Do You Let Your Kids Jump on Furniture?

[MrsWeasley]

We'd had a recent rash of play dates with 5-7 year olds who are apparently allowed to jump on furniture at home. Am I totally weird that I don't let my kids do that? If you let your school-aged kids jump on your furniture, how do you keep the furniture nice?

[applethyme]

Jumping on furniture is an absolute "no" in our house.  My goal is to raise children that are respectful and that includes showing respect to others belongings. 

[Arcadia]

My kids aren't allowed to even jump on the floor because we have downstairs neighbors. We do let them do somersaults on their bed.

 

For under 3, I have seen kids jump off the sofa or their bed at their home when we had playdates.

 

For over 3, the host or the parent would have chided the child.

[SKL]

Not at that age.

[MrsWeasley]

My kids aren't allowed to even jump on the floor because we have downstairs neighbors. We do let them do somersaults on their bed.

 

For under 3, I have seen kids jump off the sofa or their bed at their home when we had playdates.

 

For over 3, the host or the parent would have chided the child.

 

I have a toddler. While I'd correct my toddler if I found him jumping on furniture, I wouldn't be surprised. I was a little surprised when I asked a six-year-old to stop bouncing on my couch that his parent assured me that the child would be fine and does it at home all the time.

 

I have to say I don't love the idea of somersaults on the beds, either, though I can see that being gentler on the furniture. Luckily, I haven't seen anyone try that yet. 

[ElizabethB]

We had a 20 year old couch that we allowed jumping and fort building with. They are too big now even with the couch gone. But, small people on old couch, yes. Otherwise, no. Although, my daughter does handstand forward rolls onto the new couch and we seem to allow that because it does not look like it will do damage...

[Jean in Newcastle]

I have a toddler. While I'd correct my toddler if I found him jumping on furniture, I wouldn't be surprised. I was a little surprised when I asked a six-year-old to stop bouncing on my couch that his parent assured me that the child would be fine and does it at home all the time.

 

I have to say I don't love the idea of somersaults on the beds, either, though I can see that being gentler on the furniture. Luckily, I haven't seen anyone try that yet. 

 

Yikes!  How rude of the parents to allow their child to continue.  No, jumping on furniture was not allowed, though I do have to admit that prior to enrolling her in gymnastics, dd did often do flips off of the couch. 

[rdj2027]

No jumping or climbing allowed at our house.

[knoxinsox]

Its not allowed.  But to be honest, I don't think my kids have ever tried. We do running and jumping and yelling outside.  But we're big into fort building with chairs, couch cushions, area rugs on a rainy day. 

[Arcadia]

I was a little surprised when I asked a six-year-old to stop bouncing on my couch that his parent assured me that the child would be fine and does it at home all the time.

If the child is bouncing on their bum, your couch suffers and his parent is being rude to ignore your request.

 

If the child is jumping on your couch, your home insurance gets impacted if he lands badly and hurt his ankle.

 

My kids do things at home that they won't do as a guest or if we have guests.

Edited April 7, 2016 by Arcadia

[gardenmom5]

that's the purpose of trampolines.

[mamiof5]

Not at all. Our furniture is not their trampoline

[EndOfOrdinary]

Ds11 still thinks that gymnastic jumping, rolling, flipping about on furniture is "super awesome." He occassionally tries to get away with it, but it has always been a rather large No. Somehow I think this makes the thrill of attempting so much more desirable. Perhaps at one point I will become senile and not care. Until then, no!

[hornblower]

Yes, we did.

But I always warned them that it wasn't ok at other people's houses & that even if another child them it was ok, they would have to ask an adult. 


 

[fraidycat]

No. But we did get rid of the living room furniture (not due to kids, other reasons) and replaced with CordaRoy's bags and floor cushions for a couple years. We all had a ball taking flying leaps and wild somersaults on to those.

 

We just got a new couch again. Hopefully the furniture jumping days are over now. They needed frequent "reminders".

