couch climbing

Ali - posted on 08/29/2010

Many mums will give diffrent answers. I simply showed my daughter how to get off no matter what i was doing i didn't pull her off i kept turning her around so she went down feet first. Now she does it on her own i don't have to worry so much.

Lyndsey - posted on 08/29/2010

my son is 1 now but started learning to get down "feet first" (what we always say) at around 9 or 10 months. I too am a stay at home mom. He luckily cant climb up the couch yet...its still as tall as his chest. He used to try to get down head first but everytime i knew he was gonna try to get down i made it a game...we would say a little silly song like 'roll over, feet first' or something and i would roll him on his tummy and put his feet towards the ground. eventualy he figured it out and does it all my his self now. except recently since he can walk he wants to stand up and think he can walk off of the couch or bed etc so we are once again working on feet first...lol

Angela - posted on 08/29/2010

Repition and imitation?! If you do it yourself and then help him do it over and over again, it will help a LOT. They more to copy what parents or other children are doing. If you have a friend with an older boy especially, have him show them how to do it. Children love to learn from each other.

Kim - posted on 08/28/2010

My daughter is doing the same thing and we have hard wood flooring. So falling is not the nicest thing to deal with. When she would get on the couch I would sit her down and then turn her around and let her slide off so that she would know that the floor was soon approaching. She got the hang of it and now I have no concerns with her being on the couch. She actually will drink her milk cup on the couch and watch me do my stuff in the kitchen.

Marla - posted on 08/27/2010

With our kids we moved the cushions on the floor and if they fell learning how to get off they just hit the soft cushions. They both learned how to tummy slide off on their own in no time.

Brianna - posted on 08/25/2010

ok my daughter did that to n what i did was i took the cousions on the back of the couch and laid them on top of the couch and now she trys rly hard but she cant make it up there now

Tanya - posted on 08/24/2010

Show him how to get off the couch by turning around and going feet first. At first, hold his hands as he's coming down and praise him each time. After you feel he's getting it, let him try on his own (with you standing behind just in case). My son can't climb on the couch, but he can climb off. If he's trying to get to the microwave, consider scooching the couch a little further away from where it is if possible.

Rachael - posted on 08/24/2010

Thanks for all the advice. He seems to slowly be getting how to get off the couch safely.

Stephanie - posted on 08/23/2010

My one year old learn to get up on our fire place first. He thought he was so cool. He would sit up there and play with his cars. When he wanted down he would put up his arms. I taught him to say help and then showed him to lay on his tummy and put his feet down. We worked on it for a whole day. The next day I just sat by the fire place when he climbed up I showed him how to get down about 3 times and then I let him figure it out. He fell about 3 or 4 times on to a pillow or I cushioned his fall a little but then he realized that I had showed him how to get down without falling.

Sometime you just have to let them figure it out. Obviously don't let them get hurt but a little bump will help them realize that they don't want to do that again. :)

Mary - posted on 08/23/2010

We have a safe space for our daughter. For us it is her room. The definition of a safe space is a place where if you were locked out of the house for several hours your baby would be safe. Hungry and Cranky, Yes, but safe. This means you have to completely baby proof this space including bolting the furniture to the wall so if they try to climb it it can't fall over. Her door is gated and she will play by herself for long periods of time as long as she is rested and well fed. This way I can get things done and she isn't restricted in a small playpen or high chair. You can also do it by gating off a portion of your living room if you don't have an entire room to devote to him.

Lisa - posted on 08/22/2010

My Son Caleb will be 1 at the end of the month as well. He is going to keep climbing. I encourage it for our Son, it's a milestone. I just had to make sure I taught him 'feet first'. When he wanted down, I put him on him bum, then turned him on his belly, and showed him to go down 'feet first' now, when he's on one of the couches, or the automan at Grandma/Grandpas, I just say 'feet first' and he gets down, he's only fell once,... and it wasnt a big deal as he landed on his bottom anyways. Show him trust by holding him and encouraging that there is a floor under his feet and he will touch. Soon it will be easy for him. But if you're worried about being in another room, invest in a gate for the door way so he's in the same room.

