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.

He went in it today for 15 minutes, he was ok at first but eventually screamed the place down, my older son ended up getting in there with him to play.

We've got a jumperoo but he's only happy in it these days for 5 minutes.

He just wants to roam free, he's quite funny really he's so determined to climb onto the windowsill and we keep taking him away and saying no, he has a right tantrum. If he sees a door open he makes a run for it.

I don't like them. I think they should be allowed to explore home generally. And part of that is them 'helping' Hoover, stood on a stool for 'dinner prep', etc. I also think they get more tired out being able to crawl and wander around than in a confined space.
I don't really like the idea of bars and barriers where possible also, hence we didn't use cots either.
Two children, 1 year apart. Didn't feel we needed any of those things to make anything easier. They both would have screamed probably also

Those with large playpens, do you live in giant houses also? As very few homes really would have room for one unless it is literally in the middle of the room

I was going to say you have a climber, it wouldn't have taken him long to climb out of it anyway.
My best friend's dd was a climber. At 16 months she had the highchair, cot, travel cot, shopping trolley, play pen and car seat sussed.
Best friend was a permanently exhausted nervous wreck.

Those with large playpens, do you live in giant houses also? As very few homes really would have room for one unless it is literally in the middle of the room

Not giant but not tiny. About 165sqm
We have a normal living room and it takes up a fair amount of space. It is literally in the middle of the room. We can collapse it down if we need to or take two of the panels out to turn it from a hexagon to a square.
I'm happy with having one.

We have turned our into a ball pool now its no longer needed as play pen. Full of balls and kids climb in over the top....

we had a pack and play that doubled as an outdoor one, had a roof and everything.

It was great, we only used it in the awning of our caravan when we went on holiday, but at home, we'd put it up and unzip the side entrance and it doubled as a fantastic den/playhouse :)

My DD2 is such a different kettle of fish to DD1 - my mum was forever suggesting I get one, but space/finances/belief that my DD would simply scream blue murder even if left in it for a minute, prevented me. But I think it definitely is a good idea and completely acceptable.

Why is a playpen cruel? And why "extended use- that's when the trouble will start?" What trouble? Is the baby going to spontaneously combust? I think not.

Buy the baby cage and keep your child safe.

As always, moderation is best. They are great when cooking, showering, or even answering the door. It's not a child prison. Those are called nurseries and schools.

A playpen imo works better than safety gates. Put baby in when you can't watch them teach safety when you can.

Had one for my youngest and it was a god send, we had more of a fenced area (with it running from wall to wall in our living space to zone a safe area) than a cot type thing. It just isn't possible to baby proof all homes. My ds thought nothing of being in there and happily played for hours at a time, I could get on with jobs, he had his own space with all his toys, win win

Love our baby jail!!

Not huge, but he liked it in there when he was younger and used to curl up on the rug for a nap.

Just spent 4 months pretty much constantly in his cot when we were in so hoping he'll enjoy the upgrade to thr play pen!!

I had one when my daughter was a baby (she's now 20).
There was absolutely no point in baby proofing, she took it as a personal insult and would keep trying until she got over, through, or around it. (We eventually padlocked the bathroom cabinet, she got through the 'baby safe' lock in under a minute.)

But to be honest, the way I used it when she was of the creep/crawl/cruise age was that I kept her toys in there, and when she wanted to play with them she went in the "Toy corral" to play with them. Kept her safe and kept her toys from being all over the floor. Win-win.

We don't have a play pen but I have a travel cot permanently up in the living room to put dd (12 months) in if I need to nip to the loo or put a wash on etc. I don't want her to hurt herself whilst I'm not in the room and I don't want t to have to take her (plus the toddler) with me every time I need a wee.

my daughter (16 months) points and says "in dere!" when she wants to go in.

Possibly the fact that there are about 500 plastic balls in there to turn it into a ball pit for her helps.

Currently lying in ours as the Child climbs on me. Not sure how big it is but I can stretch out in it lying down and my feet dont touch the other side.
Kind of a necessity in our house, as we have a non sleeping feral ball of energy.

Neither of mine have ever been in one but that's because I never considered it... Looking back Inreckon it would have come in handy for dc2. She's 3 now and I reckon it's still come in handy

nah, Givemeabone my 3 year old climbs out now

wornout ohwell!

I had a wooden John Lewis one which got loads of use with both DC. The house was under renovation when DS1 was tiny, so it was handy to keep him safe if I had to nip upstairs or to hang washing out. DS2 used to ask to go in his often, he had all his favourite toys and books in there, plus comfy cushions so he loved it. After it stopped being used as often, it was handy for things like putting the Christmas tree inside, to stop DS2 from trying to climb it and wrecking it.

It was a bargain thinking about it - cost me £30 on ebay 10 years ago, was used for many years and I recently sold it on for £36!