Java SE (Java Platform, Standard Edition)

I suspect there is something simple here that I'm missing... Can anyone tell me how to define a Parent with fixed bounds for layout purposes, and not allow those bounds to change unless I change them explicitly/programmatically?

Most importantly, I don't want the bounds of the Parent to grow if a child is added which extends beyond the bounds that I've set.

I've found that I can add a "clip" to the parent and the child itself will be visually clipped at the correct place. However, the Parent bounds still grow, which causes the layout of the Parent to change within its own Parent.

Another way of stating the problem might be: How can I force the layoutBounds of a Parent to always match whatever "clip" I specify on the Parent?

Thanks!