Shaniqua - posted on 08/21/2010

jus take like an hour with him let him climb by his self but when u see he wants to get off gently turn him around to go feet first an make sure u also verbalize that is great to get him to understand jus so he knows to get him to find the floor with his feet an repeat as much as needed he'll figure it out in a few days as long as u take that hour to teach him

Mary - posted on 08/21/2010

I like Nicole's solution of putting him in the high chair with a snack. My 1 year old loves to climb too, and has figured out how to get down but I see your point about leaving him unattended while you cook. Try the high chair iin the kitchen dea or even a saucer. I got one for $15 used...

Nicole - posted on 08/20/2010

My son started climbing the couch a month or so ago he turned 1 on the 16th. he tries to climb on everything and can now also climb his baby gates. he just learned a few days ago how to get off the couch without taking a tumble. he lays on his belly and slides his leg off one at a time. Its so cute. Dont worry he will figure out a way to get off the couch like he figured out how to get on. Babies seem to be smart and crafty little buggers. when I need to get stuff done in the kitchen I usually put him in his highchair and give him snack, or when he eats his meals Beside that and when he naps thats usually the only time i can get anything done now.
Good Luck with the little guy:)

Nichole - posted on 08/19/2010

Kaleb can't climb on the couch yet, only because its to high. However he'll find things to climb on, to get onto the couch. He tries to climb up my dinning room chairs but he can't seem to make it.

However I think its funny when he climbs the stairs, gets half-way up. Makes sure im watching then speed crawls the rest of the way up. Then gives me a look of "how do I get back down?" But I solve that by baby gates. The only time he climbs the steps now is to take a bath.

Diane - posted on 08/18/2010

He's not going to stop climbing and in a way it's a good thing, it means he's exploring his world and that's always good. I would focus on eliminating as many things as possible to climb on (like you've done with the futon) until he learns how to get down properly and also teach him how to get down properly. When he climbs on things and also when you have a few minutes to work on it, put him up on the couch and show him how to turn around and get down backwards feet first (the same way you'd teach them how to go down stairs) He'll get it pretty quickly and as long as there's nothing really high or unstable for him to climb on he'll probably be fine. Also, I would work on the idea that it's okay to climb onto the couch or a chair but not on shelves or other things like that, he should be able to understand the difference since he probably never sees mommy and daddy climbing shelves but he does see you sitting on the couch. It's challenging but it won't be too scary for very long. Good luck!

Clare - posted on 08/18/2010

i would suggest a playpen or travel cot or even just sitting him in his highchair or pram with a snack so he's occupied as well as out of mischief.

Rachael - posted on 08/17/2010

august 29th. he is kind of getting it but not all the time so i am just stopping him from climbing and he is starting to get the point and doesn't climb up as much

Charmaine - posted on 08/16/2010

Hi my son, would wake up in the morning (while i was not there ) and fell off, So a friend told me we need to learn him a few times, to get off on his own, feet and bum first down. Show him lots of times. But i am worried is will he remember it next time? Good luck. When is it his birthday?

Meri - posted on 08/16/2010

put him on his belly and pull his feet down till they touch the ground. thats what we did for the couch, the bed, and the stairs, and its worked great. you have to do it a few times before they get it though.

Jennifer - posted on 08/13/2010

Sit on the couch with him and show him how to slide off on his tummy. It will probably take a few days,but he will learn.

Itsa - posted on 08/12/2010

Maybe borrow a playpen/travel cot from someone you know who's got one or buy one used or cheap! I try to wash dishes while my son naps, and I get everything ready for dinner during his second nap... Or I'll do things I can IN the lounge with him... ie peel potatoes, carrots, etc.

I pop him in his travel cot when I need to open the oven or something like that. He screams bloody murder sometimes but at least he's safe!

You could also get a big baby gate that encloses...?