Most modern families find themselves having difficulty storing things in their children's rooms. Our modern materialistic culture has led to an increasing amount of 'stuff' being bought, and you then have to find somewhere to put it. children are now gathering huge amounts of nice tings, that are quite simply getting to be too much to easily store. Modern, particularly American, homes are larger then ever before, and the families occupying them much smaller then in the past, and yet somehow we still take up too much space. At least in the past, kids had a limited selection of toys available, and so we could usually find somewhere to put them. I don't mean long ago, either. As recently as one or two generations ago there were far fewer toys for children to buy. Just think back to your own childhood. How much did you actually have, then? The solution to the problem is to figure out a way to neatly store everything. We, the adults, have a responsibility to explain to children how to tidy their rooms. We can't just say clean it up, and then leave it for them to do. So we have to figure out somewhere to put all their things.

The solution to the problem is to fund unusual, or just unused, places for storage. An excellent idea is to replace the standard twin bed, with a bunk bed or loft bed. It's not a new idea, but even something as simple as this can have a significant positive impact on overcrowding, and be used to free up a surprisingly large volume of space.

If you are at all worried about stacking your children's beds on top of each other, you just need to remember that the newer bunk and loft beds are significantly safer then their predecessors. In most countries, there are standards in place to ensure that bunk beds and loft beds are safe for children. Any beds that are sold in the united states need to pass federal regulations to ensure they are safe, or face serious fees and potentially liability legislation. If all that doesn't convince you, then I can only say that I have six children, and all of them sleep quite happily (and safely) in bunk beds. We've never had a single accident with them.

Back to the topic of storage space. Without having to switch to a bunk bed, you can find extra storage space under even a standard bed. The majority of currently popular children's beds have a good 20 cubic feet of space underneath them. That's as much space as you'll find in a large chest of drawers, or even a small closet. If you need a quick and simple storage solution, then just take some measurements of the space available to you, then go to your local Wal-Mart and buy as many plastic boxes as you'll be able to fit in there. For best convenience, try and get long boxes, that will reach from one side of the bed to the other. I would also advise you to remove the lids, as you really don't need them, and they make it much harder to access the boxes. If you have a little more time, then take a look at http://www.bunkbedsunlimited.com/ where you will find some good suggestions as to how you can best make use of this space, for example through oversized storage drawers or a trundle bed.

If you are in need of more space then is provided by the standard bed, you may want to put some thought into alternatives, such as a loft bed. A standard loft bed will easily give you enough space to fit a variety of other items, such as a dresser, a table or desk, some other piece of furniture, or just a big chest of drawers. A loft bed is a great helping a crowded room. You'll be amazed at the space you save.

Let's take a typical kids room with two twin beds, two chests and toys everywhere. With a bunk bed you can put both beds in the footprint now occupied by one twin bed and neatly tuck away 20 cubic feet of toys in storage drawers beneath the lower bunk. The toys are not out of reach. If your storage boxes have wheels, the kids can pull them out easily and they now have a place for their things.

Besides these reasons, there is something else you might want to think about. That is, what your kids want. Every child wants to sleep in bunk beds, as the thought of sleeping high (relatively) above the ground is just plain exciting. After all, every child loves to climb, and a bunk bed makes sleeping an adventure.

If you are currently thinking you might buy a bunk bed, then I urge you to consider carefully what kind you get. Don't just go out and buy the cheapest, because in something like this, quality is important. You want a strong and sturdy bed, that will last you for a while and survive all the rough play that children's furniture has to put up with. Don't just buy the most expensive one, either though, instead look for something that exactly meets your needs. If you're worried about cost, you could try getting a bunk bed kit, that will give you a good family project to work on while being cheaper then something ready assembled. Check out http://www.bunkbedsunlimited.com/. They have some excellent suggestions, with simple plans and very good prices on a variety of different designs. Including some rather unusual ones.

In conclusion, when approaching the problem of space in kids' rooms, arm yourself with the knowledge of what is available and then do some patient planning. You might need to just stand there and imagine awhile. Provide children with a place for everything and then you can reasonably expect them to put everything where it goes. Consider bunk beds, loft beds and trundle beds when you are making your plan and don't forget the space under the existing or new beds either. If you provide lots of space for all of their belongings and they still won't fit, you may need to get rid of some stuff. But that's another article.