Do U Let Your Kids....

Updated on January 11, 2012
P.E. asks from Fitchburg, MA
60 answers

Run in the house, jump off furniture and jump on their beds? I do not, but was wondering if I'm the only one??

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So What Happened?

Wowzzzaaaa! Thanks for all of your input! Nice to hear different opinions both ways! Not changing my rules though! ;)

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R.J.

answers from Seattle on

Yep!

Also skating, handstands, climbing the walls (literally; up doorframes and corners), dancing, etc.

And I'm often doing it with him.

7 moms found this helpful

M.B.

answers from Orlando on

yes we all run around and jump, well i don't so much these days since I'm 34 weeks pregnant. but kids are kids, let them have fun! there are certain things my son knows not to do, but i let him have fun.

6 moms found this helpful

A.J.

answers from Williamsport on

Absolutely. Especially in winter. But when I say stop, or get down, they do immediately (since early discipline) and they NEVER do it at other people's homes or if people come over (or if their dad's home because he hates it). My kids actually ask me, "Mom, can we jump on the couch?" and I say yes or no. I sort of like my hero status for letting them :) They think I'm the coolest.

2 moms found this helpful

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T.N.

answers from Albany on

Of course I did! I even did it WITH them on occasion!

Now they're all more or less grown up, I wish I had some more young ones to run around and jump and play with.

They do have respect for 'stuff' (and really, why place so much emphasis on the care and respect of STUFF?). So perhaps I just got lucky?

Childhood is SOOO short, why can't it be really fun? Why must they spend their childhood practicing to be adults? There are many hours in their lives they CAN'T (school, church, social situations, etc), so at HOME...

Not sure why they are successful well behaved respectful young adults in spite of the fact they RAN in the HOUSE and PLAYED on furniture, yeah, so there must be more to it, then, right?

:)

9 moms found this helpful

J.W.

answers from St. Louis on

Um, no! Sometimes I ignore jumping on the bed but not often.

All fun and games until someone is rushed to the hospital. :p

6 moms found this helpful
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E.F.

answers from Kalamazoo on

No. That's why there are parks.

5 moms found this helpful
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B.G.

answers from Champaign on

Of course! Are you kidding me? I have a 5 1/2 year old boy and an almost 3 year old boy. It's been raining and cold for days, and they can only go to McDonalds so many times over Christmas break. Our mall has a soft play area, but my 5 1/2 year old is definitely out growing it. Also, it's pretty crowded during school breaks. We did go to a children's museum a couple of days ago, but it's an hour away.

I realize kids can get hurt, but for the most part they really do bounce. I doubt mine are any more coordinated than most, and we've never been to the ER (knock on wood).

I don't know, after awhile you just run out of other things to do. Our furniture is all used, and I guess we'll just deal with it if it does where out. You can get some great deals on Craig's List. In the meantime, life is short so why not have fun with it.

4 moms found this helpful

J.P.

answers from Lakeland on

No this does not go on in our house and I will not let visitors do it either. My step daughters friends came over and they were jumping on the sofa and got snippy with me and my MIL when we asked them to stop (they were 12 and 14 at the time). They have not been allowed to visit with us since then.

3 moms found this helpful
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M.B.

answers from Washington DC on

LOL. I completely do not allow it. PLUS, none of my kids seem to have the best coordination. Someone ALWAYS gets hurt. Besides the fact that it is not proper behavior to have inside a house. I like to say "This isn't a playground!"

All my friends who are parents, however... I can't name ONE that doesn't allow the crazy behavior at their home. Always running and jumping. Sure, my kids (all girls: 8, 7, 4 and 3) try to, but I always put a stop to it.

3 moms found this helpful

R.D.

answers from Richmond on

Our house is the size of a glorified tree fort, so if they could get enough speed up to actually 'run', I'd be impressed ;)

They don't climb or jump off furniture. Not because I think they're hurt themselves or break something, but I don't want them doing that in other people's homes.

Jumping on the bed is a BLAST, I let all 3 kids climb on my king size bed and have at it! Pillow fight's are an added bonus!! Gotta live a little ;)

We also roll back the carpets on really cold or rainy, boring days sometimes and skateboard in the house :) They understand that this is a super silly, special thing and will not be tolerated in other places!

