Climbing On Furniture

[nannyde]

How old is the child who climbs? I used to expect the children to follow the rule that we climb outside or on a climber, and not on furniture. Does the child have opportunities to climb on equipment meant for climbing? Does the child climb on furniture at home? Children need to develop large motor skills and some love to climb. Try to remove the filters that you use to determine why climbing on furniture is not appropriate. What is the reason that you don't want the child to climb on furniture? Safety, manners, your belief, whatever the reason, think about it from the child's perspective. Perhaps you might put a small climber in the area near the furniture that is climbed on. This way, the child's needs are met, climbing is a good thing, and you redirect the child to the climber, problem solved.

I can explain it to you very easily.

All it takes is ONE injury.. one elbow, neck, head, or clavicle injury... one hit to the spleen ... just ONE............. and everything you have worked for your whole life goes POOF.

One medical thing that happens that costs thousands of dollar for treatment, surgery, physical therapy, ER visits... just ONE and you are done.

Sure you can get some medical or injury insurance but you get that ONCE. Once you have a claim that is thousands upon thousands of dollars you put your business and your HOME mortgage and ability to GET insured at very high risk.

They are safer on the ground. They need to learn to climb with the ones who have the insurance that will just cover the medical costs without affecting their home and their livlihood. That would be with the parents or the public.

They need to climb with the ones who when they go off to the emergency room that the adults who manage the kids believe "kids will be kids" and "it was just an accident". There's a REASON why they ask you WHERE the fall happened when you present your injured kid at the ER. It's for money and for accountability. With the parents it's understood kids will fall and be hurt. There's NO understanding of that for child care. Zero.... none .... ziltch.

Iowa says "careful supervision at all times". That means if I allow them to climb I must have an adult CAREFULLY supervising that kid every second they are doing it. That means I have to have an adult SPOTTING that child so he doesn't fall and get hurt.

What you are saying is just words and it sounds really fun and kid centric. It's not based on money, livlihood, insurance, or accountability. It's just fun words that are frosted with developementally appropriate.

It's easy to SAY that and THINK it's best for the babies...... but you aren't paying for it when it happens at my house. I am and I say no climbing. A kids need to learn to climb isn't as important as my ability to feed my kid and keep a roof over our head. It's not more important than my being able to keep my insurance, my registration, and my nurse's licensce.

Give me carte blanche to allow them to get hurt and not hold me accountable because kids will be kids and it's best for the babies and I'll have them acting like monkeys all day every day. Tell me I have to pay if they get hurt on my property and now my needs are more important than a developmental skill that can be learned on someone else's watch for free.

[hoopinglady]

How old is the child who climbs? I used to expect the children to follow the rule that we climb outside or on a climber, and not on furniture. Does the child have opportunities to climb on equipment meant for climbing? Does the child climb on furniture at home? Children need to develop large motor skills and some love to climb. Try to remove the filters that you use to determine why climbing on furniture is not appropriate. What is the reason that you don't want the child to climb on furniture? Safety, manners, your belief, whatever the reason, think about it from the child's perspective. Perhaps you might put a small climber in the area near the furniture that is climbed on. This way, the child's needs are met, climbing is a good thing, and you redirect the child to the climber, problem solved.

Thank you. This is it exactly, particularly with the toddlers, it's perfect for climbing...and especially in the coming winter, it will be a good thing to have things to climb on when we're all cooped up.

I am honestly not worried about my current furniture AT ALL. I'm also not worried about replacing it.

I guess I would worry about the parents not liking it should they actually care about their own furniture, .

Hmm, climbers are expensive. Maybe I could scrub the outside one really well and bring it in for the winter?? That might be fun...or find something on craigslist.

I thought about a bunk bed, sort of like a loft but my brother and son thought that was TERRIBLE idea. I don't think it'd be too bad if I chose the right type of bed.

Have you priced the climber type wooden bed? crazy expensive but sooo cool!

[kendallina]

We use my livingroom for the preschool for part of the morning and I allow children to get up on my couch/recliner and sit there. If they stand on it/jump on it/bounce on it, they lose their right to being on the couch for the day. I don't think it's appropriate to allow these kinds of activities on my home furniture that is used for sitting.

My own DD, who is only 24 lbs and almost 3 years old is allowed to climb on the arms and such (but not jump or bounce) when preschool kiddos are not here. And she knows how to behave on a couch when we go to someone else's house, she wouldn't climb on the arms or back or anything.

We do have an adult sized chair that I allow the 'helper of the day' to stand on to feed our fish (named Duck...). It's the only time that children are allowed to climb and I'm standing right there.

Not allowing children on the furniture at all seems cold and wouldn't work for me.

[cheerfuldom]

My daycare area is completely separate from our living space. We do have table and chairs plus a glider for me but there is no climbing on any of those items (besides sitting correctly in the chair of course). I cannot think of a single reason to allow a daycare child to climb. Our outdoor toys that do allow for some climbing are still very close to the ground. I do not want anyone getting hurt here, period. If a child "needs" to climb, they can do that with mom and dad at the park. We are upstairs a bit and I do not allow any daycare kids on my couch or any other furniture besides seated correctly at the kitchen table.