Hope is our trailblazer. She has been walking for over a month, is starting to run, and tonight has shown she's capable of climbing onto the couch. This last one has DH & I worried. Hope is completely fearless, and does not have that inner "thing" that makes babies stop when they perceive that they are at a height. She will propel herself off of stairs or boxes or whatever she's on.

So, is there a solution for the problem we are about to face? She's obviously too young to teach about staying off the couch, or dangerous situations, or falling, or anything like that. I do not want her on the couch at this time, anyway.

Any ideas, please? Thanks!

Tulip & The Three Amigos
Born at 35w5d on December 31, 2002 - Happy New Year's Eve!!!
Aimee, Let's bump heads!
Edward, Rollin' Rollin' Rollin', Got to keep on rollin'!
Hope, Bouncy! Bouncy! Bouncy! WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

YES! You *can* breastfeed triplets!!!
http://www.tripletconnection.org/dcforum/forum1/14349.html

Tulip & The Three Amigos
GBG born at 35w5d on December 31, 2002 - Happy New Year's Eve!!!

YES! You *can* breastfeed triplets!!!

I am a Velveteen Rabbit, and the birth, love, kisses & magic that are my children has made me Real.

Our oldest son is a climber. Still. He has (KNOCK ON WOOD) never fallen. We just let him climb, spotted him, and made sure he was a good climber who KNOWS where he is and is not allowed to climb. Falling off the couch - minor. Falling off the kitchen counter - BAD. He did, at 18 months, get into the cabinet ABOVE THE STOVE and ate a whole bottle of Tums (gues who was pregnant with triplets?). The doctor kept trying to lecture me on keeping things out of reach. That when we started lessons on where one can and can not climb (AND put locks on EVERYTHING - which he can now open!).

Good luck. Climbers are an adventure. YOu can not keep them down, so prepare yourselves (and your house)!!!

Ali

Jack - 10 years old
Abraham, Dylan and Zane - 8 years
and now . . . . Tobias, 2 years old!

OMG. Okay, your story is scaring me! I'm laughing, but it's a scared laughter! ACK!!!!!!!!!!

Tulip & The Three Amigos
Born at 35w5d on December 31, 2002 - Happy New Year's Eve!!!
Aimee, Let's bump heads!
Edward, Rollin' Rollin' Rollin', Got to keep on rollin'!
Hope, Bouncy! Bouncy! Bouncy! WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

YES! You *can* breastfeed triplets!!!
http://www.tripletconnection.org/dcforum/forum1/14349.html

Tulip & The Three Amigos
GBG born at 35w5d on December 31, 2002 - Happy New Year's Eve!!!

YES! You *can* breastfeed triplets!!!

I am a Velveteen Rabbit, and the birth, love, kisses & magic that are my children has made me Real.

Our PT started *teaching* the kids to climb onto the couch at about 10 months. She also taught them how to "turn around to get down" safely. You can't stop Hope from climbing, but do teach her to roll onto her tummy and feel with her feet to get off the couch safely.


Mikheal
SAHM to Noah, Olivia, and Connor
10-01-2002 @ 32w 3d
Partner to Rebecca (TripletProject)

Mikheal Partner to Rebecca
SAHD to Noah, Olivia, and Connor
10-01-2002 @ 32w 3d

SCARY indeed. The climbing I can handle, but we have gone through two refrigerator locks (just because he gets in there, leaves it open and everything goes bad) and that he can UNDO cabinet latches (he is TWO AND A HALF). I so badly want to send a video of this to the company. He just ZIPS them open saying, "There we go!" in his chirpy little voice. The good thing is that you can hear the ZIP sound and KNOW to go running because he is into something again. Good luck with Hope. It IS an adventure!
Ali

Jack - 10 years old
Abraham, Dylan and Zane - 8 years
and now . . . . Tobias, 2 years old!

My three were climbing onto the couch by a year. We opted to let them do this since it was good for their motor skills and it gave them the opportunity to see out the front windows. We put pillows around the base of the couch to catch anyone who fell. However, at 26 months we still haven't had any injuries from climbing.