3 moms found this helpful
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E.M.

answers from Honolulu on

There has got to be so e great story behind this question... And I am as curious as a cat!

But to the question!

No! The kids can jump on their own bed but other beds no way! (the 20 month old jumps in his crib holding the rail... It is jumping in bed, but he is excited to let out!)

Run? Well, yes and no... Running to get to the potty "in time"? Forgivable offense. Running and playing tag in the house? Um, no...

Furniture? No. I do make our couch into a tent with the chairs and they can play with them, but no jumping off them... You are allowed to climb um on them though.

3 moms found this helpful
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K..

answers from Phoenix on

In general, no. I think kids need to know what type of play is appropriate in my, as well as others' homes. If I allow it in my home, she will think it's okay to disrespect others' homes, as well. Running & jumping are for outside.

Besides, there's this nifty little thing called taking your kids outside, or to the park, or letting them out in the yard, or taking them to a play area, if you can't be outside for whatever reason.

Oh, and please don't be the d-bag that lets their kid trash their furniture & then calls in the damage to the furniture company, expecting it to be fixed. The techs know that you've let your kids trash them. DH used to run into this all the time at his old job.

Not letting your kids do those kids inside does not mean you are a terrible person, or robbing them of their childhood. It means you are willing to put in the work to teach them how to act.

3 moms found this helpful
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S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

Yes!
Except not jumping off of the "good" furniture.

As a child, I did the same. My parents let us and had no problem with that.
It is childhood. But sure, we were not crazily jumping or running around all that time. Just having fun.
And sure there are rules.
But our house is not made of glass.
The kids can fully play/run/jump in the house.
Why not?

3 moms found this helpful
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H.W.

answers from Portland on

Run in the house? Yes, but only in a certain area where it's not a problem for others. And certainly NOT in the kitchen!

Jump on furniture and beds? No. A. We don't have that kind of money to replace 'sprung' furniture and B. I don't want my son doing it to someone else's furniture, so we don't allow it on ours.

My sis allowed hers to bounce around the house, but noticed that they were doing it at other people's homes and so she stopped it at home too. And her couch is needing to be replaced from letting them sit/stand on the arms. Her boys are great kids-- they also now have a big, safe trampoline in the backyard. :)

3 moms found this helpful

A.S.

answers from Iowa City on

Yes. I've been known to to a bit of jumping myself from time to time.

2 moms found this helpful
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M.R.

answers from Seattle on

In the entire house - no...

Over the years...we have had a variety of play things in the basement: trampoline, Little Gym plastic climbing toys, and slides, and gymnastic mats and bars and now a pool table, fussball table and kicking bag, with lots of Wii games and a dance station.

I grew up in a strict home with no outlets for normal kid behavior and energy needs. So we would sneek jumping on our beds when our parents were out. I did not want my kids jumping on their beds and lying to me, so I have provided safe alternatives.

And my kids would never and have never acted inappropriately in other peoples homes.

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A.V.

answers from Washington DC on

Occasionally some bed bouncing is overlooked but in general, no, they cannot tear through the house or launch off furniture. I look the other way when DD has turned big brother into a horse. I don't generally make a big deal and just tell her to walk.

2 moms found this helpful
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K.M.

answers from Kansas City on

No, we don't allow it. My kids are not the rough and tumble kind and I prefer it that way. I know when they are at other people's homes, they treat their property with respect because that is the way it is done here.

I agree with Hazel W. - I have better ways to spend money and replacing funiture isn't one of them!

2 moms found this helpful
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C.R.

answers from Kansas City on

No! We do not allow our children to do any of those things. We teach them that furniture is to be sat on not jumped on and beds are to be slept on. We have hard wood floors, so when the kids run in the house it shakes all of our fragile things. That is why we do not allow running in the house because I do not want our things broken.

2 moms found this helpful
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J.C.

answers from Anchorage on

In our house upstairs in the quiet place (living room and master bed are upstairs, kids rooms down stairs) and down stairs is all theirs, they can be as crazy as they want. Here in Alaska there are large chuncks of time when it is too cold for outside play, and they have to get their energy out somehow. I would rather they ran around a little and jumped on the bed than sat around playing video games all day.

2 moms found this helpful
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P.S.

answers from Houston on

I don't allow it but it goes on anyway. Most of it is jumping on or off the beds...which is why we don't have a bunk bed for my kid.

