Overreacting - climbing on couches

cocojack10

The boys love to climb on the couch.  Sometimes they just sit there calmly and watch their cartoons... but mostly they crawl around or, worse, walk around!  They love to turn off/on the switches that are on the wall too (which I don't mind if that were the only thing they did).

Everytime I see them start to get up, I say NO sternly, and when they continue to climb anyway, I take them down and say NO again.  I try to entertain them with a toy away from couch, but doesn't always work.  I'm very tired of say NO x2 on a daily/hourly basis.  They don't seem to want to climb on their when MIL or nanny are with them.

When DH is in the room and I'm not, he usually lets them.  Last night I got upset at him bc I felt that he was being counterproductive.  So we both started telling them NO and taking them down when they attempted.  We even threatened to a spank which they know what it means (at least we think they do).  They continued to do it.

Anyway, in am I being too "strict" and first time mommy with them?  Should I just let them explore, and if they fall down, well hopefully they learn?  Or am I doing right by making them get down, even though they don't listen?

FYI - there is an area rug with a padding underneath around border of couch, so they'd fall on that.