Home Beds for older kids

[Tacori E-ring]

Kind of a random question but yesterday I was talking with my MIL about my dream for T''s big girl room. I really want two twin beds. I think it will come in handy for sleep overs and just really like the look. She got confused and said kids only want/need twin beds for a limited time and middle schoolers/high schoolers sleep in double beds (or larger). Is this true? When I think back I did have a double as did my sister. Should I just abandon my vision for practically?

 

[vespergirl]

My brothers and I all slept in twin beds until we left home for college (my bros slept in ex-long twins since they are 6''4" and 6''5"). We also slept in ex-long twins freshman year of college when we lived in dorms. It wasn''t until I turned 18 sophomore year and got my first apartment that I had a full-size bed. My DH & his brother also slept in twin beds.

We just bought DS his first "big boy bed" last year, and we got him a twin. Hopefully he''ll stay in it until he leaves for college.

 

[E B]

Other than sleeping in a bunk bed (twin) for a couple of years as a kid, I remember having bigger beds- a full or a queen. I loved having the extra space, but I move around a lot when I sleep.

One solution might be a double/full-sized trundle bed. The "underbed" rolls out for sleepovers, and you can buy sets that look normal without the trundle underneath (so it can grow with her).

 

[qtiekiki]

I slept in twin bed growing up, even after college when I lived at home. But I also shared a room with my sister, so it could be a space issue.

We got a full size bed for M''s big girl bed b/c we figure there will be nights when we''ll need to sleep with her or something. That was a good thing since one of us has to lie in bed with her until she falls asleep now.

 

[cara]

I slept in a twin until college, as did my tall husband, probably with his feet sticking out by the end! And extra-long twins all through college. If you''ve got the space for it two twins sounds fine, though I don''t know that kids might the floor all that much.

 

[Kaleigh]

DD had a full bed, and a roll out matress underneath for sleepovers. (Trundle.)

DS had an extra long twin, again with a roll out matress underneath for sleep overs. (Trundle.)

Gosh it's weird saying had. Had is wrong, because they still come home for vacation, etc....

 

[E B]

Here's one from Pottery Barn Kids (comes in Double/Full) that hides the second mattress a bit better. It's what we may do when Henry gets older.

 

[IloveAsschers13]

The only reason I had a double bed was because me and my sister slept in the same bed when we were younger. Then bunk beds and then I got a full bed when I went to high school. Better for guests too.

 

[curlygirl]

My sister and I always had double beds. I don''t remember ever sleeping in a twin. I like the trundle bed idea.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Is it bad I just really like the look of two twins with a colorful nightstand in between? But I should figure out what to do before I invest in bedding. Another thought was a daybed with a trundle but that would also be a single bed. Hmmm....I guess she could always push them together as a teen and have a king

 

[zoebartlett]

I grew up with 2 twin beds in my room, and I like the look. The mattresses have been replaced over the years, but my room has always had two beds in it. It was great to have a bed for someone else to sleep in when I was in school and then brought friends home from college when I was older.

My parents have family friends and/or family visit occasionally, and my room is now used as a guest room. It's not ideal when couples stay in my room because both people have to sleep in a twin bed, but it's only temporary.

Here's another thought -- what about a day bed with a trundle under it (the trundle can pop up to be the same height as the other bed). I'm not sure if day beds come in a double, but you could do a double for T and then a single trundle underneath for friends to use when T's older. Just a thought.

ETA: It looks like EB and I had the same thought!

 

[Mrs Mitchell]

Date: 2/28/2010 5:29:32 PM
Author: E B
Other than sleeping in a bunk bed (twin) for a couple of years as a kid, I remember having bigger beds- a full or a queen. I loved having the extra space, but I move around a lot when I sleep.

One solution might be a double/full-sized trundle bed. The ''underbed'' rolls out for sleepovers, and you can buy sets that look normal without the trundle underneath (so it can grow with her).

I was going to suggest this!

I had a queen sized antique French bed in our guest room when we turned it into a nursery, and I just left it there, thinking it would be good for when A is bigger, but now I wonder if she''s be better off with something like this, for sleepovers.

I had twin beds in my room growing up and I will say that unless you change the sheets regularly and air them out every few days, if you leave it made up, the unused bed can get a little less than fresh. The cover got dusty and the bed itself smelled faintly of damp. We lived in a new house with central heating, too. Not sure why, but the spare bed always seemed icky.

