I do move things around my house according to DS's stage of exploration. Anything I could not bare to lose is moved. Anything that would be expensive to fix is moved until further notice. It's just not worth the risk in our house - it's full of antique furniture and ornaments that have been in DP's family for about a hundred years! I have no compunction to make my house child-friendly for the few short years that it will take for our children will not understand the value of material things (come to think of it, maybe they're teaching US a lesson??). I figure, the rest of our world is un-child-friendly enough without them having to be on their 'best behaviour' at home, too. Now that DS is older, less needs to be kept out of his way because he is realising what we dont' want him into. If something gets broken I don't get mad at him (though I might exclaim in horror, initially!) and I don't consider it to be the 'wrong' thing - he doesn't understand 'wrong', he's exploring and experimenting with his environment and if he got to something and broke it, it's ultimately my own oversight that he got to it.
As you can see, I'm pretty relaxed about the whole thing - there's enough tension when we go to other people's places (where there are no children living there) to want to bring it home! I, personally, don't see anything wrong with catering for children and making things 'about them', including household arrangement of furniture and goods. It's the only time in their lives that this will be the case - the world will set them straight in good time!
So, to add to the mosaic of perspectives here, I never have worried about 'discipline', 'manners' etc. On a forum this can seem so one-dimensional and must point to a feral child outcome - I'm not going to write a thesis about my approach, just that I go by instinct and sensitivity to his needs and developmental stages (putting my psych degree to practical use!).
Do what sits right with you, not anyone else - you're only ultimately answerable to yourself and your child
Bookmarks