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?

He might have had a nap, I hadn't thought of that. The playpen is over carpet and had a cushion in it as well.

I am usually a fairly light sleeper, so I don't think he was crying.

When I went to him he was happily playing with his toys. He didn't look upset at all.

Those saying it is a cage, do you not use a cot then? That is similar to a cage as well.

Are you speaking to me Brandy? I never said anything about abandonment or neglect you see so i am confused?

I still think the situations you describe are differant to the one OP does, i.e you were not asleep, it was not for as long and i assume you checked on your DD from time to time and interacted with her?

OP if you think he probably had a nap you have nothing to worry about. You obviously know your child and his behavior much better than anyone else so just go with your own gut feelings.

I don't interact with my DS while he is in his room before I get him up. When he was in a baby cage cot he would play happily with a few toys and books for up to an hour before calling for me - that's a confined space too. What red flags is that raising?

Katie you bolded my last statement

My d would of been happy playing by herself for 2 hours with a couple of saucepans and a wooden spoon. Or I would put dora the bloody explorer/wonder pets and she would be transfixed for as long as the tv was on for.

But did you leave her totally alone in a seperate room while she did this? If not how would you know she would have been happy doing so?

I was answering you and yes you did say this was not normal behaviour.

I know this has descended rather but I cannot get over these children who can be left alone for long periods. I can't leave DD (2yo) or five minutes. She doesn't like it and will get into trouble.

Mrsterry if it's any consolation my ds was nothing like my dd and was a complete terror, although not clingy to the point I couldn't have a bath in peace.

OP I think you should try gina ford sleep training cc then you will wake up after a lovely 8hr sleep.

2.5 hrs !!!! Oh come on what 17 month old can play that long? My DS used to play incredibly well on his own, everyone would remark on it, he would set up 'worlds' with plastic characters interacting and talking at 2.5 and could do so for an hour but in comparison to his peers he was very advanced in doing this. He could also do 40 piece puzzles on his own and have the concentration to do so but I just don't believe a 17 month old could entertain themselves for 2.5 hrs without having been left in this pen for long periods before. 2.5 hrs awake MUST have left him wondering whether you would return. It is not extreme neglect but there are degrees of neglect. I don't think it's right to leave a child in a room with a gate on either. Both seem very sad situations.

Every parent I know bar one has got up at 6 to start the day if that's when their toddler rises. It is not night- Ffs what indulgent lives a lot of you must lead. My DP regular has to leave at 6.30 if he is commuting to London. I see loads of people walking past my kitchen window at that time to the station. I did it myself for 2.5 years- shock, horror, 6 is sometimes the start of the day for some!

Er there is a huge differance between 'up to an hour' and 2.5 hours.

Er I said 2, stop trying to pick things out and twist them around you know bloody well what I'm saying.

From 20ish months he would play for up to 2 hours if he didn't nap.

Anyway, as has been said he probably went back to sleep for a bit between 6am and 8am.

It's "indulgent" not to get up at 6am? What a weird way of looking at life. I don't care if some people have a long commute, I don't - so why would I get up at 6am if I didn't have to?

I would imagine the GF book and the Lazy CC has been done already in this scenario. The big tell tale signs being a 17 month old not objecting to their 2 1/2hrs in isolation!

Oh and I have never done CC or left DS to cry :)

It is weird to think 6 am is the night? It is NOT the night. It is the time a lot of people HAVE to get up.

Some people have to get up at 5am, some people work night shifts - so? I didn't have to get up at 3am, 4am, 5am, 6am, so I didn't

But MrsDeVere, it is indulgent to get up later than anyone else, ever.

If your toddler has slept all night and they are ready to get up at 6 then that would be the reason you have to get up.

*Brandy i was talking to sam not you!

to your comments i said that if you left your dd alone totally unchecked for 2 hours yes i think this is very wrong. If you checked in on her then this is totally differant.

You do know that not having enough sleep is not very good for you, don't you? I can link you to any number of studies on this. Yes, inevitably the first few months of your babies' lives almost always mean not getting enough of the stuff, but you are raising your risk of all kinds of conditions, including heart disease and stroke, if you go on for year after year without much of it.

What if they are ready to get up at 5am, or 4am Goldenbear?

Instead of WTTBSA MrsDV can you start one called WTIDCABOD? Weird things I don't care about but others do. Waking times, how much you wash your towels, ironing underwear, subjects that people on MN spend time and energy thinking about... weirdly.

I am also of people whose toddlers sleep past 5am 6am.