 

[janinegirly]

I like the "look" of twin beds too--did you happen to see the recent PBK catalog?
However I think it mostly works for sisters and I think having that extra bed for the occasional sleepover wouldn't justify it's lack of use. And most of the time wouldn't the room feel 1/2 empty?

I think the trundle is a great compromise! When I went for sleepovers, I remember being in sleeping bags or sharing a double/queen so my own bed would've been a great perk!

And thinking back I did have a twin till about 12 at which point I got a queen and my sister inherited that pretty early on (we were over 8 yrs apart). I think most kids these days have the double or queen unless sharing a room.

 

[somethingshiny]

We just dealt with this with JT. He just got his "big boy" bed and it''s a twin. We have a crib that is convertible to a full-size but decided not to use it, in part because we''ll have another baby in it, and in part because of how much room it would take up. We opted for a twin to have more floor space NOW. Also, if this baby is a boy, we could easily use the mattress in a bunk bed.

When it comes down to it, a twin bed and frame are cheap. Even if you''re only getting a few years out of it, the extra room to play in the bedroom is worth it. I also wouldn''t want to select furniture for a teen at the age of 3.

 

[Bella_mezzo]

I like the look of two twin beds too.

I am 5''8 and had a twin until I was in high school and then a double b/c we inherited one for free from a friend.

My brothers (who are 6 ft and 6''4) slept on a set of twin bunk beds the whole way until they went to college.

In college all of us had twin beds the whole way through.

I also had a twin futon and then a twin bed for my first 4 years out of college.

Then I bought a queen sized bed.

 

[packrat]

My brother and I had twin beds until..I don''t remember-I think I was in 6th grade. Then we each had a full size. London has my full bed right now, but when JD makes her new bed, it will be a twin. The bedrooms are small (ours is the biggest, and when we go to a king size, we''ll have to get rid of the dressers and build cabinets on the wall behind the bed or we won''t be able to walk) so she''s got about 18 inches of walking space around the bed. The kids are stuck w/twins. My cousin lived in a trailer and her bedroom was tiiiiny-she had a twin, and when I''d stay, we''d take turns, one night I''d have a sleeping bag on the floor, next night I got the bed. We might get a big air mattress too-if she has a sleepover, they can camp out in the basement or living room. Kids like to do stuff like that.

 

[hihowareyou]

I might be the odd one out in this thread but what do kids need a double bed for? I slept in a single (twin) bed until I moved out of home at 22 and think that was fair. The only reason I could think for needing a larger bed would be if I had bed guests, not something my parents would particularly appreciate in their home. Unless they grow particularly tall or for some other reason a single isn''t big enough, I don''t think it is necessary.

I''m quite a small person though (from a family of smallish people) so I''m not sure if people usually physically ''grow out of'' twin beds. My partner is 6ft though and also slept in a single bed until we moved in together. The majority of my friends also slept in single beds, at least until they graduated high school or purchased a larger bed out of their own pockets.

Perhaps we do things differently in Australia or when I was a teenager.

 

[kittybean]

My little brothers and I had twin beds until we were in middle school or so. At that point, all of us got queen beds (it helped that we moved right around that time). Our twin beds were all trundles, so we could have friends and other guests sleep on those when we had sleepovers. My youngest brother had both of our old twin beds in his room for a while, but once he was about 11, he got a queen.

My parents'' thought process in getting us all queens was that 1) we wanted the space and 2) they could kick us out when people came to stay and would have a bigger bed for grandparents, aunts and uncles, etc. Now that I''m married, I stay in my old bed with DH all the time.

 

[Blenheim]

I had a twin bed until I moved out. DH had two twin beds (one for guests), and I think when he reached high school he started pushing them together so that he basically had a king. I don''t think there''s anything wrong with having kids sleep in twin beds, if that''s what you want to do.

That being said, we''re probably going to have George graduate to a full bed once he''s out of the crib/toddler bed. We already have the mattress and the frame, plus if we have overnight guests they''d be able to take the bed and he could take the couch.

 

[february2003bride]

I had a double bed (as did my brothers) growing up but I remember most of my friends having twin beds. All three of my kids have double beds as do most of my friends for their kids. I like it because I can lay down comfortably with my kids to read books, when they are sick or they want to sleep together. My DD is 13 so she needs the room that a double/full bed gives. When DD has friends over they either sleep in her bed (if its just her and her bestie) or if all three of her besties are over then they do the sleeping bags on the family room floor!

