a young child in a double bed....or maybe a double bed for Mia and king single for Kobe because boys do not like to share their bed with friends....or maybe king single for them both and then upgrade in about 5 years or so to double beds....

Really I have NO idea and am after ideas

hi bel, we have a king single for DS and will be getting one for DD when the time comes. They take up less space than a double and will still fit them for ages!

we have two single beds in the spare room, one with a trundle mattress, so plenty of space for sleepovers

I guess it's up to your personal preference... bet you can't wait to claim your bed back!

Thanks Donuts - it helps because our kids are similar ages

Does DS roll out of bed - or do you have a rail up?

I like the idea that there will be more room if we go king single....

Might just take the kids into a bed shop and see what they like

I think trundle beds are ideal for sleepovers and such, waste no space when not in use and some kids/adults aren't keen on sharing double beds, also you get situations like bed wetters (not neccesarily yours, maybe the visiting child, much easier if in separate bed )

My kids just slept in single beds until they left home - in fact DD still has a single in her rented share-house and she is 21.

If you are worried about your child falling out of bed you can put the trundle mattress on the floor next to the bed for a while for a soft landing

I cant remember the layout of your house but I found when my kids were little they somehow crept back into our beds by morning but this gradually decreased in their own time. (we used to call them the boomerang kids - keep putting them in their own beds but they kept returning )

I would certainly put trundle beds under a king single bed if we got them - I really like the idea of pulling the trundle bed out so if they do roll they fall onto that - great thinking Helyn

I think I'm leaning towards the king single option....when they are old enough to be more expressive about what they prefer it will probably be time for a new bed anyway

While they are this young, I'd go King Single. They (and you) will value the extra floor space for playing/tanties more than the extra bed space at this point.

Then upgrade them to Queens when they are older (young teenagers). I wouldn't bother with a double bed at all they are bloody useless for two people (friends/partner sleepover ).

DS is 10 and he'll go into a Queen when we move. My reasoning being it will do until he wants to buy his first "suite". But the point is, it will get him through. Once he has a girlfriend or own place he'd want a queen, so a double is a waste I reckon.

The other problem with getting them a double at this age, is that they'll get too used to the space. When it comes time to do sleepovers and at friend's houses and school camps etc, they will get a single and they may not sleep well.

King singles are longer than double beds. So if your kids are likely to be tall they won't outgrow their beds. Our eldest at 13 1/2 is almost as tall as I am . We've decided to buy king singles for our 2 boys for the new house. We have trundle beds under their beds for sleepover times as well. When the boys first went into a bed I use the cot mattress as a "fallout mat" tucked beside their beds. In your case if you have spare mattresses you could do something similar if you are worried about them falling out of bed.

I was playing around with the idea of double beds too but Dh thought it was a ridiculous idea. He muttered something about spoilt kids etc hehehehe And of course it doesn't help with their height if they are tall anyway. My mum has a king single ( shes a widow) and R my DS2 loves snuggling in bed with her if he wakes up early when we are staying there. Mum's not a tiny lady and he's 10 1/2. So a king single gives kids quite a bit of room.

Don't buy the rail!! Waste of money IMO ... DS just rolled right over it, knocked it on the floor and fell on top of it, hurting himself on the things that poke underneath the mattress!!

He fell off the bed a bit at the start (we don't have a trundle with his king single so he just slept on the mattress on the floor for a little while before going into the bed). He still falls off sometimes ... and sometimes doesn't even wake up and we find him there in the morning but not very often.

Good idea to put the trundle mattress there for a soft landing though

kexkez I didn't know they were longer than doubles, good to know!

Excellent - thanks for all your advice everyone - it really helps.

I think your reasoning is great Jo - although funny you say a double isn't good for 2 people, when Mark moved in with us - I was 16 he was 17 we slept in the doubt quite comfortably no real issues....I'm not even sure a queen would fit in the kids rooms as the new place - they aren't huge

I think we are going to go king single - with a trundle under each of them for sleepovers and for the inevitable fall out of bed

Now to find a nice bed - I want white for DD and a nice brown wood for DS....

On another note - what other furniture items should I purchase for their bedrooms at this age....most of their toys will be in their toyrooms so no need for storing that...

DD has a WIR so don't know if I need a tall boy type thing for her as we will do a robe fit-out....I was thinking the bed, bedside table, tall boy (for DS) and perhaps a desk each - or is a desk stupid at this age? I really have NO idea...Anyone game to post pics of their kids bedrooms so I get an idea of what to do with the space??