Its so funny...when my kid has friends over they run right to my kid's room and shut the door to start jumping on his bed, and they can't understand how I still find out what they are doing, even if the door is closed (we live in a 2 story).

I'm sure it goes on in all our households on occassion...you can't help it with kids, right?

2 moms found this helpful
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☆.A.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Run in the house? Sure.
Jump off of furniture? No. (Not saying it has not ever happened.)
Jump on the beds? See above!

2 moms found this helpful
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J.B.

answers from Boston on

They can run in our finished basement (that's what it's there for). They would jump on their beds but they are bunk beds so that doesn't work. I occasionally let them jump on my bed. No jumping off upstairs furniture, but they have a fort in the basement that provides a platform for jumping off of, and they jump on/over/off the two armchairs we have down there too.

1 mom found this helpful

C.O.

answers from Washington DC on

P.:

Run in the house? No. They can run outside as running in our home has taken me to the ER twice with them....once each - Greg falling down the stairs and banging his knee REALLY good and Nicky falling face first and breaking his nose...

My boys have bunk beds - so no - no jumping off the beds.

Depends on the furniture - we have glass coffee tables in the living room so I certainly wouldn't want them jumping off those!!!

I let my boys have fun - they play a "football" game in the house in the family room....but I prefer them to be outside for rough housing.

1 mom found this helpful

M.P.

answers from Boston on

For the safety of your child, NO you should not let them jump on/off the furniture. I had a friend whose daughter jumped off the bed, something she had done many times and not hurt. One day she jumped and instead of hitting the floor like normal, she hit her nose on a chair and tore her nose up one side. Because she was so young, doctors were able to repair the nose, but she had to live with the scar until she stopped growing around age 18 to have plastic surgery done to get the scar taken of.

If they are allowed to jump, buy an enclosed trampoline and let them have at it. Yes let them be children, but they need to do it in a safe environment.

1 mom found this helpful

L.A.

answers from Austin on

Our rules are no running in the house and no feet on the furniture.
It is easiest to enforce than sometimes you can and sometimes you can't..

This goes for stores, malls, church, school, friends, homes, grandparents.. It is just easiest to say, we are inside, so no running.

Of course if you are laying in bed you feet can be on there.

We also live in a mild climate, so saying you can go out side and run and jump is feasible..

1 mom found this helpful
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L.C.

answers from Raleigh on

yep to all of it and sometimes we run and jump with them:).....they also rollerblade in the house.....

1 mom found this helpful

J.B.

answers from Houston on

I don't 'allow' it persay, but it happens.... One day I was at the store though and my oldest was jumping on the bed and my mom didn't realize it bc she was probably tied up with another kid or something and he feel right on his abdomen against the footboard. I was terrified he might have busted his spleen or something. That is when the bed jumping stopped. As far as the furniture, I used to not be too strict about it but now with two rambunctious boys and a newborn I don't allow it, I send them outside if I see the energy levels spiking, if it is a cold/rainy day we pack up for the playland or color or something to get them off the couch jumping band wagon. We have already had several injuries with that kind of activity so I have pretty much nixed it which with boys is a challenge!

1 mom found this helpful
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K.B.

answers from Los Angeles on

I dont allow my children to run through the house...but they do when I least expect it. I dont allow them to jump on their beds....but they do when I least expect it. Life is full of surprises and unexpected things happening. I take one day at a time and deal with it accordingly....it at all possible.

1 mom found this helpful
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L.J.

answers from Louisville on

My kids would break my stuff if I let them run around and jump on my things. No I dont let them do it.

1 mom found this helpful
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N.H.

answers from Peoria on

Uh no. I like to have my furniture in tact. As children, me and my friends were NOT allowed to do things like that, we got in trouble if we did. I once disobeyed my mother abt jumping on the bed, she said i might fall off & bust my head open...that's exactly what happened. Needless to say, i never did it again. I believe I can have fun w/kids that doesn't require destructive behavior.

1 mom found this helpful
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K.M.

answers from Denver on

I have a son (4) with low muscle tone and a huge fear of movement (major sensory problems) and getting his head out of center, and has not learned how to run yet. I wish he could do that stuff! LOL!

1 mom found this helpful
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G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

The only place they can jump is in their bedrooms. The boy has sensory issues so he has a workout mini trampoline in his room that he can enjoy.