For furniture, we bought them each a set (dresser/head-footboard/bedside table) that they''ll hopefully take with them when they move out. We purposely didn''t go with younger kids furniture so that this was a (hopefully) one time purchase besides replacing their mattresses in a few years. I should add that all three kids have their own rooms. Had my two boys shared a room, we would have gone with two twin beds or a bunk bed.

 

[princesss]

At 11 I got a queen, but BF slept in a twin until senior year of college. It all depends. You could have her in a twin w/ a guest bed and then get her a larger bed in HS if you wanted. I don''t think you really need more space until you''re closer to being fully grown.

 

[MustangGal]

I had a twin until I moved out and got married at 21. So did DH. We''ll get DS a twin in a year or two, even though he has a convertable crib, since his room isn''t really big enough for a full size bed plus room to play.

I like the idea of a twin + trundle or daybed + trundle. That''s what I had as a kid, and it was great for sleepovers, but also didn''t take up floor space when not needed. At one point when we were renovating the house we had all 3 girls in one room, a set of twin bunkbeds with a trundle. Thankfully that was only for a few months!

 

[rockpaperscissors67]

My brother and I had twin beds growing up, except for the brief time that I had an antique double bed. When we moved, our bedrooms were too small for much more than a twin. I also slept with my dog every night and had plenty of room.

We have bunk beds now for the kids because we have up to 5 kids in a 3 bedroom apartment (the 3 older kids are only here part time). My 9 year old and 16 year old daughters share a room, and then my 14 year old and 3 year old sons share a room while the baby sleeps with us. The bunk beds come apart into 2 single beds so we thought they''d be a good option later on when we don''t need bunk beds or if the kids need to take a single bed with them when they move out.

We really don''t have to deal with the sleepover issue (because I have enough kids in this place without inviting more!), but we also have the full sized futon that the girls used until they got their bunk beds and we also have a queen size air mattress that others could sleep on in a pinch.

 

[hmr_mama]

If your child moves around a lot--or you''re just worried about space in general--there are "twin over full" bunkbeads too. Check out The Land of Nod.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Do whatever you like! It makes sense to have twin beds when children are little, then upgrade to a larger bed during the teen years. Best thing is to ask your child(ren) when the time comes.

 

[geckodani]

Just to add a wrench into the mix, I had a large bed growing up (queen) and wish I hadn''t! I thrash when I sleep, which I think might be in part to growing up with all that space to spaz out in. I also had a really hard time when I went to college and suddenly found myself on a twin mattress!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Thanks for all the advice and opinions! I really, really do like the idea of two twin beds so we''ll see. Option two would be a daybed with a trundle. I guess if I get 10 years out of those that''s pretty good. She has a playroom so I am not too concerned about taking up too much floor space and I REFUSE to do bunk beds. Personal choice. I already have a double bed for guests. I am glad my child won''t be forever emotionally damaged if she grows up in a twin bed

 

[geckodani]

Date: 3/1/2010 3:54:52 PM
Author: Tacori E-ring
Thanks for all the advice and opinions! I really, really do like the idea of two twin beds so we''ll see. Option two would be a daybed with a trundle. I guess if I get 10 years out of those that''s pretty good. She has a playroom so I am not too concerned about taking up too much floor space and I REFUSE to do bunk beds. Personal choice. I already have a double bed for guests. I am glad my child won''t be forever emotionally damaged if she grows up in a twin bed

LOL - Nope, and probably less likely to kick the bejeebers out of her future spouse.

 

[iluvcarats]

DD has always had a full bed and we are trading in DS''s twin for a full.
I guess it depends on the room size, and the look that you like. I had a twin bed, but I had a friend who had a little girl''s pink dream room with twin beds, and I was jealous! I slept over a lot

 

[mrssalvo]

tacori-my girls sleep in twin beds. I love it but my oldest is already plotting for a new bigger bed when we move again and she gets her own room. I will probably do full beds or possibly even queens b/c we have family come and stay all at once and one guest room isn''t enough. So, I can put extra family members in the girls rooms with the bigger beds. But, my oldest will be 9 when she gets the big bed. i had a full bed growing up for as long as I can remember. I got a canopy when I was 5.