Lisa
Mom to Aidan, Christian, and Rachel (10.03.01 @ 36wks)

Lisa
Mom to Aidan, Christian, and Rachel (10.03.01 @ 36wks)

Mine are climbers too. Put your couch againist a wall so they don't go over the back. Mine will even walk along the back of the couch like a balance beam. Ahh..the life of climbers...

Jennifer, SAHM to ggg

tulip,
i feel your pain. my isabelle is up onto everything. she is so tiny and mobile and strong that she can lift herself onto just about anything. my only advice from my experience is that you let her climb, but make sure she is relatively safe. one thing we did with our couch is during the day/playtime i would pull off the cushions of the couch and put them on the ground so it made a little step from the ground to the couch. (only works if its not a sofa/sleeper) but then they can get good exercise and climb up onto the couch, but also they can learn to go down by just falling a short way and onto a soft cushion. they gradually learn how to do it without going kamikazi head first... i've been AMAZED at how they can take a blow to the ground... yikes!
the fun begins.

Meg

hi tulip.
firstly, i want to say i love reading your posts and your information is so helpful. thanks for sharing your wisdom.

okay, about hope. i am a BIG believer in learning about natural consequences. our son sebastian is a adventure sport type as well, and we had plenty of near escapades. believe me, after she falls from a height and does hurt herself, she will not do it again. they remember. YOU need to remember that their heads are a lot more solid than they look. sebastian once fell off a change table in a public restroom, clonked his head on the floor, cried for thirty seconds and then was fine.

now, if hope is old enough to get on the couch, you need to teach her (if she doesn't know already) how to get off the couch, ie: sliding down tummy down. that takes little time to teach, and prevents lots of accidents.

although kids need more protection than adults, i do believe that mistakes are a wonderful way for children to learn. you can get your home as babyproofed as possible which will prevent the most serious possible accidents. but kids exploring their worlds will have them. and the nice thing is, aimee and edward will be watching too, and can learn from her mistakes! i found that getting on my knees and seeing the house from that perspective really helped me in the babyproofing department.

good luck, hope this helped. xoxo

tess
mummy to 7yr old ds & the triumverate born 2004

I have to disagree that after a fall they will not do it again. My singleton Kassidy is 14 months and loves to climb on the kitchen chairs. She fell hard the other day onto the hard kitchen floor (not carpeted) She cried for what seemed like was forever but she was OK! To my amazement within an hour she was back at it again. She actually is trying to climb from the chairs onto the kitchen table.

I agree that they should be allowed to climb in safe situations. Such as a couch with padding around the floor. With the triplets we taught them to back down safely when climbing. Sorry I can't give much advice.

Vickie
Mommy to Devin, Kaitlyn & Dylan 1/18/01 & Kassidy 10/4/02

Vickie
Mommy to Devin, Kaitlyn and Dylan (1/18/01)@31w6d
and
Kassidy (10/4/02)

Tulip,


I don't have alot of advice here. I have a climber too but I don't agree with babies having solid heads. Truth is that short falls can cause damage and possibly death depending on the surface fallen onto and the health circumstances of the child. My son has had repeated short distance falls, two off a futon. After experiencing seizure activity after a fall three weeks ago, testing (EEG, MRI) reveal that he has a subdural hematoma, and a 1.2 cm colloid cyst (beign brain tumor). We have no other explanation for his blood clot other than short falls. Alec has been in physical therapy for a few months and still does not catch himself at all when he falls. There is a recent article in the American Journal of Forensic Patholgy that brings up a case of a 9 month old that fell backwards off a bed and died. From what the hospital told us, preemies often experience cerebral atrophy which pulls on the blood vessels outside the brain making them more susceptible to subdural hematomas. Fact is that not every baby gets a MRI after a fall to determine the damage done. We would not know of my son's injury had he not had a seizure after the fall. Be careful with Hope and maybe try a bedrail to keep her off the couch. Good Luck!





