HELP, can't keep the kids off the furniture

This is what I have resorted to in order to try and keep them from climbing up onto the furniture where they could fall, destroy things on coffee tables, you name it.

Anyone have any suggestions to keep them from doing this??? It's driving me nuts picking them up from the couch and back to the play area on the floor every 5 seconds.

 

All I can say is let them climb especially the sofas. We don't have any other furniture in our living room except the sofa and tv stand. I'm afraid this is the age that they are going to get into EVERYTHING no matter how many barricades you put up ! I used to not let my two climb the sofa, but with adult supervision they learned really fast not to stand or walk on it and how to climb up and down properly. It's going to take patience and consistency but they will get it and it will not longer be a big deal. Otherwise, you're going to drive yourself insane by trying to keep them down all day long. Hope this helps and good luck!

 

I agree with PP, they are going to start using those trucks and ride on's as part of their climbing. They are soon going to be smart enough to move those over to whatever they want to climb on, and use those as their boosters!

Instead, I focus on safe climbing, and then once they get on anything I tell them to sit on their bottoms consistently. So they aren't running on the couch or coffee table. They still want to test the waters and will stand on them, while looking at me to see my reaction, but they'll sit down as soon as I ask them too.

 

What I did is to teach them how to climb up and get down safely. I really couldn't stop them from getting up on the couches (they just thought it was funny when I removed them), so I showed them how to turn around and get down backwards, telling them that they needed to "get down the right way". Also, I praised them a lot for sitting nicely (not bouncing or jumping off). This really helped and we have had very few falling accidents.

Also, I've heard that some people remove the cushions from the couch and put them on the floor in front of the furniture. That way the couches are shorter so the kids don't have as far to fall, and they have padding if they do! :good:

 

Thanks guys for the tips. They don't have a problem getting down it's just that they want to at everything we thought was out of reach to them...apparently it's not, lol.

 

Yep i also agree to just let them climb. I removed everything from my coffee tables except a kleenex box, and remote controls, and those I have to continually remove from grubby little fingers Otherwise, I have big overstuffed couches, so the extra cushions on the back I removed and put them on the floor in front of the couch. It took about a month, and several tumbles, before they learned how to get off the couch themselves. Now they get up and down at will, they do still stand and run on the couches, but they'll sit down sometimes when I tell them to.

 

I did the same thing. I put pillows and blankets on the floor and removed the things I thought might be harmful and let them have at it. Eventually the fascination does wear off and as they got a little older then 12 months I began to show them that we sit on the couch, etc. It does pass!

 

I didn't really read through the other posts so sorry if this has already been mentioned! I took the couch cushions off for a awhile so it was an easier up/down for them and not such a big fall if they did slip. I also just kept practicing with them, getting up, sitting down and then getting down the right way. It's inevitable ... they will climb and they will use those toys you've got as a way to get up on the couch! GL!

 

I got a big chuckle out of your "toy barricade" :lol: We currently have a row of big rubbermaid bins in front of our entertainment center, which annoys the crap out of me considering we finally got a new, more baby-proofed entertainment center just assembled and put in place this weekend (it raised the LCD tv up higher and has no glass like our previous one). But we haven't had time to put drawer locks on it yet hence the bins. Anyway, I recall previous posts from people saying that they put couch cushions on the floor to help break falls. Well our back couch cushions don't remove, however the other week I saw some "nap mats" for preschoolers/kindergarten kids at walmart.com that were only like $13 and look like they would be the perfect size to lay in front of a couch. I've been meaning to go back and buy a couple for when our little monkeys start climbing like your boys!

 

Well I went searching through the house trying to find something, anything that they wouldn't be able to use as steps to get up on the furniture but they found a way, as usual. Sooo, the toy barricade was a no go, they still got up there. I've pretty much giving up on the idea of keeping them off the couch so now I'm just finding myself saying "no" when they go for the end tables.

Thank you everyone for your ideas and suggestions!!!

 

Best thing I ever did was empty my living room!! No more coffee tables and we put plexi glass in front of the entertainment unit so they couldn't press all the buttons but I could still use the remotes
My life is soooo much easier now and I am not having to tell them NO every 2 seconds.
All we have left in our living room is our couches and chair, toys and our now baby proof tv stand. I let them climb on the couches and when they get a little too rambunctious and fall off it slows them down for a little whil. Absolutely the best thing I could have done to make my life more stress free