It's no secret that parenting requires a lot of hard work, patience, and creativity — especially when it comes to bedtime.
Imgur user "hwbob" and his wife know these parenting challenges very well — however, their parenting experience is a little unique, in that they are foster parents.
In five years, the couple has cared for 16 children, most of them under 5 years old and with various special needs. They only raise one child at a time so that they can focus all their energy on them.
Their most recent foster child was 3 years old when he came to live with them. The boy was severely underweight and plagued with serious anxiety issues.
So "hwbob" decided he would create something to make his foster son feel a little safer at night. Instead of building something from scratch, he decided it was easier to make over an existing bed, just the way another crafter turned an old sleigh into a lounge.
The bed is not only adorable, but it will help a troubled child sleep soundly at night — and that's a pretty great reason to DIY.
This was the room before, where their previous foster children stayed. Because of their new child's special needs, though, they decided the room needed a makeover.
They started with this Kura bed from IKEA. It's a loft bed, so the underneath area can be used for play or storage.
But this wasn't just going to be a plain old bed. They bought some extra wood — and had to finagle it a bit for transport.
A house shape was cut from the wood and attached to the bed frame with screws and liquid nails.
The door was equipped with handles to make it easier for the 3-year-old to climb up by himself.
These thin strips of wood, called palings, were added to give it an authentic treehouse look.
Finally, a partial 'roof' was added. This would help hwbob's foster son feel safe in bed, and also helped block out the light during daytime naps. And it's been a big hit! 'He wasn't really interested in story time or cuddles,' hwbob says. 'He just wanted
Hwbob and his wife spend a lot of time and energy helping children, often from troubled backgrounds, get some stability and hopefully move on to better places in life.
Giving these children a safe environment to live and sleep is an incredible feat — be sure to SHARE this story and celebrate this loving family!
