Bunk Bed Signatures

Approximately thirteen years ago, Miriam carved her name into the frame of the bunk bed.

Miriam on the fateful bed-carving day, 2013

She got a little bit of a lecture and hasn't carved her name into any bunk beds since (that I know of). 

Miriam pointing at her carving, 2026

This bunk bed has been in our home since 2012—and it was a rather expensive housewarming gift from Grandma—so it felt like rather a big deal when Miriam carved her name into it after just one year of use! Now all of the kids have slept in it for multiple years and we're getting ready to say goodbye.

Over the years various children have taken the liberty to illicitly carve their name into the bed, first Benjamin...who who took advantage of the stair rails that so conveniently come in sets of three (almost asking for a three-letter word to be carved into them, right?)...

Zoë was next...and with a three-letter name her name, of course, ended up on those rails as well.

At some point Alexander wrote his name on the rail of the top bunk (which he took the opportunity to spruce up a bit today, scarring the wood a little deeper)...

When Rachel heard that Alexander had surreptitiously carved his name into the bed, too, she got a little bit jealous. She asked (typical first child behaviour) if she could also carve her name into the bed when she visited at Christmas...but we forgot to have her do it. So tonight was the night! 

Rachel finally carved her name into the bed:

And then, of course, we had to let Phoebe carve her name into the bed, which she gleefully did.

She wanted to write her whole name in the bed (but we stopped her after Phoebe H.)

We did discuss with her that this was a "special occasion" carving opportunity and that we don't ordinarily carve our name into furniture. 

But isn't it wild how much parenting techniques change over the course of raising children? 

Sorry, wee Miriam, for getting after you so about carving your name into the bed. 

I think everyone else just got an eye roll...and yet they all have learned not to carve their name into furniture.

(Except, perhaps, for Phoebe, who may have learned the opposite lesson...but we've been doing a lot of unconventional things with furniture here lately, like throwing couches off decks and smashing organs to smithereens...so Phoebe will just have to file this away in the "exception to the rule" part of her brain).