Allowing kids to disrespect furniture?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Disrespect is such an odd word to use in this situation.

I also find parents that talk about “respect” demand it but never earn it.

All I can think of is the Curb Your Enthusiasm episode where Larry David gets into it with other people over “respecting the wood,” meaning using a coaster instead of setting your drink down directly onto wooden furniture. When my kids forget to use a coaster, all I have to do is say “Respect the wood,” and they put their drink on a coaster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What are you supposed to do when the floor turns to lava if you can’t stand on the furniture?

This brings back a good memory. One day my brother and I couldn’t leave his room because we were in a houseboat (it was always my dream to live in a house that was also a boat), and we were on the houseboat when we were on his bed, but we sometimes jumped into the water (the carpet) for a swim when we wanted play. One day we had so many adventures out at sea that we got really hungry, but we didn’t want to stop playing, so we screamed into the air vent in the floor “Mom, bring us some peanut butter sandwiches. We can’t leave the room!” That sounds so obnoxious, but we did happily play together for a really long time without complaining, fighting, crying, whining, getting injured, breaking anything or making a mess, so she still came out on top, even if we demanded to be waited on hand and foot.

[Anonymous]

My 10 year old son went on a play date where they played with nerf guns and jumped on the sofa. Not going reciprocate. No thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because maybe she's okay with it? She values her children being able to play and be active, over sitting quietly like "nice little children".

They're children! It's only furniture!

Your philosophy is why there are so many brats. In my house no shoes on furniture, no jumping on furniture and, believe me, any kid visiting obeys my rules and I have no problem on telling them to stop. However, my friends teach their children to respect their home and the homes of other people.

[Anonymous]

This thread explains so much.

Signed,
A Teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People keep saying “get back to us when you have kids!” but weren’t we all kids at one time? I never did this to my parents’ furniture as a kid. Y’all were jumping all over your furniture growing up?

YES!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Inanimate objects don’t feel disrespect. OP finds this to be disrespectful but that’s on her. Different countries, cultures, families have different expectations of respect. It’s not anything like coloring on the walls because that does permanent damage. Jumping on the couch is much more normal to me, and is in fact why IKEA couches were invented.

The wording is very very strange in OP. You can't disrespect a couch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a giant sectional in our family room and my 6 and 4 year old often climb all over it. They are pretty good about stopping when I tell them to but it’s the family room and I’m not going to get all bent out of shape about it. I worry about them getting hurt, not about disrespecting the furniture. They never do it in the living room. My guess is that OP doesn’t have kids!

Or if she has kids they will end up being anal retentive.

Teaching your children to respect the property of others is not anal retentive but teaching them how to behave as human beings as opposed to feral animals. I would bet that no one is happy to be around you or your children as you have no manners.

[Anonymous]

When did “disrespect” become a word?

[Anonymous]

We have indoor trampoline and bouncer, yet our kids still love to jump on beds and couches. We gently remind (or yell sometimes) them not to do so but let it slides once for a while.

Not on the couch, though. I learned it the hard way pre-kid when my cousin's kids compressing the springs underneath the cushion. I just hate the sinking feeling of sitting on the couch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When did “disrespect” become a word?

Since the early 17th century. It's a verb for the act of being disrespectful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What are you supposed to do when the floor turns to lava if you can’t stand on the furniture?

Love this. My older sister died when I was a child and I have very few memories. I do recall our game of "Can't step on the lava floor."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are you supposed to do when the floor turns to lava if you can’t stand on the furniture?

Love this. My older sister died when I was a child and I have very few memories. I do recall our game of "Can't step on the lava floor."

Oh, that's so wonderful!


It's a game that has lasted generations. I am pretty sure my parents played it on my grandparents couches 60 years ago!

[Anonymous]

As I tell my children - different famk!he's have different rules and we have to learn to respect that.

[Anonymous]

My kid can jump on the furniture. The only reason I don't allow it when he has a friend over is because it's annoying and someone will break something. But the furniture? Eh, we don't buy super expensive fancy things, but it's sturdy enough that it won't break apart.