Wondering if you can buy a bunk bed for your kids but you are bothered by how safe the beds will be for your kids. Bunk beds can be very dangerous for children because the height can be a bit scary for your kids to maneuver especially if they are just new to it.
On an average opinion, kids love bunk beds due to the fun of climbing up and down the stairs. Besides, there is a special feeling that they enjoy just by having a different type of bed to sleep in. You can tell how curious kids are when they see a new thing.
But as a mother, you need to be sure if bunk beds are safe for your kids. Read on to find out why bunk beds can be dangerous for kids and how to make sure they are safe for your kids to use if you decide to buy them.
1. Weight Allowance
One technical thing to find out when looking out for a bunk bed is to check for the weight capacity of the bed. For shared bunk beds, you need to pay more attention to this because the bed will hold the weight of two different individuals – much workload you know.
Checking the weight capacity will save you extra time from wanting to look out for your kids on how they climb the bed every moment.
But for non-shared bunk beds, you need to be sure it is not too weak to hold your child’s weight. When making a purchase of a bunk bed online or at stores, make sure you take beds with the weight of about 250lbs to 300lbs so you can be certain that it will still take your kid’s weight even when they gain extra pounds.
A poor low-weight bunk bed will only harm your child. This is one of the reasons why it can be dangerous for your kids to use a bunk bed. To avoid sad stories of how your child fell at night, it is better to get one that can hold enough weight.
In the case of shared bunk beds, make sure your child with the higher body pounds stays below the bed and the other kid stays up the bed. This is to give a balance to the stability of the bed and to prevent a breakdown of the bed at sudden times.
2. Set up the Bunk Beds Properly
There is hardly any household equipment that does not come with a manual of instructions on how to fix or set it up. It is a common attitude to ignore this manual because there is the feeling of being able to do it myself. Let me tell you something about making decisions according to what is in the manual you end up doing the best – which is usually more satisfactory.
Setting up bunk beds does not necessarily require quotable expertise but following the manual will help out a great deal. This is for those who did not buy from stores that offer professional assistance to fix for you. Do not worry if you try hard to get professional assistance to help you set up the bunk beds for your kids. The following will suffice;
- Read all instructions in the manual.
- Call for the assistance of your eldest kid or your partner.
- Get only the right tools to use; make sure you do not improvise.
- Set it up and confirm it is well arranged.
- Do a trial after fixing it with your kid(s) to check the balance and see if there is anything left to fix.
3. Never Allow Your Kids Below Age 6 on Bunk Beds
Another thing that makes bunk beds dangerous for kids is because some of them are incapable to use the beds. Kids in the age bracket of 3 to 5 should not be allowed to use a bunk bed. It is has been tested and proven that most victims of bunk bed accidents are children within this age bracket.
Irrespective of how big and responsible your child is, as long as they are below the age of 6 you must never get them a bunk bed. Even if they use cries to compel you, sing into their ears as “from age 6 you can use bunk beds”.
4. Never Allow Them to Play on the Bed
Kids will always be kids but then as a parent, you must play the watchman role to keep them safe from plays that will harm them. The fun in using bunk beds for kids is the ability to stay high above the floor. They go as far as jumping from the bed to the floor and all the way back again.
In fact, make it a neccessity for your kids to know the dangers of playing roughly on their beds.
5. Position the Bunk Beds Correctly
This will be properly addressed in the manual. How the bunk bed is placed is very important and dictates the safety of your kids.
The bunks must be placed a little far away from the windows. To prevent them from holding any of the blinds or damage the curtains. Similarly, never put your kid’s bunk bed right under the ceiling fan. It is very wrong. The beds should be placed in a strategic place in the room because there are also chances that noise from the door will affect your kid’s sleep process.
6. Use Guard Rails
To prevent strangulation, you have to install guard rails on both sides so the beds. The upper bunk of your kid’s bed must be guarded with a rail but it is optional for lower bunks only if it is lower than 30 inches. To avoid one of the dangers of bunk beds, anchor the bunk beds with guard rails.
Following the main purpose of a guard rail, it should be used for your kids’ bunk to prevent them from rolling off the bed. The guard rail used must be strong to the extent it will not be removed except with the use of a loosening or fastening tool. And lastly, take note of the fact that no guard rail must be less than 5 inches above the mattress.
7. Make Sleep Rules
Safety using bunk beds can also be achieved if you introduce rules that must be adhered to. Just as you have a role to play in the safety your children must also play. Therefore make a table of rules and paste it on the wall for them to read every day. The rules can include the following;
- You must not place large toys on your bed.
- Make sure you do not jump into your bed rather use the stairs made on the bunk.
- Only one person must be at the top bunk at a time.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Are bunk beds for kids cheap?
Bunk beds are affordable and you could buy one on Amazon for your kid for as low as 40 bucks.
2. What should be the height of bunk beds rails for kids?
The height of the beds must be 16cm higher than the mattress to prevent falls at any time.
3. Do bunk beds require a special mattress?
Yes. For top bunks, you need to get a firmer mattress to enable balance for your kid when sleeping. However, you should know how long the mattresses last so you can replace them when needed for both lower and upper bunk in the case of shared bunks.
Conclusion
A final thought on using bunk beds is that they are the perfect considerations for space management in your kid’s room. Kids who use bunk beds find it more relaxing compared to the opposite. Besides, there is a sense of accomplishment on the side of the parent who buys a bunk bed for his/her kid. What is more important is how safe you can make the bunk beds for your kids.
If you enjoyed this article and you are interested in training your kids in an amazing way, you should read about how you can make your children learn from your cooking.