1 mom found this helpful
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M.B.

answers from Austin on

No, but it does happen...

As far as jumping on the bed... I remember when I would be visiting my cousin's farm (central Kansas), we would go down to our grandpa's house (1 mile away) to "play"... (no one around with us...)

So..... one person would be looking out the window to see if anyone was driving down the road... and the others would be taking turns jumping on the bed!

We usually found some way to jump on the beds..... and we never got hurt. I don't know what it did to the beds, though.

1 mom found this helpful
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M.T.

answers from New York on

When my kids (now 12 and 16) were young, no, I did not allow this behavior. Sometimes I felt like the only one, too. Both my daughter and son would have friends over who couldn't seem to comprehend the no running in the house rule, and were constantly in and out of the house, slamming doors or forgetting to close them. Yikes. I don't know when this became acceptable behavior for children. I certainly didn't run through our apartment when I was a child.

1 mom found this helpful
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S.Q.

answers from Bellingham on

No I absolutely forbid it! They do it anyway. ;-). My three boys are like the Tassie Devil whirlwind around the house. The floor is the sea and the sofa and ottoman and chairs are islands, etc.

1 mom found this helpful
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J.L.

answers from San Diego on

Yes, to all of it, but my daughter knows time and place quite well.

1 mom found this helpful

C.M.

answers from Washington DC on

I do not let them jump on the beds or the furniture. Sometimes it's just too hot or cold outside to run, so yes, at times I do let them run in the house. THey are kids, not robots. Sometimes they just have to run

D.F.

answers from El Paso on

Yes I let the girls jump on my bed. Not theres.
And no running in the house. And no jumpimg on furnisher.
I think im alil to lean. :-)

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D.K.

answers from Pittsburgh on

We run in the house - we actually race in the house (I usually let DS win). We don't jump on or off furniture. We do wrestle on the bed.

R.B.

answers from La Crosse on

running in the house, no... as much as possible. I tell them to walk but sometimes the 3 and 4 yr old still do. I give out a shout to remember to walk and usually they do.

Jump on furniture.. nope. that is for sitting only.

On thier beds... no

On my bed... yes.. as long as Im in the room. sometimes I even join them ;) There twin beds aren't big enough and Im afraid they would fall off. My king bed has much more room and they normally don't fall off.

A.G.

answers from Houston on

Nope, I don't let them because they ran into stuff and fell off far too often.

~.~.

answers from Tulsa on

I don't let my son jump on the bed because I don't want him to break it. I do let him jump off of the bed onto the floor and off of the couch onto the floor. They aren't that high up and there is either carpet or a rug on the floor. I try not to let my son run in the house, because we have concrete floors in the hall and living room and they can be slick, but it still happens on occasion. He isn't running laps through the house and I don't have stairs, so I'm not that concerned about it. He knows that those are my rules. If he goes over to someone else's house, he knows not to run or jump on or off the furniture. He's had some bumps and bruises, but he gets much more of those when we go to the playground.

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A.G.

answers from Boston on

I let my youngest roller blade in the house but no jumping off furniture or jumping on beds. And I know this is going to sound strange since I let my youngest roller blade but no my kids dont run in the house either.

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K.U.

answers from Detroit on

No jumping on furniture, including the bed. That's not what it's for, and it's too easy to get fall and get hurt somehow. It's furniture, not a trampoline.

But sometimes DD just has to run - she'll spend a good 10 minutes just jogging laps around the house when it's too crummy to go outside. I figure she needs to burn some energy off, and she's not hurting anything. It's only once in a while.

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3.B.

answers from Huntington on

Our furniture, no. Their bed yes. But they still try to jump on the couches and our bed, but I always tell them you can jump on YOUR bed only. They're all boys, it's cold now so they need to burn off energy!

Updated

Our furniture, no. Their bed yes. But they still try to jump on the couches and our bed, but I always tell them you can jump on YOUR bed only. They're all boys, it's cold now so they need to burn off energy!

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D.B.

answers from Charlotte on

Running happened - I ended up with holes in the walls. Ugh! NO to jumping off furniture and jumping on beds. That got a serious consequence. My older son jumped off a window sill one time and hurt his leg enough to need stitches. I had told him over and over not to jump (we were moving and boxes were all over) and he didn't listen. That certainly taught him a hard lesson.

