Bought a playpen for the baby

[Babyzoo]

What's your view on playpens? We've bought one for our youngest, never seemed to need one for eldest.

Youngest is 13 months and can't keep out of trouble. We've baby proofed as much as possible but for example, one of our sofas means he keeps climbing up onto the arm and onto the window sill. There's nowhere else we can move it as we have two sofas and the layout of the room means one has to be near a window. Another example is he climbs onto the sofa and gambols around so it's not safe to leave him in the sitting room.

He won't tolerate going in his highchair while I cook and he's even trying to climb out of that. He's got a chair but he can climb out of that too and hates it anyway.

Some people think playpens are cruel but can't think of another way.

Just got one - the biggest one we could find. Had two adults and ds in it today playing, and still space to crawl and climb.
Everything in moderation. But it's great for that 'I just need to put the laundry on/clean the floor' stuff. I can't carry him for long due to back and hip problems so it's a very useful thing for me,
Of course he's not plonked in it half the day.

pirate the house is as baby proofed as it can be. I watch him constantly. The playpen is huge - how am I supposed to, say, mop the floor with him roaming free? (Or build a bookcase, or put pictures up, or cook?) Much better he's in the pen watching me /pile of books and I'm signing daft songs about mops, no?

I had my DC close in age so when #2 was born she went in the large playpen from birth so I could get tasks completed without worrying what #1 may do to her. It was one of the hexagonal ones

Lots of toys in there just for use in there etc. so it was actually more like a mini playroom.

PirateFairy45

Your life sounds amazing! You must live in a very minimalist house with lots of help - I'm v jealous .

Mine isn't quite a year old yet, but he's already a bit of a climber. Our living room is a bit small, (and we have a fridge in it, annoyingly), but have managed a playpen which has been a lifesaver in terms of cooking/toilet/10 mins to remember how to think. He has a playroom with lots of space to 'explore', I feel zero guilt for his 'baby prison'. Hell, I wish I had a little prison where I could do what I wanted for half an hour, these kids don't know how lucky they are .

I had one that 99% of the time was used as a giant toy box. However rather than having to take the dogs with me to quickly stir a pan, or dd with me for a wee, I'd sit her in it for 2 minutes. She was quite happy, presumably because it was a novelty.

I think originally the plan had been to use it when I cooked, but dd generally sat and banged pans across the kitchen till she was old enough to 'help'.

Nothing wrong with them in very small doses.

We just had stairgates for DS1 too. DS1 was very nervous of heights as a toddler. Still is, really.

It was a bit of a shock when DS2 turned out to be such a climber. He's a bit more sensible about it now, but will still merrily tackle climbing frames in the park that DS1 is too scared to go near, despite being 2 years younger and more than a head shorter than DS1.

JustHappy, I'm sorry, I came across as really flippant.

I'm all for play pens. Dd had one with toys in, and used to go in herself (when the gate was open) to sit there and read or play.

I used to shut it occasionally when I went to the loo or was cooking dinner..
At Christmas, I put the Christmas tree in there and it stopped dd and the pets trying to climb it.

Like others said, it's only a problem if it's used for hours and hours in the day.. Occasionally being shut in somewhere for safety is just fine IMO. I always rathered dd screeched in the play pen for a few minutes than did her self serious harm climbing and falling off something.

I had some toys that DS was only allowed in the playpen. He used to ask to go in.

Flogging molly - no you didn't! Sorry - i just wanted to clarify what i meant.

OMG - put the xmas tree in a playpen! That is genius. I may buy one after all. I'd been pondering how thay was going to work this year and thinking we may not be able to have one. Thank you!

my dm said she had a playpen when we were little, and she used to stand in it and iron

We have one for DD as if she's not in one and we are at home she is everywhere and in everything. Much easier to put her in there with a load or toys and she can play in a safe space whilst I get a few bits done. If she doesn't want to be in there she cries and I get her out. Sometimes she can happily play for up to an hour whilst I cook though. Surely it's not bad for her if she is enjoying herself in there? I would only think it was a bad thing if a child was in there for hours a day and not going outside or having stimulation, or was unhappy in there.

Completely agree weddings

We had one when our youngest was a baby, called it baby jail too

It was more to keep him safe from the eldest as he was very rough and as soon as you turned around he would be after him! It made life so much easier, especially when cooking.

Why have a play pen? Watch your child and baby proof your home. Simple.
Not simple. Please tell me how you baby proof your house when the risk to your baby is their older sibling?
I had a small age gap (1 year) and the eldest is autistic (though I didn't know that at the time). Whenever the baby got too close to him or interfered with anything he was doing, I couldn't trust his reaction.
The playpen was perfect. It allowed me to keep them safe from each other while I cooked. That's the only time I used it so it lived in the kitchen.

Why have a play pen? Watch your child and baby proof your home. Simple

There's always one What does "baby proof your home" even mean? Remove everything they can climb on? Everything they can pull at too? How are the other 5 people in my house supposed to live comfortably too?

I have one that can be a pen or stretched out, wouldn't be without it. Really handy.

Why have a play pen? Watch your child and baby proof your home. Simple

pirate fairy, you sound amazing, please do share your baby proofing home tips! Please enlighten us!

OP you sound like a great level headed mum, playpen no issue in the way you intend to use it!

I wonder how long before DS climbs out of it .......

Yes our Christmas Tree and all the gifts used to go in the playpen also stopped the cats from attacking it as well as the toddlers!

We used ours for all sorts - mainly to keep them safe when we had to go out the room. As others say, we stored fave toys in it, so it was a treat, not a punishment.
Also used it for the Christmas tree
Also used it on the grass when i was mowing the lawn
At various stages used kt to stop older one being harrassed by baby if trying to do a jigsaw or something.

We always called it 'the prison'
Wish I'd not given it to a colleague (I've lost touch with) now, as I'd love to be able to pass it down for any future grandchildren.

Pirate fairy, how do you Hoover safely with your baby wild and free?

pirate presume your post was supposed to be funny? Made me laugh anyway.

It's totally fine as a safety thing while you are getting a job done, its not ok when they are used as round the clock babysitters.

They can be very useful. When you have to go to the loo, do something that needs doing but that would be dangerous with a small, crawling person zooming about, etc. DGD was very happy to go in her travel cot while I went to the loo or cleaned up after her very messy meals, or washed her bottles up. She isn't a big fan of her jumperoo and is happy to fossick about with her books and toys in her playpen for a little bit. It makes me laugh because I'll be just a yard or so away from her swabbing her highchair down, and she keeps standing up and waving and grinning at me, like she's not seen me for years. Very cute. It's fine for short periods while essential (but not long) jobs are done imo. And as long as they can see/hear you if possible. Some places you can't totally baby-proof, esp rental properties with little storage.