Denise
Mom to Alec, Kyla, and Elyse (33w 5d on 1/31/03)

Denise
Mom to Alec, Kyla, and Elyse (33w 5d on 1/31/03)

wow, denise, thanks for that info. i guess i have seen my kids fall so many times and they always seem so 'fine'--but you have made me think and i am going to be a little more protective.
thank you!

Meg

Denise: Our son also substained a subdural hematoma from a small fall hitting a block he was 10 months at the time. We have been looking for answers on why such an insignifigant fall caused such a signifigant injury. I would interested in any info you may have. Could you e-mail me? mat_jul@netzero.com Thank you!

Thankfully our son is doing wonderfully with no effect from the fall he is a 17 mos. now and he,his brother and sister are keeping Mom on her toes !!!! Thank GOD!

Julie
Proud Mommy to: Joshua, Benjamin & Chloe 8/7/02 33 wks.6days

I'm with ya on the falling thing, Denise! When Aimee fell off the stove last summer (long story, not my fault, let's not go there...), I brought her to the hospital and she received an MRI. I was told that anytime an infant or small child falls from a distance equal to or greater than their height, they should be evaluated and possibly get an MRI to check for hematomas or other bleeds.

Tulip & The Three Amigos
Born at 35w5d on December 31, 2002 - Happy New Year's Eve!!!
Aimee, Let's bump heads!
Edward, Rollin' Rollin' Rollin', Got to keep on rollin'!
Hope, Bouncy! Bouncy! Bouncy! WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

YES! You *can* breastfeed triplets!!!
http://www.tripletconnection.org/dcforum/forum1/14349.html

Tulip & The Three Amigos
GBG born at 35w5d on December 31, 2002 - Happy New Year's Eve!!!

YES! You *can* breastfeed triplets!!!

I am a Velveteen Rabbit, and the birth, love, kisses & magic that are my children has made me Real.

Three of my four are couch climbers. They have been doing it for several months (they are 17 months). We are constantly telling them "sit" and "on your bottom". After three times, they are put in the Superyard. We spent a week of telling 2 of them the same thing when they started on the kitchen chairs. YOu just have to keep at them and they will keep testing. My two worst daredevils now sit at the kitchen table in the big chairs instead of standing on them. Of course they still need reminders, but it's only 1/2 the day instead of the whole day now.

I think it's impossible to think you can keep her off the couch unless you make it totally inaccessable to you.

Good luck

MonsterMom6
10 year old ^b^ b twins @ 30w5d (1 survivor) and
8 year old gggg quads @ 32w0d

Tulip:

You're going to have to determine the things that are "off limits", the ones that need training on getting back down, and those that are going to have to be "alright." 'Sounds like the couch may be one of those that needs training (to get back down) in order to be alright.

Otherwise, if it's something they can survive, such as the couch, I'd let them have that as climbing material. Getting into a refrigerator is a different type of problem, because they can get closed into refrigerators too easily. I know you, and I know that you'll figure out how to segregate the safe from the less safe from the perilous.

But, there are some things that will also simply be "off limits" -- probably stairs for another 12 months or more. Don't kid yourself -- that little baby is very smart, and can learn to stay away from the stairs, although you may simplify things by putting up a gate at the top and bottom. Start by scolding as they attempt to do something that is an "off limits." If scolding doesn't work, move to scolding and giving a tiny slap to the hand. If that does not work, move it up a step. Even a light little dust with a tiny switch would make an enormous impression, and she would quickly learn to stay away from the stairs or other "off limits" item. Stairs are so important because they can get so badly hurt on the stairs.

