PSA: Bunk Bed Bandit

PSA:

There’s a reason DCFS doesn’t allow children younger than 6 on the top bunk.

Maybe we need to raise that age in our household AND make it gender specific...

😳

In all seriousness though, my child could have easily died from this.

We recently moved #pussinboots out of a toddler bed and onto the bottom bunk moving #jtheman to the top. We removed the risers we were using to allow the trundlebed and matters to fit under the entire bunk to make the bed lower and feel safer for them.

The second morning of him being up there, J decided to “go down the other side” to get out of bed being silly.

Matt was leaving for work. #izzieru was in the front yard saying good bye. Some kids were still sleeping and others were playing. I was still in my room.

Izzie and I heard J screaming in his room and she told matt she hear him.

This is a classic boy-who-cries-wolf. Sadly, J over-reacts to things so often that none. None of us rushed to his aid.

Matt went to work. I went about getting ready for a shower. Iz slowly wondered into J’s room.

It wasn’t until the screaming continued and I heard him kicking the wall that I wondered in there.

*keep in mind, these pictures are not from when I found him*

I walked in to see him stuck, similar to this but caught closer to his throat with his chest pinned against the wall between that and the bed. Iz was in the top bunk grabbing one of his arms and yanking upward while the 4 year olds watched in territory.

I ran over to try to calm him down so we could give him out faster. I pushed upward on his legs while Iz pulled but he didn’t move.

I ran to the other end of the bed, shooed preschoolers out of the way, and jerked the bed trying to pull it away from the wall to release him. It didn’t move. The legs of the bed had dug into the carpet.

J was still screeching and starting to turn colors.

-Pause-

We’ve had soooo many discussions about proper reactions in different situations. This would definitely be a time where panicking would seem appropriate but he was about to pass out and we’ve got to learn some better responses in order to...well, not die.

So I did what every reasonable Mamma who may or may not be panicking would do—>I swatted his dangling bottom and told him to pull himself together. Then I heaved the leg of the bed located next to him in the air and shoved the bed away from the wall until there was enough from for him to drop out, all while the 8yo was on the top bunk and the preschoolers were on the bottom bunk, for a closer look at their suffocating brother.

For. Real.

Hugs. Lectures. Running away. Fixing the trundle and bunk so it was as close to the wall with no more wiggle room. {budumpbump} And texts to #mymatticus ensued before I made him come back and get stuck again.

That’s right. This Mamma ain’t loosing a kid to like bunkbed dismounts!

I made everyone come into the bedroom. Explained this was dangerous and they needed to know how not to die. I promised J we could get him out f needed but we were gonna practice some calm ways to get himself out.

I had J climb back down the bed the same way. Without! panicking, screaming, kicking, etc he had to get out 2 different ways. Neither way was perfect but he did learn it was possible AND he could get help a lot faster if asking for specific help calmly.