Recommendations for playpen hating nearly 8 month old!

[HeartOfADog]

Dd is almost 8 months and is crawling well, she can whizz round the room and always heads straight for plug sockets, wires, shelves etc. we haven't child proofed the flat yet and even then I wouldn't be keen to leave her on her own, so I put her in the playpen when I go out the room. The problem is, she HATES it and will spend the whole time sobbing and screaming uncontrollably. This makes toilet trips, showers, washing up etc a bit stressful!

I was going to buy a walker but they are not cheap and I seem to spend forever buying new things which take up space and she doesn't necessary even use them for long. Has anyone got any tips, do you think a walker is the best solution?

Thanks.

[SeptemberBabies]

Best solution?

Child proof the house as much as you can and then allow her some independence.

[BranchingOut]

Walkers are not recommended for safety and developmental reasons.

I suggest getting on with the baby proofing - it is going to be a fact of life for the next year or so! The other thing is to take her with you when you go into the bathroom - she can crawl around, play with bath toys, or maybe sit her at the end of the bath in her bath seat while you shower?

In the meantime, leave the gate of the playpen open and set up interesting things in there, so that she wants to crawl in and have a look. Shakers, musical instruments, crinkly paper... Buy small toys from charity shops that you can keep back and bring out for these moments. She is also at the perfect age for a treasure basket.

[BranchingOut]

Maybe consider a stair gate on the most child-proof area so she still has some freedom but can't get to the kitchen etc.

[HeartOfADog]

Thanks very much, I guess we will have to get on with child proofing! The idea about putting her in her seat in the bath is really good (and quite obvious but obvious solutions seem to pass me by these days...)

I'll not waste my money on a walker

[mumofboyo]

Baby proof and let her follow you.
Can I just say, though, that if you live in Britain you don't need to babyproof your plug sockets as they already have a robust safety mechanism built into them making it nigh-on impossible to elecrocute yourself with them - unless you override that safety mechanism with socket covers.

[CantThinkOfAGoodUserName]

Ok I was in same position as you so here's what I did and DD is nearly 10 months. I baby proofed where needed, where she kept going to, I got foam corners and strips to cover tv stand and corner tables. Put a gate on kitchen doorway. Decorated travel cot aka playpen with toys ( she doesn't mind it now as toys are new and different to ones she has out of there. I also made little boxes up of crap treasure to put on floor in bathroom or wherever she wanted to desperately be for her to explore while I did my business.
I hardly ever pee in peace anymore!

[NickyEds]

My DS is 9 months and we've just baby proofed and let him get on with it. He's so much happier now he can just roam around the living room. I still wouldn't leave him for any period of time but i can at least make a cup of tea! Don't bother with a walker-DS is just learning by cruising on the furniture and would see any walker as an imprisoning device and just kick off in it as much as in a play pen!

[poocatcherchampion]

Take them with you. Babies want to be with their carers.

[ThinkIveBeenHacked]

I showered at night, sat dd in a highchair in the kitchen while I did the dishes, and just sort of "risked it" with loo trips (we have a downstairs bathroom so I was never that far away).

You could also stick her in her cot while you pee or shower, with toys and books.