Finally, there are going to be some things that are simply irresistible and will have to be dealt with separately. My one example from my own dd is her "famous flying giraffe" -- one of those little Fisher Price 4-wheeled giraffe trike goodies that seemed like a relatively harmless toy until placed into my daughter's hands. At 12 months old, she climbed aboard while on the kitchen linoleum, revved up her engines (foot operated a la the Flintstone's), and raced it across the kitchen floor and down three stairs into the family room below -- in one long flying arc, landing square on all 4 wheels. I saw what was happening as it happened and was incredulous -- in a state of shock. After running to make sure my child was alright, I gingerly petted her and reassured the poor little dear and set her back up on the linoleum kitchen floor, pointing out that she needed to stay in the kitchen. I barely got seated back in the family room when Sharon had pushed herself to the far end of the kitchen again, and came revving herself into a screaming flying machine, floating in a fast-flying arc to the family room once again with an enormous bang -- landing on all four!! This time, I firmly explained that she was not going to do this anymore and that if she did, I would take her toy. And, as I was heading back into the family room, I saw her revving up the engines... The giraffe was incarcerated, and my poor baby suffered her first broken heart. Better her heart than her head!

It sounds like your little Hope may be more like my little Sharon... I'll keep you in my prayers, Tulip!! The good news is that Sharon did survive childhood...

Cat w/3 Kittens
Caidan, Carina and Caeleigh
Born at 31 weeks, 1/8/04.

Hope is completely fearless, and does not have
>that inner "thing" that makes babies stop when they perceive
>that they are at a height.

Ummmm, who exactly told you about this "inner thing"? You believed them???

From what I remember, keeping them off the couch is a battle not worth fighting. Just keep the area around it safe and padded and push it up against the wall if you can. My kids have survived to three (knock wood), though that "inner thing" fairy sure never made it to our house! The couch hasn't fared so well, but I'll buy myself a nice one when they're in first grade!

Paula
Mom to Ari, Eve and Max
11/00

You're so funny!!! LOl!!!!

The "inner thing" is something I've seen demonstrated several times in child development studies. It's some kind of "vertical cliff" instinct that's supposed to cause babies to perceive they are "high" and thus not go further, causing them to fall. At least that's what the babies in the studies do. Obviously this is yet another fine theory that's not going to be true here! LOL

Tulip & The Three Amigos
Born at 35w5d on December 31, 2002 - Happy New Year's Eve!!!
Aimee, Let's bump heads!
Edward, Rollin' Rollin' Rollin', Got to keep on rollin'!
Hope, Bouncy! Bouncy! Bouncy! WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

YES! You *can* breastfeed triplets!!!
http://www.tripletconnection.org/dcforum/forum1/14349.html

Tulip & The Three Amigos
GBG born at 35w5d on December 31, 2002 - Happy New Year's Eve!!!

YES! You *can* breastfeed triplets!!!

I am a Velveteen Rabbit, and the birth, love, kisses & magic that are my children has made me Real.

Hi Tulip,
Your post was perfect timing for me because yesterday I was walking by the "safe" zone where all the kids play (front room, gated off and totally baby proofed...whatever that is) a low and behold, Matthew is sitting on the BACK of the couch!! He stands and cruises very well but doesn't walk yet. He climbed on his older brother's chair and up onto the couch! YIKES!!!! Needless to say, we moved the chair away from the couch. I like the others advice to make it as safe as possible and let them go at it....we'll see how that attitude changes in a month when they are all doing it!
Good Luck!

Liz
Zac 8.6.01
Matthew, Ian and Seth 12.19.02 at 27 weeks

Liz
B 8/01
BBB 12/19/02

BELIEVE

<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/liz.larger/MerryXmas/photo#5151822661261118034"><img src="" /></a>
<a href="http://lilypie.

All of mine are climbers! I mean they will climb on or over ANYTHING. Gates, furniture entertainment unit, climb up the slide, into the pack and play, onto the cabinet. They will use anything to help, toys (even those that move)eachother. I remove them fromt he dangerous situations, but I have just had to make everything as safe as possible. Everytime I thought I had prevented them from climbing on something, they totally out smart me. I guess 3 heads working together are better than 1. As far as the couch what we did at the time was take all of the cushions off the couch and put it at the base of the couch. Therefore the height was decreased and it was padded in case of a fall. My 3 are 21 months and the climbing hasnt slowed at all. Good Luck
Tara