Too much time in playpen for toddler?

[lexiss]

This morning DS 17 months woke up at 6am. I got up bf him and put him in the playpen. It is one of those extra large, hexagonal playpens.

Around 6.15 I gave him some water and changed his nappy. Then I went back to bed after making sure the playpen had only safe toys and the baby monitor was plugged in.

I fell asleep and woke up at 8.30. I went out to see DS and he was happily playing with this toys. He is very into small manipulative puzzles, shape boxes, stacking cups etc at the moment and he was busy playing with these.

He had been in the playpen for nearly 2.5 hours! Is this too long? Is there a problem that he plays happliy for this length of time by himself?

Most days I have a nap during the day for an hour or so and DS spends this time in the playpen but I have never left him for 2.5 hours before.

What do you think about this?

Oh my giddy aunt, what the flaming heck has CC got to do with this thread? There seems to be, hopefully a minority of parents, who think what you need to raise a child is damning judgements and a smug attitude.

The op came on here for advice, she's happily taken it on board with good grace and some posters on this thread are taking the opportunity to bash her and anyone else that doesn't conform with their parenting rather than offer anything constructive.

OP - I think you have gathered that it might not be a good idea to leave the room as he plays, incase something happens and to set an alarm but I hope you can get some help for your insomnia. It's better that you get some sleep while your DC is in a safe environment, rather than you falling asleep driving or something dangerous. Do you have anyone who can help out during the day? Have you tried your GP for any advice?

Good luck.

You know when you wish you could reach into the screen and squeeeeze.....

Ok Golden I get that you're feeling backed into a corner and so are coming out fighting but you seem to have completely missed that fact that plenty of other posters have a similar opinion to yours yet they seem to have managed to express that without being so aggressive about it.

In fact most posters, I think, have said that they don't think that routinely leaving a toddler alone for 2.5 hours is a good idea.

Unfortunately the thread has become this bun-fighty nonsense because somehow you have linked one un-wise sleep-deprived incident with persistent neglect.

Surely you must see that that is a very extreme connection to make on the basis of such limited information?

It's fine and normal to have strong opinions on certain things but you keep leaving a very important three words out of your posts. If you add in my opinion it really will change people's perception of you.

It's not wrong that your ds spends that amount of time in a play pen my dd has spent longer sometimes but don't sleep in another room! If your so tired then have someone watch him or sleep in the same room! The only time I ever fall asleep while having dd is when I can't keep my eyes open! IMO its rather irresponsible! A young baby that is in their cot yes( if they are napping to) not a toddler!

That's interesting purple. I have no issue with having a stairgate on the kitchen for example, or even on his bedroom door if I felt he needed it. But playpens just make me feel a bit weird.

I'm not averse to having a 10 minute doze on the sofa while DS rampages round the living room though.

See you say you are adverse to playpens but dozing and letting young dc run rampage is far worse IMO I would be far more aversed to leave a toddler loose anywhere where they can harm themselves. And no not everything can be baby proofed.

Interestingly I would never leave ds in a room with a safety gate on the door (can't use safety gates anyway as we rent) as he has a habit of fiddling with the power switches (sockets are always covered but it is still too risky for me).

lexiss that's total bull about not being able to use safety gate a because u rent? I've rented 2 different properties now and used safety gates in both! You just use he pressure fix ones??

I wouldn't dare to have a doze on the sofa while DS rampaged around the living room.

He tends to try climbing up things, and as he's only 15 months old, he has very little idea about what's safe to climb on and over.

But he's not tall enough to get out of the playpen yet, unless I was daft enough to leave a toy large enough to act as a step in the playpen.

lexiss - I'm not understanding the connection between safety gates and power switches?

So ime playpens are much safer. I often get in there with him too for a play as well and it doesn't n feel like a cage. I think it might be a case of what you are used to.

About the gp, I hadn't thought there was anything they could do for me, not interested in sleeping pills or anything like that. But I will mention it next time I go.

purple referring to people who leave their child alone in a room with a safety gate

purple referring to people who leave their child alone in a room with a safety gate on the door rather than a playpen. In a room there would be power sockets, in a playpen none.

I didn't actually think anyone used play pens any more. Thought they were a bit 1970s. My DCs would never have stayed in them. They didn't like cots much either!

In answer to your question re what you do about showering/ going to the toilet. Unfortunately you just have to take them with you which is not particularly relaxing but preferably to having them screaming for you whilst you take a 5 min shower(until about 18 months or so when mine could usually stay downstairs in a largely childproofed room for a couple of minutes whilst I had a wee).

Now I have 2 I sometimes have to take one with me as they are liable to start killing each other when I'm out of the room.

piglet that is interesting, when I looked into it people said the pressure ones weren't as secure or left marks. What brand do you use?

Why would an adult get into the playpen so they can play with their child?

Our living room is baby proofed, and I don't fall asleep properly. I guess I let him rampage around while I'm awake and on mumsnet anyway and pretty much just let him roam free in the house (excepting kitchen and bathroom. It's not like he would let me sleep anyway, he'd be too busy trying to stick his fingers up my nose or bash his wooden blocks together. He's not a climber (not walking yet either), so maybe I'll have to start paying more attention if he starts climbing!

I do obviously play with my child, BTW. But he's pretty happy entertaining himself while I potter/cook/internet/close my eyes and listen to him blow raspberries in my face.

lexiss we use lindam ones. Really secure and only ever leave marks if you over tighten them! Easy to install + removed! My dd (2.3) attempts to climb them! And they don't budge!

gilbert our playpen is quite spacious, hexagonal nearly 2 m across and has mesh sides instead of bars. It doesn't resemble a cage at all, more like a cubby.

I have the mothercare pressure ones lexiss and they don't leave any marks and they are definitely secure :)

Put furniture in front of plug sockets.

I'm debating getting ours out next month and putting the Christmas tree in it though. Seems like the only way to keep it safe?

" our playpen is quite spacious, hexagonal nearly 2 m across and has mesh sides instead of bars. It doesn't resemble a cage at all, more like a cubby"

Was going to say I would use one now my children are older as a den- I love making dens for them but the sheets over chairs variety always collapse and I spend much of my time re building them. I'm hoping to buy a huge playtent instead!