bunk beds

we just bought bunk beds for the boys ...

how in the hell am I supposed to make the top bed??

also - they can reach the fan from the top bunk. we've had many, many discussions about 'not touching the fan', and Quinn lost dessert last night b/c he STILL decided to reach the fan. But I still see disaster in our future.

any advice from previous bunk bed parents?

[Sheherezade]

I went to just a comforter and sheet on the top bunk. Then, you can just fluff out the comforter daily. It's only a pain when you need to change the sheet. (unavoidable!) You can even teach the kids to fluff a comforter with relative ease.

As for safety.....be careful about the fan. We had one fall from the top bunk and it took your breath away. Luckily, the kid (not mine) landed on a bean bag chair below on her back. It happened when she was reaching out for something. I'd stress the importance and make sure that rule is followed. We always had a "no playing" on the top bunk rule. Just sleeping.

[mommax3]

Same as what Angie said.....no playing on the top. And my hot-natured little guys get a bottom sheet and a comforter (winter) or light blanket (summer). I tend to ask DH to actually MAKE the bed when the bottom sheet has to be changed.....this got started when I was pregnant and physically could not do it, and now......well, I guess he is in the habit.

I hear you about the fan......whatever equals BIG BIG trouble in your house should be the punishment for the fan. A graphic description of an accidental amputation might do the trick.

Sally

am i particularly short or are these particularly high? i can't even shake out a blanket over the top bunk! I'm about 5'6" ... maybe we bought one w/extra high rails.

Thanks for the advice. The fan issue never occurred to either of us until we placed bunk 2 on top of bunk 1 ... and saw the result. Knowing my guys ... it might be a good idea to explain amputation. I'm no longer running the fan at night either. Jacob moves around too much, and even though his head starts at one end, it will just as likely end up at the other, and I'd hate to have him sit up to it.

I might just have to take it down.

[DCJenn]

Too bad you don't have a trip to DC scheduled soon with the boys because Walter Reed has a museum of all sorts of nasty things, one of which is a leg that was amputated by a cannon ball during the civil war.

My fear is that Nikolai would act like it was a personal challenge. I can just imagine him leaning out catching on fan blade and pulling the whole thing down on top of himself while amputating some body part.

I may have to vote with removing the fan until they move out!

Jenn

[KCwife]

Since I have tame girls, I never had to worry about this. However, we had one of those canopy things on the top bunk....maybe a boy canopy would discourage this????

As for the sheets...I always had to climb up there to make the bed.

[DrWahoo]

I think taking the fan down is a great idea, if you can't really trust them to do the right thing.

Could you unplug or disconnect the fan part?

I never thought about having to make the top bunk. Good point!

[Meenah]

I agree with taking dwn the fan. When I was little we were playing on the top bunk and I fell off and broke my collar bone!!!

[mommax3]

I have to climb up to the top bunk and I am 5'7. When I have to do it, I am sweating like a pig by the time I am done. Luckily, in our current set-up, no one regularly sleeps in the top bunk, but when two of our boys shared, they did, and changing the sheets got done less often because of the headache involved!

Sally

We USED to have bunk beds until our boys decided that a fun activity would be to pile up pillows on the floor and nose dive into them...yes, I said NOSE dive from the top bunk....only time I ever spanked our youngest on the bottom after catching him 3 times in a row!!!

My advice, TAKE THE FAN DOWN and "sleepovers" on the top bunk will only end poorly............... maybe just chop 'em apart and have side by side beds....

[KCwife]

Have you decided what you are going to do yet, Jenn?

[SueC]

We're going to have a new rule about not playing on the top bunk when kids come over--surprisingly it was Sydney's idea. I think I'd take the fan down as well. We should probably do the same. Our fan isn't over the bed, but they have tried messing with it from up there even though they know they aren't supposed to. As for the sheets--perhaps Maya could come over and take care of it for you?

[PrincessFiona]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... +fan&hl=en

My vote is to get rid of the fan....Seriously, young kids (especially boys, it seems in my experience!) just can't help being tempted desptie warnings, etc. I think I'd just install a regular light in the room so I wouldn't have to worry anymore.

We have the same issue with bunkbed height, btw....I don't bother with a fitted sheet anymore. I lay a regular sheet on top and smooth it out/wash it....

kris

[KCwife]

Is it bad that I kinda laughed at that video?