Esp for a child who may be running/jumping/being a child, I would want to mount the headboard to the wall rather than just lean it. That's what they do in hotel rooms. I've seen it done successfully with a french cleat.

Mine leans against the wall and doesn't move, it's pinned against the wall by the mattress and base and it doesn't budge.

If the bed itself is on a standard metal frame, you should be able to use screws to fasten the headboard to the frame.

ML

Thanks so much, everyone!! As for attaching to the wall, my palms are breaking out in a sweat at the mere thought of such permanence. The (usually seasonal) urges to rearrange have even kept me from re- hanging the guest room's wall lamps after the room was painted, though i love them there.
Trance, that's exactly what the seller said. Swore hers never budged.
Maddielee, your reply is what i thought, but I've never had separate bed pieces to attach, so wasn't 100% certain. It felt like a lame question....thanks again for reassuring me.

I have a headboard leaning against the wall in my guest room. I jammed it against the wall using the mattress and box springs. I also put felt pads (the sort you put on chair legs to keep them from scratching the floor) on the backside of the headboard so that if it banged the wall, it wouldn't be noisy. It has been that way for a couple of years and so far there have been no problems.

I also have a headboard that is held in place by just the mattress and box springs. I would try that first before you put holes in the wall.

I have never had any of my headboards attached to the frame. Just like bbstx, they are jammed against the wall with the mattress and box springs. In addition, like bbstx, I have felt pads on the back of my headboard so it doesn't make noise should it touch the wall.

Helene

You all are so danged nice!! Learning from those of you who've done it successfully is jusy what i hoped to hear. Thanks so much to everyone!

So what happens when one goes to make the bed...you are fighting getting the headboard back in place every time??? Sorry a leaning jammed in headboard sounds like a great solution for a stage prop but for everyday living..I am not seeing it's longevity.

It's funny, as i was about to reply to the original poster, I saw I answered this 9 years ago. To respond to arcy_gw, the bed frame holds the headboard against the wall, the matress sits in front of the headboard just enough to get my hands in to change the sheets, so no headboard movement. On those increasingly rare occasions i pull everything out to vacuum, I move the headboard and then move it back. I have never attached a headboard to the bed frame.