 

As for someone else's kid jumping on my furniture - my house, my rules. I would've firmly informed the "it's okay" Mom that "We don't jump on furniture in our house to protect the child AND the furniture, so it's not okay at my house."

Edited April 7, 2016 by fraidycat

[MistyMountain]

I do not allow it but I cannot say they never attempt it. Occasionally one will try to do gymnastics or another will climb up the back of the couch and hang off the top. The do not do it at others houses unless the kids of the house they are playing with is initiating it and telling them to join in and the parents are fine with it.

[La Condessa]

Yes, all the time. Only on certain allowed pieces of furniture, and never at someone else's house, but yes. In fact, I have intentionally hung on to our old queen-size mattress and box spring for the last three months because it gave my kids a way to burn energy indoors during the rainy months. Now that the sun has arrived, I am getting rid of it, but it has been awesome to essentially have a giant safe indoor trampoline in my family room during the cold mud time.

 

But the mother telling you that it is okay for her son to jump on your couch? No, that's crazy.

[Melissa in Australia]

No I don't allow it. Unfortunatly the twins do it every single time there is nobody in the room. That is why the couch has a big wool blanket over the seat part. Every single cushion now has a full sized rip right down the middle. :cursing:  :glare:  :cursing:

 

We daren't leave them for a second alone in anybody else's house as the cannot be trusted.

[Prairie~Phlox]

No, they were never allowed to run in the house either. Jumping on furniture or leaning on chairs just ruins the furniture sooner. We have furniture that is over 20 years old & is in good shape. Things aren't cheap.

[Carrie12345]

We got rather lazy and put up with it when our kids were little and we had cheap furniture.  Now that our kids are not exactly little and our furniture isn't quite as cheap, it's a hugely punishable offense in our house.  The transition wasn't terribly difficult.  While the 5 and 8yos may occasionally get caught trying to sit down by hurling their bodies, I consider that to be more age-appropriate physicality than disobedient *jumping.  (And correct them.)

[Guest]

Not at all. No guests may do so, either.

 

My furniture has enough problems just with ordinary wear-and-tear.

[Guest]

BTW, we are in the process of spending a couple thousand dollars to fix DS' front teeth because he broke one and damaged the adjascent ones when he was little. He fell of the couch because he was wrestling and hit his teeth on the hardwood floor.

[wendyroo]

No I don't allow it. Unfortunatly the twins do it every single time there is nobody in the room. That is why the couch has a big wool blanket over the seat part. Every single cushion now has a full sized rip right down the middle. :cursing:  :glare:  :cursing:

 

We daren't leave them for a second alone in anybody else's house as the cannot be trusted.

 

This is where we are.  It is not allowed...has never been allowed...is corrected every.single.time, and yet, all the boys jump, tumble, brawl and rough house all day every day and frustratingly they seem to prefer the furniture to any more appropriate locations such as the rock wall, trampoline, basement climber, back yard, etc.

 

Wendy

[tm919]

Sort of. We have a low sofa that when you take off the cushions, makes a perfect "balcony" for the resulting pillow forts. They jump OFF it onto the mound of pillows, but at that point it's only really one foot high.

 

I don't really put much stock in what kids tell me they do at home, though... According to the kids, all my kids' friends do nothing but eat candy & chips while playing video games and spinning around in one place all day. There might be a little truth mixed in there somewhere.

[JustEm]

Yes we allow it at our house because we don't have any nice furniture. Our couch is probably 20 years old so I don't particularly care if they destroy it, which so far they have been unable to do. They know they are not allowed to jump on other people's furniture though.

[Garga]

Yes, on the old couch in the playroom. Not on the couch in the livingroom.

 

My ds13 hasn't tumbled on the furniture in years, but the youngest will from time to time. He'll get a running start from the bathroom and fling himself onto the couch so he lands in a lying down position.

 

That couch is a built like a mack truck and doesn't seem phased by all the tumblling it's endured through the years. It's been great for them to have a place to run and fling themselves on when the weather is bad and they need to blow off some steam.

