climbing up on the couch

Ok, so my dd Lorien has found a way to get herself onto the couch. She is a maniac (in a cute way of course) and very strong and uses her entire strenth to get herself up there. At first she used to use the couch pillows as a step to get up but now she can do it without anything. At first it was amazing and she was so happy and proud that she was able to get up there. Then we thought it was funny and dh and I would play a little game where we would sweep her feet or lightly knock her down (onto the couch, of course) and she thought it was absolutely hilarious. Now Arwen wants to join in so we sit her on the couch and she basically just sits there and cracks up at her sister being a nut on the couch. I had put pillows and bean bags all around but of course Lorien managed to fall off into the one small area that had no protection. She's totally ok but now I'm wondering if I made a big mistake by allowing her to play on the couch. I don't want her to think that it is appropriate behavior to climb and play on couches as she climbed on my friends couch today. Also, I have to keep a CONSTANT eye on her now because at any given moment she will climb the couch. I don't know what to do. I'm now trying to correct the behavior and teach her that the couch is for sitting but of course she doesn't understand me and when I make her sit or take her off the couch she starts hysterically crying. Have any of you dealt with this and if so, how? I want my girls to have fun and explore but I don't want them to get hurt and I don't want to end up with a heart attack everytime they are about to fall off even with all the pillows and bean bag chairs around. Arwen is pretty good about just sitting if I make her but she is a walker and she will attempt to stand up and just start walking even if it's right off the couch :unsure: I also want to be consistent and not give them mixed messages.

 

I don't know what to say except just watch them all the time. The other day, I was even sitting on the couch and dh was in the room, too. In about 1/2 second DS had climbed up onto the couch, up on the back of the couch, and then into the windowsill behind the couch!!! I turn around & he's literally standing in the window! I pulled him down & tried to explain that that's a "no no area" & he could get owies if he fell. He just loves to climb, though.

 

We let ours climb on the couch. We watched them very closely at first and saw that they rarely fell off. Now we sort of let them fall occasionally, though we try to keep the area below the couch padded with pillows. If they do fall, it's usually in the process of trying to "dismount," so it's kind of a roll, not like if they were standing straight up and just plummeted backwards or something.

Fortunately it hasn't occurred to either of them to climb on the arms/back of the couch or onto the windowsill. I don't think either of mine are really daring climbers by nature (though we originally thought Amy would be).

 

We let our girls play on the couch, but only if we're there to catch them should they get too close to the edge. They love it! They understand that if an adult is not sitting on the couch, then they're not allowed there either. Of course, they haven't figured out how to climb up on their own yet, so that could change!

Edited to add: Do they know how to properly climb down? We always guide the girls down feet first and they've recently started doing this on their own when they're ready to play elsewhere. We still sit with them because they get a little rambunctous and could fall, but at least they know the proper way to get down.

Sorry I don't have any words of wisdom about how to get them to stop climbing up. My ped says that kids start understanding if-then statements between 12-15 months. So I'd just tell them "if you can't sit properly on the couch, then you can't sit on it at all." Be consistent and eventually they'll get the point. It's going to be a rough time until they understand and comply though.

Or you could just get a new couch that isn't so easy to climb!

 

I agree with Chickabee. Teach them how to get down, feet first and that should help a bit. I was wondering what to do too, if it should be like the bathtub with a definite no standing policy. I decided they were going to do it anyway so why not teach them how to do it right.

 

I just let Jazz get in the couch and the chairs and she has only had a few falls and no injuries

 

Let me tell you from experience. I have never minded that my kids climbed on the couch. They would sit facing the picture window and it was all cute etc. ..... fast fwd to 2 yrs. 2 mos. and they climb and walk on ANY COUCH. They can't differentiate. While I don't mind it so much on my stuff, they did it at the Drs. office and Martin about bounced himself off of it. I got there to catch him before he hit the ground. I will let them climb up and sit or stand, but have put an end to any jumping (they are big enough now that they will ruin the couch - have to stop that!).