My kids learned how beds are put together. I think they realized that they would break their bed. However, they would come in and kind of jump on my 4 poster to lay down with me to watch TV. I think that after years of that and my husband and I having fun in that bed (LOL!) it was too much, and the big mahogany beam in the middle underneath broke. I was sure that we'd end up in the floor one night!

Dawn

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J.S.

answers from Albany on

i let my son run in the house, not in the kitchen though. he is either chasing the dog or being chased by the dog. i do not let him jump on any beds or the furniture.

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A.C.

answers from Columbus on

I let our son jump on our king size bed. He can run in the house, but only during special, preapproved times; same with the bed jumping. Otherwise, it stays outside.

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M.L.

answers from Philadelphia on

Umm - no. I have 4 kids and have often wondered if I have been too lenient. But NONE of them have been allowed to jump on their beds --- Hello?? Seems quite over the edge.

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S.B.

answers from Minneapolis on

Nope. There are inside activities and outside activities. Running, jumping and cartwheels are for outside. It can be quite confusing to little ones when you let them jump on the furniture and run in the house in YOUR house but not in other people's homes.

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J.B.

answers from Los Angeles on

my daughter can run through the house but is not aloud to jump on the couches beds etc.

Updated

my daughter can run through the house but is not aloud to jump on the couches beds etc.

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P.R.

answers from Cleveland on

Yup. I'm for all the exercise they can get. And I have two girls who aren't crazy so it's not out of hand.

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M.P.

answers from San Francisco on

No way! They can run and jump outside all they want. I find it disrespectful of the personal property that I worked hard to pay for. When they buy their own beds they can jump on them all they want. We have lots of goofy fun in other ways.

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D.B.

answers from Dallas on

Run, yes, but absolutely not in the kitchen. It's mostly the older boys letting their little brother chase them. When they get too wild I send them outside. Jump off furniture, only my 2 yr old, and that will probably end in another 6 months. We do have a mini trampoline that the boys will jump off of and land on the couch (great for bad weather days). No jumping on the beds beause the only options are a bunk bed and a toddler bed - not happening. But sometimes they jump on the top bunk when I'm otherwise occupied, which freaks me out. Sometimes I let my 2 yr old jump on the guest bed, but I really don't want to ruin the mattress. Looking at some other comments, I don't think it's confusing at all for kids to have different sets of rules for different locations. Yes, it's hard remembering all of the rules and controlling their impulses, but kids understand from a very early age that different behavior is expected in different places. There are home rules, friends' homes rules, inside rules, outside rules, church rules, school rules, etc. They also have a keen ability to know who will let them get away with what behavior.

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K.C.

answers from Philadelphia on

Well I'd prefer them not to, but they do sometimes run in the house. But jumping on the furniture and beds? Nope, no way, not allowed and I won't stand for it. I like my furniture and want it to last for a long time. Kids jumping all over it is the fastest way to wear it all down. If they get rowdy, I send them outside or into the basement.

On a completely separate note, I DO let my kids rollerblade in the house. Sometimes I join them. We'll even push the furniture out of the way. The floors can take it. And it's not a bang, bang, bang loud noise like running is.

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J.C.

answers from Rockford on

Oh boy. I have two boys a year apart, and, yes, there was running, jumping, climing, constructing forts, and some other creative manuevers I don't have formal names for. Everything and everyone survived and they knew never to do anything like that at other people's houses. Our house was not a free for all by any means, but the house did become their jungle gym at times, under supervision and with guidelines of course.

K.A.

answers from San Diego on

Absolutely not! But they try anyway..and I had a son break his ankle and the bookcase he jumped off of to the bed. He hit the footboard. They now know why we tell them not to jump off the furniture!

C.B.

answers from Kansas City on

we don't jump on the couch, or the beds. mostly because we don't have expensive new furniture - i doubt the beds and couch could take it and i can't afford to replace them! also no standing on/jumping off of furniture. now, we will "wrestle" and have tickle fights on our big bed, but not the other stuff. there's no running through the house. the dog starts getting crazy and i just can't take it.

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C.N.

answers from Baton Rouge on

No. Furniture is expensive and if she broke it jumping on it, I couldn't replace it. And jumping off furniture and running in the house could get her hurt.

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