 

But as far as I know, they never leapt on other people's furniture. And it was always just that one old, sturdy couch at our home.

[eternalsummer]

In places in the house where it's not dangerous (lower couches, not near a window, etc.), sure.  We're not really attached to possessions for the most part and we don't own expensive furniture or electronics or whatever.  Beds are a little iffy because they're higher up, bouncier, and often near windows.

 

We do have these great chairs I got from my mom (and she got from a thrift store) that spin all the way around in circles and are low, completely padded, and salmon pink.  The kids *love* spinning in these chairs, and I figure that is what they're for :)

[eternalsummer]

As far as other people's houses, the kids generally know to follow the house owner's rules (unless we specifically say otherwise, like with food).  They do not spend a lot of time at houses where the furniture is fancy, though :)

[lovinmyboys]

We have our old furniture in the basement and they can jump on that. My 6yr old does still occasionally jump on the upstairs couch. Some of it is personality. I don't think any of my other 3 kids ever jumped on furniture. He is just a really physical kid. I think he does it without thinking. As far as I know he has never done it at someone else's couch.

[EMS83]

No, no, no.  When they were very little (4 and under) I let them bounce on all fours, but as they've grown, even this is not allowed because their size is no longer harmless to the joints of the furniture.  I am super duper practical with things like this.  Furniture is designed for X purpose.  When we use it for Y, it shortens its life.  When we shorten its life, we have to replace it more often, thus wasting money (which we don't have a whole lot of).  I am thinking of the frame of the piece, mainly.  a quick scan around my house would reveal that aesthetics are not something that keeps us up at night.   :lol:   

 

Also, if they think it's normal at our house, they'll likely think it's normal everywhere else, especially that preschool age; they don't distinguish between couch A and couch B (they are pretty practical at that age too!).  I think bigger kids would understand the difference pretty easily.  

 

 

ETA: Another point for practicality; they don't make it like they used to, and if you want them to, you'll pay double.  It seems like furniture made 20 years ago would stand up far longer to the same level of use/abuse than a recently-made piece of furniture.  

Edited April 7, 2016 by CES2005

[Mbelle]

I do not allow jumping on the furniture at home, but even if I did i for sure would not allow at someone else home.

 

I had someone's child eating in my living room once and I do not allow eating in the living room.  When I asked them to come to the kitchen, the mother told me she didn't mind if they eat in the living room.  I was flabbergasted.  

[BarbecueMom]

I don't know. I'm sure they have, and I'm sure I've said both "okay" and "don't do that". Maybe in the same day.

 

Right now, if they went a whole day without walking right past DH to ask me for something, I'd let them do whatever they want.

[bolt.]

Yes, I allow jumping on (certain) furniture -- the ones that aren't terribly nice anyhow. I also allow balance-beam walking along the back, and stair sledding on cushions, and all sorts of other indoor jungle gym behaviour.

 

Only 7% of Canadian children get enough daily physical activity. Partially because staying indoors often means being sedentary. I changed that.

 

(But only for my house. They'd obey rules/instructions anywhere else. Although they might let the adult know that 'at home it is allowed' as a point of interest.)

Edited April 7, 2016 by bolt.

[kirstenhill]

We allowed it for a long time because our couch was seriously cheap (I think we bought it at a rummage sale for $25), and I didn't really care if it got destroyed. The problem I didn't forsee is that when it did break, it damaged the floor underneath. Whoops! So, now we try really hard to enforce this rule, and send them to jump on our mini trampoline. But with the three boys, despite having had this rule for years now, I still repeat it many, many times every day.

[Anne in CA]

I am floored that someone told you to allow their child to jump on your couch in your own house. This is so nutty I'd avoid all future play dates with this family. Talk about no boundaries...

[Bambam]

I've never let my kids jump on our furniture or beds. The floor is for standing, walking, jumping. The couch is for sitting or napping. The bed is for sitting or sleeping.

 

I have been surprised by the young kiddos that come over and think jumping on furniture is acceptable everywhere. They don't seem to mind it when I let them know though. Moms sometimes seem outraged/offended. I figure it is good that kids learn that different houses/different rules. 

