Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Monkey Around

My little boys have turned into monkeys. All our furniture has been taken out of the living room except for our couches, and a table we stuck in the corner between the couches. Apparently this is not enough. I have tried putting the couches face to face so they have no where step up to, since the arms are up too high. Unfortunately, this leaves nowhere to sit or lean against. Today I took out the Super yard to make it into a ridiculous fence to go around the couches, but I realized that is just silly. I think I may have to find a time out spot so I can start giving them consequences instead of always telling them (or bringing them )off the couch. I am thinking it became a game for them (a fun game non the less) to climb on the couch and hurry and climb down before I could get back into the living room to remove them. Little stinkers.
Ideas are welcomed...

8 comments:

Cathy said...

I will let you know when I figure it out lol! My problem is my TV. They turn it off, change the channels, etc. Blocking it with the toy chest worked for awhile, but forget that. They know how to move everything to get to it. They know how to open the bathroom door, so we now have to find something to unlock it when we want to use it. So let me know when you figure it out!

Jennifer said...

I say if it really bothers you or makes you concerned for their safety, nip it in the bud early and consistently. I vote for time out. Ours is at the end of the hall leading to the garage, so there is nothing to do or look at, but they can hear all the fun they are missing.
Good luck!

Wendi said...

Can I start laughing now??? You've SEEN the pictures of what they do to the couch on MY blog haven't you? Oh yes...they take gymanstics once a week, and have decided the arm of the couches make great balance beams...YIKES!!!!

laraine said...

Laura - first I just want to say just how cute the photos are in your blog from yesterday. Your boys are getting so big and are so handsome!.

As for the 'climbing'. I hate to tell you it only gets worse. I've found my monkeys sitting on the dinning room table spinning the chandelier!. We do time-outs for that kind of stuff, but they still try it again. Our living room couch has been in the Dining Room for a couple of years now. I did have it in the living room (their playroom) and it was just too much with them trying to jump on, over, and off it all the time. There have truly been days when I've thought about renting a large storage unit and putting ALL our furniture it in until the boys are like 15 years old :-). So, sorry no good suggestions for you, just want you to know you're not alone!

Cathy - I don't know what kind of door knobs you have. We have the lever type handles. We used these child proof locks on the doors to keep the boys out of the bathrooms / closets
http://www.safety1st.com/product.asp?productID=614. They worked fantastic for us. The boys figured out how to work them quite some time ago, but they were not strong enough to operate them!. They have just recently been able to open them so I'll be taking them off the doors soon. Just thought I'd pass that along in case it can help you with the door opening problem. I was always afraid of my boys getting into the bathroom and turning on the water or playing with the water in the toilet.

Anonymous said...

Laura- truthfully we've always let ours get on and off the couch. Austin gets on and off when he feels like it. We don't have tile though, so I don't know how I would feel if it was a hard surface. Since it's never been off limits to him, he really could care less about the couch unless he wants to get up and sit with one of us. Could you teach them how to get up and sit properly?

Laura said...

The thing is that behind the couch is a pony wall that goes into diningroom/kitchen area. So once they "breech" that wall, we are out of containment area. I am just not ready to do that yet. I do let them on one couch, but they always want the forbidden one, lol.

Jody said...

Move the couch, is all you can do.

Or prepare to jump up and down for the next eighteen months, teaching them not to climb onto it.

Or build a fence above the pony wall? LOL.

I found it helpful at that age (who am I kidding? at THIS age) to remind myself that violins need to be tuned every day, and children have to be taught the same lesson a thousand times.

Courage! Happy Thanksgiving.

Anonymous said...

Okay, I can see why you want to keep them off of there. I'm just trying to keep mine in the six foot walls, so no more advice here!