ok so i am torn with this one, but jumping on furniture...

[brokeoven]

My dad says that i am an "exception to the rule" because i allow my son to take the cusions off the sofa to put on the carpet to avoid the crocodiles that we have in the swamp that is my living room, These are used as stepping stones.

Other kids were round at the time and they were having great fun.

i didnt see the problem.

DS is absolutely NOT allowed to do this in other peoples homes, and actually has never even attempted to do this, He knows the rules.

But the parents of the other kids were quite clearly disgusted at me allowing this.

So was i doing something wrong, Imaginary play is important and they put the cusions back when the other parents demanded that they stop.

I felt awkward and embarrased and uncomfortable, like i had allowed these kids to take a shit in the middle of my living room!

aibu?

Crikey - You should see what my DD gets up to with our furniture. YANBU IMO.

It's your house, set your own standards. Personally, I like my living room and contents to be kept nicely clean and tidy because that's my 'grown-up' room where I relax. Everyone's different.

My DS builds things with the sofa cushions. He loves it.

And it is SHARKS that you try to avoid. Or poison water.

We did the same when we were little!

YANBU that just sounds like wonderful play

Ours used to have to row the dining table across the shark infested waters of the dining room when they were little.

Tidy is nowhere near as important as fun

Your house, your rules. I'm sure the parents were just concerned that their child would be the one to rip one of them

YANBU, however you say your ds is not allowed to do this in other peoples houses...these children were in someone elses house so from the parents POV (assuming they have the same rules as you) it would still be a no-no. So I can see both sides here, sorry!

i have a strictly no climbing on sofa's rule in my house. and don't let them do it in other peoples houses either.

Tidy is nowhere near as important as fun

I'm stealing that as my new motto!

OP - sounds like a great game! playing a game you are allowed to play is very different from trashing someones home/furniture

hm, tbh when kids come to our house they have great fun, they run riot and have great fun.

My living room is a family room, it is tidy and clean (im a clean freak) but its lived in and not precious in any shape or form.

My son knows to RESPECT other peoples homes, that is not to say that he is disrespectful in our house he is not, he does this with my permission.

Oh and SHARKS are a problem, but crocodiles are prevelant in this house.

Brokeoven, is that aimed at me [worried emoticon]

Please don't think I am judging you badly, IMO YANBU to allow your child to play this game - and any guests if you are happy to, I was just meaning that, from the other parents POV they were in somone elses house so the rules are different than when at home - as you have said yourself.

My dc love making forts out of cushions from the sofa, I am a confirmed "cushions are play things but tidy up after yourself" parent

It wouldn't happen in my house but what you do in your own house is fine with me.

However I'd be a little if I walked in to yours to collect my own children and they were climbing on your furniture, albeit with your permission. I don't know quite how to describe how I'd feel - not annoyed with you exactly, but a bit peeved that my children were being taught that it is okay to jump on the furniture when IMHO it isn't.

I dont mind cushions off as long as its play not just 'lets get carried away and trash the place'(Usually when showing off in front of a friend)

And I insist on them being put back

We have play cushions and not-play cushions (anal)

ahh bless you whyhavepets , not at all, thanks for your input, i have asked for opinions and i take them in the helpful spirit in which they are intended.

just thinking out loud i spose.
im worried people will think that i am a slovenly slut allowing kids to run mad, but its not at all.

Trust me, anyone who thinks something like that about a few cushions on the floor has far bigger problems to deal with so their opinon shouldn't rally be allowed to bother you!

My DCs did this recently with their cousins. Cousins aged 8 and 4, DCs ummm 16 and 18 . They were not just entertaining their little cousins - they were playing too. Also to be found under the table with said cousins at big family get togethers but quite capable of combining this with adult behaviour and conversation.
Shoes off, hands clean, respect furniture and each other - but otherwise full steam ahead to dealing with those crocodiles...
YANBU

We let DD play with sofa and climb on it etc in our house. She is absloutely not allowed to do this in my mums house because that is my mums rule. She is allowed to do it in one of my friend's houses whose rule for her children is that it is ok. She is not allowed to do it in another friend's house where it is not ok.

What I am saying is that I expect my DD to follow the rules of whoever's house she is in at the time and she seems perfectly capable of doing this at 4.5.

Me and my sister did this all the time when we were small. Our mum was the best! YANBU if people are disgusted by a few sofa cushions on the floor then clearly have a few ishoos. Or need to get more and see some truly disgusting things. Or both.

Nah your house, your rules. DD is allowed to play with cushions and jump on the sofa / beds too.

She is obv NOT ALLOWED to at other people's houses. BUT I do find I have to remind her lots as she forgets, so this is possibly one disadvantage.

I can take that a step further Hullygully, we have play/non-play cushions too, and a play/non-play sofa, and the colours all match, so it's clear which are fair game and which aren't!

I honestly never intended it to go that way, but it has, and it seems to work. DD is a bit too small for crocs yet, but our cushions work well to fend off the lions.

YANBU

No, no, no - it't the lava on the sitting room floor that you need to avoid. There are no crocodiles or sharks in our house (they all get burned up by the lava I suppose).

I let our DS jump on his bed too, and when his friend came over they were both jumping on it. His mum saw and told him off but I said I don't mind him jumping on it, and he had promised not to do it at home. She didn't appear too impressed, but then I wasn't too impressed with the way her little boy was hitting everyone with no sign of her telling him off...I suppose we all parent differently and have different ideas about what is acceptable.