I'm so excited about decorating their rooms, but have NO idea where to start

I reckon wait till you get in to see what other furniture they need. I haven't got anything except for a soccer ball chair in DS's room at the moment, but a bedside table is next on my list for him, with a clock and a little lamp maybe.

In DD's room I just have a cot and a doll house. I don't know what else she wants yet!

All their clothes fit in the wardrobe so I have put the tallboy in the spare room for spare junk to go into.

I am thinking there are some toys they might eventually want to store in their own rooms so some sort of toy storage might be a god idea. Would be interested to see what other ppl have done too ...

Queens will fit in those rooms when/if the time comes Bel.
I just find doubles a bit "snug" for two. Nice when you want to ummm "snuggle".... not so nice when you want to sleep!

Good point Jo Good to know a queen will fit, also when they are teenagers I don't think the extra floor space will be as necessary as I'm sure they will spend most of their time in bed

Good Idea Donuts - Might wait until we get in there, I just thought I might get a good package deal somewhere, might just start with the basics - bed, bedside table and tallboy/drawers

H was in a cot until she was 2.5 then we bought her a single bed with a trundle underneath it. In the beginning we had a soft mesh type railing thing that you could click up or click down. We kept that on her bed until we moved into the rental - so she was 3y 1mth. She has falled out of bed a couple of times so we just put two pillows alongside her bed everynight in case it happens (only seemed to happen when she was over-tired.) She is a massively restless sleeper - often in the middle of the night she will be across the bed or ****** completely the other way. She will have in her bedroom the bed, a bedside chest, a desk with hutch and a chest of drawers with a mirror on top. She also has a WIR so storage is not that needed at present.

Q is 2 this month and still in his cot and will remain so for at least a month or two after we move into the new place. Reason being for continuity and "safeness" of somthing remaining the same. I am thinking that he will probably get the same sort of furniture set up as what H has now (although Domayne had the coolest surfboard themed bedroom suite that we loved)

I personally have a dislike of young children in a queen bed. Not sure why but I think it is because I want them to remain children for as long as possible and look forward to things. I know I had a single bed until I bought my house at 25yrs old - and then it was a double bed. DH slept in a single bed at his parents home until he built his own home at 30 and bought a queen size.

We have just bought ourselves a king size bed and it is bliss - but the kidlets also think it is bliss too. H has been sneaking into our room every night after we put her to bed to go to sleep in our bed (she tells us it is "snuggly"). Then we carry her back to her own room for the night.

King singles are definitely the way to go bel. DH says people rarely buy single beds for their kids anymore. Yes, they are longer than a double, so should cater to their growth spurts.

Thanks girls

Yep King Single is the go I think - atleast until they are a bit older and can tell me what they like

Your DD's room sounds gorgeous Kyton - I think we are getting our kids bedroom furniture from Domanye too

haywgl,
A couple of heavy high backed chairs (back against side of the bed) work wonders for me to prevent little ones from falling off the bed.
Chris

King Singles definitely. Go for double quilts however as they drape better ... plus there is less chance of them kicking the covers off overnight and ending up back in your bed freezing cold .

So says the person whose 6 yo only recently moved into her own bed .

Another vote for king singles, I have a 6yr old in them and I'm sure it'll do till she leaves the nest, I got a good quality mattress and a double quilt does the job well.

As for the 2.5 year old (having also just decided to boot her out of the marital nest last week- is currently on a mattress next to our bed on the floor till she gets used to sleeping on her own and I actually buy her a bed of her own) I will probably get her a king single, although I'm not sure it will fit so well, she has a smaller room, there is a large walk in robe though I can put her dresser drawers in so it may be ok.

I remember still having to sleep in a single throughout my teens and at nearly 6 foot I hated it. I'm broad too and always felt crammed.

I'm so glad there are other parents who have their children sleep with them. Our friends and rellies always made me feel like a freak because our daughter slept with us . She's out now tho'

yippee


Definitely go for the king single .. our daughter loves to be tucked in tight with twenty teddies cramming the space

I agree DL, I feel so much better about our situation reading about other co-sleeping families!

When people hear the 4 of us share the one bed they give me the eye like we are some weird hippy family

I love having my babies near me, but it's getting to the point where we can't all fit comfortably any more. I also think it will be good for their independence if I let go a little bit

I'm sure I will sneak into their beds for a cuddle at some stage

So if we go king single - the general rule is to go a double doona...does it hang over the side heaps? Any photos would be appreciated...

Do they make king single doonas? I know they make quilt covers but I wasn't sure if they had doonas too...