diff --git a/src/Editor/Ghost.Editor.Core/Controls/Internal/Docking/DockGroupNode.cs b/src/Editor/Ghost.Editor.Core/Controls/Internal/Docking/DockGroupNode.cs
index 02ea774..ed0ebc8 100644
--- a/src/Editor/Ghost.Editor.Core/Controls/Internal/Docking/DockGroupNode.cs
+++ b/src/Editor/Ghost.Editor.Core/Controls/Internal/Docking/DockGroupNode.cs
@@ -7,12 +7,45 @@ namespace Ghost.Editor.Core.Controls.Internal.Docking;
 public partial class DockGroupNode : DockNode
 {
     [ObservableProperty]
-    private Orientation _orientation = Orientation.Horizontal;
+    public partial Orientation Orientation { get; set; }
+
+    public DockGroupNode()
+    {
+        Orientation = Orientation.Horizontal;
+    }
 
     public ObservableCollection<DockNode> Children { get; } = new();
 
     public void AddChild(DockNode node)
     {
+        ArgumentNullException.ThrowIfNull(node);
+
+        if (node == this)
+        {
+            throw new InvalidOperationException("Cannot add a node to itself.");
+        }
+
+        if (Children.Contains(node))
+        {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        // Check for cycles
+        var current = this.Parent;
+        while (current != null)
+        {
+            if (current == node)
+            {
+                throw new InvalidOperationException("Cannot add an ancestor as a child (cycle detected).");
+            }
+            current = current.Parent;
+        }
+
+        if (node.Parent != null && node.Parent != this)
+        {
+            node.Parent.RemoveChild(node);
+        }
+
         node.Parent = this;
         Children.Add(node);
     }
diff --git a/src/Editor/Ghost.Editor.Core/Controls/Internal/Docking/DockNode.cs b/src/Editor/Ghost.Editor.Core/Controls/Internal/Docking/DockNode.cs
index ba0aa3a..795e754 100644
--- a/src/Editor/Ghost.Editor.Core/Controls/Internal/Docking/DockNode.cs
+++ b/src/Editor/Ghost.Editor.Core/Controls/Internal/Docking/DockNode.cs
@@ -5,5 +5,5 @@ namespace Ghost.Editor.Core.Controls.Internal.Docking;
 public abstract partial class DockNode : ObservableObject
 {
     [ObservableProperty]
-    private DockGroupNode? _parent;
+    public partial DockGroupNode? Parent { get; set; }
 }
diff --git a/src/Editor/Ghost.Editor.Core/Controls/Internal/Docking/DockPanelNode.cs b/src/Editor/Ghost.Editor.Core/Controls/Internal/Docking/DockPanelNode.cs
index 6d3f471..f7906da 100644
--- a/src/Editor/Ghost.Editor.Core/Controls/Internal/Docking/DockPanelNode.cs
+++ b/src/Editor/Ghost.Editor.Core/Controls/Internal/Docking/DockPanelNode.cs
@@ -8,8 +8,64 @@ public partial class DockPanelNode : DockNode
     public ObservableCollection<object> Items { get; } = new();
 
     [ObservableProperty]
-    private int _selectedIndex = -1;
+    public partial int SelectedIndex { get; set; }
 