It's a bit of a battle now, so I would make them ask or something so that you can control it in other environments..... my .02

 

Rather than trying to keep them off, I focused my efforts on teaching them to get up and down safely and that they are not to climb onto the back of the couch or the coffee table. I never bothered trying to pad anything because we have plush carpeting and the couches just aren't that high. They do well with it now and will get up and sit like Mommy does then pat the spot next to them and say, "Sit down."

I will warn you, though, we went through a phase where they would climb absolutely anything well before they were coordinated enough to do so safely. Trent ended up with a minor concussion falling off of the woodstove onto the tile floor while I was in the next room. I had to keep them at my side for a couple of months (which seemed like an eternity) until they learned what they could climb and what they couldn't. Lots and lots of consistent reminders and exhausting repetition.

 

yep, sounds like our place.

now they push the ktchen chairs together so thet they can climb on the table, just so they can get to the light switch. Nothing i can do to distract them. im just hoping they will get bored of it sometime this millenium. They have fallen from the table onto the floor a couple of times. it's horrible. such a loud BANG. i try to constantly supervise, but it's always that milli second when i have my back turned.

 

My Alana is a very ambitious climber. I keep waiting to walk into the kitchen and find her on the refrigerator! It seems like every time I walk out of the living room, when I come back in she's standing in the middle of the coffee table no matter how many times I've told her not to.

Anway, both of my girls have been able to climb onto the recliner and couches for a few months now. DH and I have been very consistent in teaching them that they have to SIT on the couch or they have to get down. It's gotten to the point now that if I get up from the couch to use the bathroom, Alexis has "stolen" my spot by the time I get back. Making them sit eases my mind about them falling as well as teaches them respect, in the same way that they know they have to sit on their bottoms when we're at the table. That's just one of my things though.

 

QUOTE(chickabee @ Jun 6 2007, 12:40 PM) [snapback]281657[/snapback]
We let our girls play on the couch, but only if we're there to catch them should they get too close to the edge. They love it! They understand that if an adult is not sitting on the couch, then they're not allowed there either. Of course, they haven't figured out how to climb up on their own yet, so that could change!

I had a feeling when I typed that yesterday I was asking for trouble, and sure enough I jinxed myself. Lizzie climbed onto a chair last night all by herself. And she's not even the adventurous one. Once Lexi sees her do it I'm doomed. Our playtime on the furniture is officially over.

 

QUOTE
Let me tell you from experience. I have never minded that my kids climbed on the couch. They would sit facing the picture window and it was all cute etc. ..... fast fwd to 2 yrs. 2 mos. and they climb and walk on ANY COUCH. They can't differentiate.


Diane, same here! Thankfully the few places we have gone and they did this was at close family members!

 

Ok, so after contemplating whether or not to allow it or not to, we decided that perhaps if we just let her do it, that the excitement of it will wear thin. I feel like by not letting her, she just wants to do it more and thinks it's a game when I take her off and she tried to get right back on even though I was firmly telling her no. I do like the idea though of trying to get it through to her that it is only a place to sit, not to walk from side to side. It's just exhausting as I feel like a broken record repeating myself over and over and over again! But as a former kindergarten teacher I'm kinda used to that Hopefully she'll eventually understand me but I know that consitency is the key. Thanks all for responding and giving me your words of wisdom on this situation.

 

QUOTE(chickabee @ Jun 7 2007, 01:19 PM) [snapback]283188[/snapback]
I had a feeling when I typed that yesterday I was asking for trouble, and sure enough I jinxed myself. Lizzie climbed onto a chair last night all by herself. And she's not even the adventurous one. Once Lexi sees her do it I'm doomed. Our playtime on the furniture is officially over.



Oh no ckickabee. Funny but not funny (kwim?). Guess we're just in the same spot now GL