[Amy in NH]

No.

[Farrar]

When they were really little I let them jump on the beds and off the sofa. By age 5, no way. However, I still let them wrestle on and abuse the futon downstairs and they're 11.

 

We know lots of families that have a rec room type space with older furniture that's allowed to be abused. I think that's fine. But by 5 yo, I'd want kids to be able to understand that one rule doesn't apply to all furniture in all places.

[eternalsummer]

When they were itty bitty? Yes. On rainy, can't-go-outside, stuck-indoors days, I allowed them to remove the cushions and pretend they were Tigger. But by age 5-7? No way. After all, our jobs as parents is to civilize these feral creatures we call our children. However, Is never let them do that at someone else's house. How rude.

 

My sister and I used to do complicated jumping routines on our parents' bed when we were 9 and 4; I do not, today, jump on any furniture :)

[eternalsummer]

dp

 

Edited April 7, 2016 by ananemone

[sassenach]

No, and I'm pretty liberal with what I let the kids do. I mean, I did when they were babies and toddlers, but I'm pretty sure that phased out well before they were 5/6.

 

Now I don't even like them sitting down hard on the couches. "Don't flop!" Day and night.

[jrn]

When they were little, yes all the time. And I encouraged running and using the scooter. We have a nice area to do a big circle through 3 rooms.  We've even set up a slide in the living room. I grew up rollerskating in my basement.

Of course I told them not to at other houses.

[SKL]

Memories ... when I was a kid, my siblings and I would do "gymnastics" on our bed (breaking the rules of course), and occasionally some part of the wooden frame would break.  We found that a 2-lb coffee can was the perfect size to hold up whatever part was broken.  I can imagine the look on my dad's face when he dismantled the bed before we moved from that house.  "Hmm, so that's where all the empty coffee cans disappeared to."  :p

 

No, I don't allow my kids to do this.  I do have to remind them at times.

Edited April 7, 2016 by SKL

[sassenach]

I have a toddler. While I'd correct my toddler if I found him jumping on furniture, I wouldn't be surprised. I was a little surprised when I asked a six-year-old to stop bouncing on my couch that his parent assured me that the child would be fine and does it at home all the time.

 

 

How did you handle it from there?

[BlsdMama]

We'd had a recent rash of play dates with 5-7 year olds who are apparently allowed to jump on furniture at home. Am I totally weird that I don't let my kids do that? If you let your school-aged kids jump on your furniture, how do you keep the furniture nice?

 

Um... heck no?  My kids would be sitting on the floor.

[BlsdMama]

How did you handle it from there?

 

I'd be saying, "Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry.  In OUR house we have different rules.  In OUR house we don't jump on furniture."  Then add smiling, but firm, reminders as needed.

[MrsWeasley]

How did you handle it from there?

 

I told the dad that I actually worried about him hurting the furniture. It was awkward, and I worry I came off as rude.

[MrsWeasley]

No, and I'm pretty liberal with what I let the kids do. I mean, I did when they were babies and toddlers, but I'm pretty sure that phased out well before they were 5/6.

 

Now I don't even like them sitting down hard on the couches. "Don't flop!" Day and night.

 

Ha ha, I tell *my* six year old this, oh, 5,000 times a day!

[Bluegoat]

No.  OUr kids have destroyed seveal couches though, without jumping.  It doesn't feel safe in our house either - or a long time our couch was in front of a large picture window and I could just picture them going through it.  The same is true in some of the bedrooms - mine like to try and flip on the beds and I keep telling them they will put a foot or head through the window.

 

The couch we have now was a gift and cost more than our car, so I've become rather anal about it, though I don't tend to be precious about things.

[rocassie]

While I do allow my kids (they are young and on the light side) to jump on our furniture and make forts out of the cushions and such, I don't when we have guests over nor would I ever allow them to do it in other homes.  My kids picked up really quickly that we have rules for our house and we respect the rules in other homes even when they are different than ours.