Choose the Bed That’s Perfect for Your Little One

According to Product Safety Australia of the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission, there are around 3850 children under 15 years old who are treated every year for bunk bed related injuries by hospital emergency departments or general practitioners.A bunk bed is unsafe for children, regardless of age, if it does not comply with the mandatory standard. It’s important that kids’ beds are not only comfortable but safe as well. Not all bed types are suited for all ages. Babies have Moses baskets or cradles; toddlers have cribs; kids have cot bedding; and older children have bunk beds. Whichever type you choose for your little ones, remember to consider the basic standards to avoid dealing with unlikely scenarios,like infant deaths. Types of Bed for Babies and Children Below is a list of the types of bed for the different stages in your child’s young life: - Babies’ bedsrn - Bassinetrn - Best for babies less than one year oldrn - Cradlern - Same as the bassinet but usually heavier and rocks back and forthrn - Moses basketsrn - Portable bassinets with handlesrn - Best for newborns until they are big enough for a bassinetrn - Co-sleeperrn - Great for nursing mothersbecause of the crib’s removable side that allows it to be pushed against the parent’s bed for night-time feedingrn - Can be converted into a playpen when the baby gets olderrn - Can serve as a changing tablern - Portable cribrn - Can serve as a playpenrn - Back-up baby bed when travellingrn - Easy to set up and disassemblern - Mini-cribrn - Ideal in a small nursery or in a corner of the parents’ roomrn - Looks like a regular cribrn - Can be adjusted as needed as the baby growsrn - Cribrn - Can be used for newborns until they are ready for the toddler bedsrn - Can be converted to become toddler bedsrn - Types of cribs: - Standard – with either a single drop side or double drop sidesrn - Convertible –converts from a standard crib to a toddler bed and then to a full-sized bedrn - Canopy –has four posts on the corners of the bed where you can place fabric canopiesrn - Round –has a single drop side and becoming a more popular option - Children’s bedsrn - Bunk bedrn - Space-savingrn - Two beds that take the space of onern - Twin-sized and stacked one directly above the otherrn - Has built-in or detachable ladder for climbing the top bunkrn - Trundle bedrn - Space-savingrn - Looks like a single bedrn - Has an underneath platform with a slightly smaller thin mattress that can be pulled outrn - Loft or high sleeper bedrn - Has a bed raised high off the groundrn - Has enough space below the bed for a desk, bookshelves, futon chair, or a combination of all these elementsrn - Captains bedrn - Also known as storage bedrn - Has drawers or shelves underneath for storage spacern - Day bedrn - Can serve as seating area during the day and sleeping areas at nightrn - Can be used for sitting or loungingrn - Themed or shaped bedrn - Decorative styles: princesses, sports, etc. The list above will help you make an informed decision when you buy a bed for your child.