Household with young children, which furniture is better to buy?

Question

Solid wood, heirloom quality funiture or Particle board furniture?

I'm thinking particle board because it's cheaper. My husband is talking about expensive wood funiture.

We have a 5 year old and a 9 month old. I'm afraid that if we buy the expensive stuff they will ruin it.

Thoughts? Why?

I need arguments to convince my husband to save our money and buy the wood furniture later.

My 5 year old is a girl and my 9 month old is a boy.

Answer 1

Sorry, honey, but I am with your husband on this one.

Do you have boys or girls? That can also make a difference in choosing the quality of furniture. Not to sound sexist, but girls are not so prone to playing hockey or football in the living room!

Children can be taught to respect furniture from the very beginning and behave with respect to their surroundings in the home. Accidents do happen but I grew up with 4 crazy brothers in a house full of gracious wood and nothing was hurt. I do not, however, recommend a pale plain fabric print sofa! Opt for something you can wipe down. It is up to you, but I feel certain foods have no place in the living room unless it is a special family meal. Keeps down spaghetti stains on the Aubusson.

Unless your children are slathering messy beasts, allowed to run wild, skip the particle board. That stuff is just plain ugly and not worth wasting hard earned money on. You might have to oil the wood or keep it up that is all. A bit more work is all.

My daughters were never a problem around any type of furniture. Nor were my brothers. I agree with your hubby. If I were to stay at home with my children, as I did, I would prefer to do it in surroundings that appealed to me. Something particle board never did.

What did people use before the invention of particle board? That stuff, by the way, is flimsy at best. Another point to make is that even if "distressed" wood is damaged, usually a good cabinet-maker or finisher can repair almost any problem so the piece ends up better than new.

The only room for particleboard would be the nursery which is temporary at least or some items for the kids' rooms until they are past the..."rambling crayons" stage. Children should grow up with respect for the things about them. That is where you come in, Mom. They need to mirror and learn from the adults around them.

It boils down to your own parenting style as to which is best for you. Personally, I would opt for the real deal and let your children grow up knowing what CLASS is. Real wood instills a feeling of permanence the way no particleboard can! And it is soooo pretty too! Buy wood while it is still available.

Answer 2

Oh man! Just get cheap stuff till the kids are grown. We spent 3000 on a complete living room outfit about 5 years ago and it's ruined. Well, not totally, but I refuse to get new stuff till they are gone. (Then here comes the grandkids! LOL! But at least they won't be living here! At least I hope not! LOL!) Kids do more damage than you think. You can still get new, but I'd seriously look in the paper for a bargain first. It really makes you uspset when you get all that new stuff and expect it to last and it doesn't. And they just don't make things to last anymore to keep themselves in business so you HAVE to by new every few years. But yeah, bottles, snacks, crayons crumbled, candy papers, you name it, you'll find it under your cushions later on, maybe even now with the 5 year old. Then there is the occasional "accident", weather it be pee or cherry kool-aid, it stains and smells and ruins the furniture. And wood can only take so much hitting and banging before it gets down to the wood and you have to sand to fix. Toys are a good one on that. So yeah, go for the cheap stuff now while your raising them and save the better stuff for when they are gone! Good luck in convincing him! Mom of 4 kids, 3 dogs, 2 hamsters, 60 fish and a husband. Crazy around here!

Answer 3

Buying particle board furniture now is only going to last a year or two and then you'll be buying the good stuff. So, you'll be spending more money in the long run. Good, solid wood furniture can always be refinished, particle board goes in the garbage. I have to agree with your husband on this one. You need to explain to your 5 year old that the new furniture cost you a lot of money and he's not to touch it. He is old enough to understand.

Answer 4

Well, the kids come first in the situation, you don't want furniture that is pointy or has jagged edges, that way the kids won't get hurt. Nice wood is fine, but I agree, the wood might get ruined from the wears and tears of family life. If you want to get something cheap, discuss it with your husband, tell him how you feel, why you feel the way you do. He should listen, and you both might have to make a compromise, but I see good points in both antique wood and cheap stuff.

Answer 5

Do NOT get glass top tables of any kind,they pose danger to small children..
heavy wood furniture is more durable in the long run,rounded corners on everything is safest as well..
there are types of wood that are more resistant to scratches & stains too..
definitely compare shop & hit the sales when you can..
good luck!

Answer 6

I recently bought some nice quality furniture but was worried about the coffee table getting damaged. I had a local glass shop make me a glass top for it (rounded corners of course) and it's great! Easy to wipe up all the fingerprints, crumbs, spills, etc. and no scratches to it. You can still see the table and it looks nice.

Answer 7

I would go for the quality stuff, kids can't really damage it all that much, and "distressed" wood looks good. cheap furniture isn't going to last and you'll end up spending more in the long run to relpace it. For upoholstery, go leather, it wipes clean easily, and you wont have big stains like in fabric.
If you must go cheap, go for pleather upholstery for the same reasons.

Answer 8

I have to agree with Barbara.

__Buy the real deal. (wood).
__Teach your kids respect for nice things (my parents had real expensive "stuff" growing up, and we were taught to respect it, and only play in certain rooms in the house. )
__Watch for sharp corners.
__No glass-top coffee tables-end tables for obvious reasons.
__Dark, QUALITY leather (not Rooms to Go crap) cleans easier and holds up better than cheap cloth.
__Bottom line, get what you can afford, what you like, what you'll enjoy years from now...remember, furniture is an investment, cardboard is just cardboard.

Answer 9

You may find the good answers in OKORDER.