Do you allow your children to jump on the sofa?

[xena]

I don't and don't really like it when other children jump on mine. If they want to get rid of some energy whats wrong with the garden?

One of my earliest memories is jumping off the sofa onto a swirly blue carpet and pretending it was the sea - I was about 2, it kept me and my sister happy for hours. It had never occured to me anyone might ban sofa-jumping until I read in Baby Whisperer for Toddlers that it shouldn't be allowed (I normally respect what she has to say so it got me thinking...) However this thread has returned me to my original view that sofa-jumping is an essential part of childhood - and I think it's not to hard to learn that you can jump on your own sofa but not other people's!

My sofa is fine, not wrecked at all!

Maybe you all need to buy less flimsy sofas

God no. It is a cheapy thing from Argos and wouldn't last five minutes if they jumped on it.

Trampolines are for jumping on.

Tbh I think it shows a lack of respect for the furniture

i wasn't overly arsey to be honest

they knew my house didn't equate with othe peoples houses.

they were allowed to do head stands only with shoes off - replacing walpaper far moer difficult that washing sofa.

Yes i do. Ive had it for donkeys years and its a good sturdy one in dark blue that looks like new.
We pull the cushions off and step across them so that the crocodiles in the river cant bite our feet, we stack them up to make a tower and jump all over the sofa. Its fab fun.....the problem could then be at other peoples houses.
My ds has just got a new posh leather sofa and prior to this she allowed her boys to jump on the old one no problem, now we are sruggling to stop them jumping on the new one.
I do not allow my ds to jump on other peoples sofa/bed etc.
He isnt allowed full stop.

No... it is our ongoing arguement though. That and "don't carry your brother" are things she seems to have issues remembering.

You respect furniture (beds included).

Our sofa was el cheapo from IKEA, and is enormous. If it eventually falls apart from being jumped on I will consider it a good innings - but no sign of breakage so far.

(However there are a lot of signs of marmalade )

Absolutely not, it is one of my pet hates. My ds2 loves running up and down it then throwing himself face down into the cushions. He has plenty of toys and a bed to jump on, he is not allowed to run riot on my sofa.

Same a snow leopard (but opposite IYSWIM)I am amazed that people think that it is ok Surely if kids have no respect for their own furniture/property, how will they respect other peoples.

but how do you know whether your children jump on other people's when you aren't there yourself?

Ha ha ha, this has all the makings of a classic mumsnet bust-up thread.

Yes I do allow them because like CD says, it's only a bloody sofa and life's too short to get excited about sofas. They are a very low-interest item in my life - they are for plonking your arse on and if the kids want to jump on them, whyever not?

They know they're not allowed to in other people's houses though "because that's one of those things other people get hysterical about that Mummy doesn't darling, aren't you lucky I get hysterical about other things that they don't"

I try to discourage it but turn a blind eye sometimes - imagine going through your whole childhood never having bounced on a sofa or bed

HOLD ON THERE a miniut....my kid never goes any where without my supervision....he is evil and cannot be trusted ESPECIALLY in other peoples property. OMG the disaster if he were without me....he would burn the house to the ground! LOL then they wouldnt have to worry about a sofa would they [GRIN]

MEANT[GRIN] AND [BLUSH]

Well I am usually with her so I can see what she is doing!

TBH most of our friends' children bounce on their sofas too so they wouldn't care anyway

when I was little my brother and i loved the game of getting round the room/house without touching the floor..

involved swinging on curtains and having wardrobes and grandfather clocks fall on top of you

I have screwed our longcase to the floor to avoid just that

We used to hide inside them when we were little!

to the wall I mean!

I had a wardrobe fall on me once.

Was extremely pissed off that I still got sent to school and not allowed to stay home

kids nowadays would get a week off and counselling for post traumatic stress

No I dont let them - mainly because it sets off a frenzy and they become all hysterical and race around the house like maniacs - which I cant bear!! They can be as hysterical and as bouncy as they like outside in the garden.

No, because sofas aren't cheap. Ds managed to break his bed by jumping on it but at least only he had to sleep on it - we all sit on the sofa!

Having said which, my db and I played for hours on the sofa when we were children. It was particularly sturdy and withstood all our horse games, cowboys and indians (not pc nowadays!) and so on. I'm sure they don't make sofas like they used to, harrumph.

ooh there#s another one!

I LOVE it when dd is mad and we chase around the house!

Last night, after a prolonged sofa bouncing session, she chased me round the kitchen table for about 15 mins!

The cat has done more damage to our sofa than the children .

I hadn't considered lack of respect to furniture, I'd been more concentrating on lack of respect to other people and animals, maybe I need to rethink my values !

I used to be with DD at friend's houses when she was younger, so she learnt at that point that are there are things you do not do in other houses and that you stick to the rules of that house whatever they are. She knows that jumping on the sofa is reserved for home. Now she is older she understands that perfectly.

You must have more energy than me Countess! Ill send my lot round to your house then