Providing your infant with the perfect environment for personal development and growth can be intimidating when everyone throws their own opinions at you. It may seem that everyone, a parent or not, is more professional than you in this field, with plans and advice that could go on for days.
One of the things you may have heard about, which can seem a bit off-putting for a baby at first, is the idea of a floor bed. Naturally, no one wants their child to be sleeping on the floor, so why would a floor bed even be a possibility to consider?
If you’re here to figure that out, then you have come to the right place, as we’ll be discussing exactly why a floor bed could be a great idea for your child.
What is a Floor Bed?
The name is actually quite self-explanatory. A floor bed is a bed that’s placed directly on the floor. There can be a frame, or there can be no frame at all, and there will never be feet underneath the frame since that defeats the purpose of the floor bed.
Why is it Called a Montessori Floor Bed?
Now, during your research around the topic of a floor bed, you may have stumbled across the term “Montessori Floor Bed” and may be wondering why it’s called this. The answer lies in the Montessori educational principles.
Maria Montessori, an Italian physician, was the one to establish the principles in the early 1900s. There are five principles in total.
- Respect for the Child
- An Absorbent Mind
- Sensitive Periods
- The Prepared Environment
- Auto-education
Though these principles were developed to create an ideal learning environment at school, many parents took these lessons home and built the concept of ‘Montessori at home’, applying these principles to their parenting strategies as well.
The principle which directly corresponds with the Montessori floor bed is the fourth one, ‘The Prepared Environment.’ This bed becomes a part of the child’s first learning environment and comes with its own benefits to your child’s mentality, motor skills, and learning experience.
Benefits of the Montessori Floor Bed for Infants and Children
There are quite a handful of benefits that come from allowing your child to sleep on a floor bed, which will all be discussed in depth.
• Motor Skills and Body Awareness
Children make small, disoriented movements in order to figure out what their bodies can properly do. When sleeping on a floor bed, your child might toss and turn, resulting in them nearing the edge of the bed. Once they detect the end of the bed, their mind will establish the reaction to move away from the edge and gain an understanding of how much space their body takes up.
Your child subconsciously becomes more aware of their surroundings and is more careful in their space. A floor bed also does not confine the child when they are sleeping. They have access and sight over the entirety of their room. Giving them this privilege can make them more comfortable in their own space and unify their bed with the rest of the room.
• Independence, Confidence, and Sense of Self
There is greater independence when sleeping on a floor bed since they can choose when to sleep and when to get out of bed themselves. They can also bring whatever blankets or toys to their bed because it’s easier to climb into and they don’t need their parents’ help.
Being able to wake up when you wish can build a child’s confidence. Being able to get out of bed in the morning is an accomplishment for adults, so imagine how impactful it is for a child to be able to do this on their own. They feel they have greater control at the start of every day, which can lead to a good day, every day.
• Easily Accessible to Both Parents and Children
This is the best part about the floor bed. The bed is not restricting at all. If your child wants you to be in their space, they can invite you to their bed. You don’t have to pick them up or reach out to them. It’s easier for the both of you to be close to one another.
When Should You Consider a Floor Bed?
Floor beds are definitely not for newborns since any sort of fall can hurt them. The right time to start considering a floor bed is when they’re 2-3 years old. This is usually when they begin to try climbing out of their crib, and when it’s safe to start placing them on their own bed.
Floor beds are also better midway points between the crib and their own framed bed. They can approach the floor bed when they are comfortable enough to, and it helps them prepare for the elevation of their own framed bed.
Floor Bed Safety
To make your room and bed safe for your child, follow the given procedure to make your child’s floor bed as safe as possible.
You want to make sure there is open space all around the bed. This ensures your child doesn’t get stuck near anything if they roll off. Keep it away from furniture and walls. The best place to keep the bed is the center of the room.
Make sure your furniture is all pushed by the walls, so there is no chance of them falling over or children hitting them while they sleep. Cover up electrical outlets to prevent curious fingers from poking near them.
Remove small items, toys, and other choking hazards from the room that your child might find interesting.
To go even further out of the room, keep baby locks on the doors, gates neat the stairs, and babyproof your corners.
You may be interested in: Safely Co-Sleep with Your Baby
The Verdict
Now you can hopefully see why many people consider a floor bed for their children. It helps them develop independence and confidence while also learning about special awareness.
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