     [ObservableProperty]
-    private object? _selectedItem;
+    public partial object? SelectedItem { get; set; }
+
+    public DockPanelNode()
+    {
+        SelectedIndex = -1;
+        Items.CollectionChanged += OnItemsCollectionChanged;
+    }
+
+    private void OnItemsCollectionChanged(object? sender, System.Collections.Specialized.NotifyCollectionChangedEventArgs e)
+    {
+        if (Items.Count == 0)
+        {
+            SelectedIndex = -1;
+            SelectedItem = null;
+        }
+        else if (SelectedIndex >= Items.Count)
+        {
+            SelectedIndex = Items.Count - 1;
+        }
+        else if (SelectedIndex == -1 && Items.Count > 0)
+        {
+            SelectedIndex = 0;
+        }
+    }
+
+    partial void OnSelectedIndexChanged(int value)
+    {
+        if (value >= 0 && value < Items.Count)
+        {
+            SelectedItem = Items[value];
+        }
+        else if (value == -1)
+        {
+            SelectedItem = null;
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            // Clamp or reset if out of bounds
+            SelectedIndex = Items.Count > 0 ? 0 : -1;
+        }
+    }
+
+    partial void OnSelectedItemChanged(object? value)
+    {
+        if (value == null)
+        {
+            SelectedIndex = -1;
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            int index = Items.IndexOf(value);
+            if (index != -1)
+            {
+                SelectedIndex = index;
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/Test/Ghost.UnitTest/DockingModelTest.cs b/src/Test/Ghost.UnitTest/DockingModelTest.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2bd2f04
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Test/Ghost.UnitTest/DockingModelTest.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
+using Ghost.Editor.Core.Controls.Internal.Docking;
+using Microsoft.UI.Xaml.Controls;
+using Microsoft.VisualStudio.TestTools.UnitTesting;
+
+namespace Ghost.UnitTest;
+
+[TestClass]
+public class DockingModelTest
+{
+    [TestMethod]
+    public void TestAddChild_SetsParent()
+    {
+        var group = new DockGroupNode();
+        var child = new DockPanelNode();
+
+        group.AddChild(child);
+
+        Assert.AreEqual(group, child.Parent);
+        Assert.IsTrue(group.Children.Contains(child));
+    }
+
+    [TestMethod]
+    public void TestAddChild_RemovesFromOldParent()
+    {
+        var group1 = new DockGroupNode();
+        var group2 = new DockGroupNode();
+        var child = new DockPanelNode();
+
+        group1.AddChild(child);
+        group2.AddChild(child);
+
+        Assert.AreEqual(group2, child.Parent);
+        Assert.IsFalse(group1.Children.Contains(child));
+        Assert.IsTrue(group2.Children.Contains(child));
+    }
+
+    [TestMethod]
+    public void TestAddChild_PreventsCycle()
+    {
+        var group1 = new DockGroupNode();
+        var group2 = new DockGroupNode();
+
+        group1.AddChild(group2);
+        bool thrown = false;
+        try
+        {
+            group2.AddChild(group1);
+        }
+        catch (InvalidOperationException)
+        {
+            thrown = true;
+        }
+        Assert.IsTrue(thrown);
+    }
+
+    [TestMethod]
+    public void TestRemoveChild_ClearsParent()
+    {
+        var group = new DockGroupNode();
+        var child = new DockPanelNode();
+
+        group.AddChild(child);
+        group.RemoveChild(child);
+
+        Assert.IsNull(child.Parent);
+        Assert.IsFalse(group.Children.Contains(child));
+    }
+
+    [TestMethod]
+    public void TestPanel_SelectionSync_IndexToItem()
+    {
+        var panel = new DockPanelNode();
+        var item1 = new object();
+        var item2 = new object();
+
+        panel.Items.Add(item1);
+        panel.Items.Add(item2);
+
+        panel.SelectedIndex = 1;
+        Assert.AreEqual(item2, panel.SelectedItem);
+
+        panel.SelectedIndex = 0;
+        Assert.AreEqual(item1, panel.SelectedItem);
+
+        panel.SelectedIndex = -1;
+        Assert.IsNull(panel.SelectedItem);
+    }
+
+    [TestMethod]
+    public void TestPanel_SelectionSync_ItemToIndex()
+    {
+        var panel = new DockPanelNode();
+        var item1 = new object();
+        var item2 = new object();
+
+        panel.Items.Add(item1);
+        panel.Items.Add(item2);
+
+        panel.SelectedItem = item2;
+        Assert.AreEqual(1, panel.SelectedIndex);
+
+        panel.SelectedItem = item1;
+        Assert.AreEqual(0, panel.SelectedIndex);
+
+        panel.SelectedItem = null;
+        Assert.AreEqual(-1, panel.SelectedIndex);
+    }
+
+    [TestMethod]
+    public void TestPanel_CollectionChanged_UpdatesSelection()
+    {
+        var panel = new DockPanelNode();
+        var item1 = new object();
+        
+        panel.Items.Add(item1);
+        Assert.AreEqual(0, panel.SelectedIndex);
+        Assert.AreEqual(item1, panel.SelectedItem);
+
+        panel.Items.Remove(item1);
+        Assert.AreEqual(-1, panel.SelectedIndex);
+        Assert.IsNull(panel.SelectedItem);
+    }
+}