Bunk Bed Childproofing... About This Page:

[Principessa_di_Fata]

Ok technically this isn't for a Disney resort, but since WL has bunk beds, it is kind of relevant...

We're renting a condo that has a bunk bed built into the wall (see photo below) and I wanted to use the bottom bunk (with a bedrail) as a bed for DD2. However I KNOW she will climb that ladder to the top bunk and subsequently fall off! She's a climber, and can't help herself.

Does anyone have suggestions for how to child-proof a bunk bed so that a kid can't climb up it? I considered taking an entire roll of saran wrap and wrapping it tightly around the entire ladder, so she couldn't get a foothold and climb it... but the idea of saran wrap... she'd probably find a way to suffocate herself with it. I guess I could do the saran wrap and then follow over it with packing tape, so she couldn't get the wrap OFF to suffocate herself.

But if someone with bunk bed experience has suggestions, I'm all ears - and I'm sure it would be useful for anyone using the bunk bed rooms at WL with small climbers!!

Thanks!

A picture of the bunk bed in our condo:

[B.M.]

I have bunkbeds at home that my two year old sometimes tries to climb. He can climb my DD bunkbed because the ladder is at an angle (and I can detach it and put it in her closet so he cant) but my boys bunkbeds are like the ones you have pictured. Because they are straight up, he can't climb past about the first step. So hopfully yours will have the same problem. Then again, my D could have easily climbed them at age two. Maybe you could just close that door off, except for when she's sleeping. Hopefully someone will come along with something thats been tried and worked.

[revral]

The only thing I can think of is if there's another room you can put your dd in and just not use the bunkbed room. You could even bring one of those childproofing doorknob covers with to put over the doorknob and then keep the door shut. Maybe call and talk to the person or company you're renting from and see if they have any suggestions.

[Principessa_di_Fata]

Unfortunately there's no other room to put her in, and no door to the bunk area - it opens up to the kitchen area so we'll be putting a baby gate in the doorway to avoid any midnight trips to the fridge. I might just do the saran wrap and packing tape thing. It's not like she'll be particularly unsupervised any time but when she's sleeping, and she will be too busy with other things to bother trying to peel it off, lol.

Thanks so much for the thoughts, though! Boy, it's tough to child-proof a bunk bed ladder. I never really thought about it before!

[tkm1005]

Any chance you could just tell her no, create an incentive...if you don't climb the ladder we will do...xyz or if you climb the ladder you can't have...fill in the blank. The saran wrap, taping thing sounds like a lot of work and will be difficult to get off. Do you know if there is anyway to remove the ladder? Maybe they would help you remove it? We have a ladder like the attached on our 5 year olds bunk beds and our other DD3 didn't have anything to do with it. We told her she was too little and she really didn't question it.

[Principessa_di_Fata]

Right now she's a real stinker. She's 2 1/2 and fiercely independent. She's also a climber. She regularly climbs her bookcase (thank heavens for brackets and wall studs, lol) and she's gotten punished for it. But it doesn't deter her. I really don't know what to do to get through to her. *grumble* LOL! I figure with the saran wrap / taping thing, I'll just cut it off with scissors at the end of the vacation. It will take me about 15 minutes to set up, and then 5 minutes to cut off at the end. Annoying, but it could be worse, and it's worth it for peace of mind.

Sometimes I swear she's a little boy trapped in a little girl's body.

[mom2twingirlies]

My 2 girls are now 3 1/2 and are both climbers. I have been looking at the picture to see if I can think of anything to help, but I haven't yet. If I do, I will post here.

Is there anyway to detach the ladder?

As for bed times, could you put her to bed somewhere else and move her after she is asleep, then you don't have to worry until she wakes up again.

[Jolin]

the pic looks likwe you can't saran wrap it easily, I do suggest that you place a baby gate upright that's saran wrapped if your DD is clever enough to use the holes to climb, with the plastic ties ( like those that the cops use to handcuff people) that can be cut off in seconds , or call the company that owns the condo to come and remove the ladder temporarily for your stay

I got a sister who has 5! kids, and I know this is what she would say! she even owns a kids resale botique!

[njsmama]

My boys had a bunk bed designed similar to that one. The ladder on theirs was attatched to the security rail, and if you took the ladder down, the rail had to come off as well.
The saran wrap idea sounds as good as any thing I can think of, except, she maybe able to push it in enough with her feet that she can still climb up.
You could try cutting a cardboard box the width of the steps (so that if fits flush), and cut it as long as need be, then saran wrap it into place and secure with tape, that way the tape won't pull off the paint.
Good Luck, I have one of those little boys trapped in a little girls body, so I feel your pain, lol!

[B.M.]

The concern with the saran wrap and duct tape is that the tape could very well pull the paint of the ladder when you remove it and you could be held liable.

[MickeyLover704]

Last August, we stayed at WL & had the same problem with our youngest (18 months at the time). We had a box we had shipped our stuff down in, we opened it the length of the ladder & taped it on. The box was kind of tucked around the top & sides so the tape (packing tape) was actually on the box itself, not on the bed, so there wasn't any damage. Hope that helps some, Good Luck. I am actually hoping that we don't get a room with bunk beds this time cause now, at 2 1/2, he is still a climber. We have a 5' fence around our yard & he climbs to the top of it! I sympathize with anyone who has a climber!

[Tigger71]

Don't make an issue of it and she may not be interested!
My youngest DS has been sleeping on the bottom of bunks in his own room (no one on top bunk) since he was 14mths old. We never bothered with a rail or worried about the ladder. Yes he does climb up there (he's almost 3yrs) but he tells us it's 'scary over there' when he looks over the side. Yes we have been very fortunate not to have had an issue but he has 'grown up' with the ladder there and hasn't been too concerned about exploring...otherwise he is a major handful!
My advice is to put the top bunk mattress on the ground and let her go for it. If she climbs and falls....the mattress will cushion her , if she doesn't explore - rejoice!
Good luck!

[HiddenMickey]

Originally Posted by Tigger71

My advice is to put the top bunk mattress on the ground and let her go for it. If she climbs and falls....the mattress will cushion her , if she doesn't explore - rejoice!
Good luck!

I agree with this. Hopefully, she;ll be so tired at the end of the day, you'll never have to worry about her climbing.

The thought of saran wrap in a child's room is just too scary for me. I would stay away from that idea.

[Principessa_di_Fata]

Good call about the cardboard box! That's what we'll do. She won't have any interest in it then. Then I don't have to deal with saran wrap, and I don't have to worry about her knocking herself out.

Thanks, all!!

[eff051102]

You could also attach the cardboard with zip ties through holes in the cardboard.
Then cut them off when you leave.