Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6

Original poster

To get a play pen

126 replies

Myusername101z · 23/10/2018 17:36

Can I ask your advice on play pens if you got one would you recommend them ? Baby just started crawling and like all babies is constantly going after the things she shouldn’t, I am unsure how she would take to it and if it’s actually necessary ? Dh wants us to get one for her and fil has offered to pay for it kindly. We do have a large living room so there is room , opinions please

OP posts:

Sportsnight · 24/10/2018 14:31

We got one because it seemed like a good idea, but it ended up used as an expensive clothes horse and I just gave up on the idea of weeing in privacy ever again. But, we didn’t bother with stair gates either for a long time so have a fairly lax approach. I do cut grapes in half, I’m not a monster.

Toomuchworking · 24/10/2018 14:47

We called ours the baby prison, and just got it as we were renovating a house and DD (15 months) had to come along to "help" quite often. She bloody hated it, we ended up just letting her do her thing and put all the dangerous and painty stuff in the prison. Total waste of money but I guess they must be good for some kids!

OatsBeansBarley · 24/10/2018 14:57

We had one for all the kids . Used it less than I thought we would but then again it was so useful if the doorbell went or to go to the loo. Passed it on still in good condition so it didn't seem too much of a waste.

Patienceisvirtuous · 24/10/2018 15:01

We use one - open at all times as toy storage. DS loves playing in there. I occasionally lock the gate if I need a wee etc!

Cineraria · 24/10/2018 15:21

I have a nice umbrella style pop up one that you can put up and down with one hand. It's a bit like the Summer Infant Pop n Play except that it has padding around the crossed joints of each panel. It's been great in the house when I have to dash out of the room for a bit and also in the garden when they need a mat to sit or lie on anyway and sometimes still do. I used to go inside it with them at first until they got used to it. It is really comfortable and DS1 and I nodded off in it once on a hot, sunny day when I was pregnant with DS2.

Sometimes I go inside it instead of them if I want to watch them while I do something a bit delicate or dangerous (like tape their worn out books back together, replace the hammered in snap fasteners on their clothes or use a screwdriver to replace the batteries in a toy) without any help from them. I got that idea from DM who had a much larger, sturdier fixed one and used to do the ironing in it while DB whizzed around on his little trike!

I can't say that my two felt negatively about going in it. They like being in it as much as their small tent and tunnel set, ball pit or paddling pool. I think children often like being in small spaces. It also just occurred to me that DS1 could use it to play with toys that are too small to be safe for his brother like threading beads and proper Lego.

redexpat · 24/10/2018 15:33

Ds loved the playpen. Made into aball pool for him.
Dd hated it.

LouiseEH · 24/10/2018 16:01

I have a travel cot set up in the corner of the lounge which I use as a play pen.

I only put DD in it when I have to leave the room (toilet, cooking dinner, etc) she really hates it in there but it’s for her own safety.

Poodles1980 · 24/10/2018 16:07

We call ours the baby cage. It’s a travel cot and I really don’t care if people think they are going to make my child a damaged psychotic adult. It’s great t be able to go to the loo or have a cup of tea.

lovetherisingsun · 24/10/2018 16:18

Tried to, just so I could have a wee for 20 seconds without an 18 monrh old screaming and pulling at my clothes. He just knocked the thing down.

LynseyLou1982 · 24/10/2018 16:33

I'm going to use my travel cot as a baby jail. My DS has just started crawling he's into everything and anything and even though we've baby proofed I dont want to leave him in the living room whilst I nip to the loo or go to the door or make a drink. I've got a jumperoo in the kitchen but he'll be too big for that soon as he's a tall boy and I use his cot when we're upstairs

starpatch · 24/10/2018 18:50

I had one. Open plan kitchen/living room and it was much more practical to have a playpen and pop him in when I was taking things in and out of the oven. I was worried he would get hurt otherwise.

LoniceraJaponica · 24/10/2018 19:59

I think the trick is to start using them before the baby is toddling around. I started using a playpen when DD was about 8 months old. It had a padded base so she often used to fall asleep in it.

doomkittycleo · 24/10/2018 20:23

I think it depends how you use it. I bought one for DD after an incident where she managed to pull a speaker onto herself in the space of 1 minute when I was emptying the dishwasher (no judgmental comments please as I beat myself up about it enough).

I had been asking DP to secure them to the wall for months, but he didn’t think she was mobile enough to warrant it yet.

Anyway, I now use it to keep her safe when I’m out of the room for a few minutes, but also as she has recently started pulling up to standing and cruising I find it a perfect tool for her to practice.

She pulled herself up to standing for the first time in the one in the gym changing room after her swimming lesson and I figured it was perfect for her to practice. I put it up about 3 months before DP installed baby gates.

The think is because I sometimes get in it with her and play with her, she doesn’t see it as a bad place to be. She sees it as a fun place where several of her toys are and will excitedly jump up and down holding the bars.

I think whether it’s a good think or not depends on how you use it.

MaryShelley1818 · 24/10/2018 20:30

We use a travel cot which we affectionately name “Baby Jail”
We have a large open plan living room/kitchen/diner - then the toilet is through the back through the other side of the utility room. It’s just common sense to keep him safe when I need to do certain things.
He probably spends up to 15mins a day in there in total and absolutely loves it! He bounces up and down, has a few special toys in there and learned to walk in there as it was safe for him to go from side to side and fall down without getting hurt (we also have solid wood flooring).

BusyMum47 · 24/10/2018 21:19

Oh dear god, some people on here are so bloody judgemental! It's not like you're planning on using one to 'cage' & ignore your child for ages! We had one when our 12mth old son was into everything, crawling at the speed of light & would try to terrorise the poor dog at every given opportunity! It was a godsend to pop him in for very short periods of time when I needed to nip to the loo, hang the washing out, feed the dog, etc - he's now a perfectly well adjusted, happy, intelligent 11yr old- no harm done!!!!

Paris14eme · 24/10/2018 21:46

I have 4 boys and the last 2 were twins. I got a playpen for my twins when they were crawling around -just so I could answer the door, go to the loo, empty the washing machine etc etc. It was a godsend. I have been both a SAHM and a working parent. The former is much, much harder than the latter, believe me! The playpen wasn’t used often but I’m sure I averted lots of accidents and 2 little pairs of hands down the loo lots of times ( the older 2 would leave the downstairs loo door open despite pleading with them to shut it!). It gave me peace of mind for 2 minutes a day! Well worth the money.

bluesky45 · 24/10/2018 22:01

We have one that opens out. It's often used as a sort of wall or something to block off various things like the TV! I think it's a bit small when it's made into the octagon or whatever shape it is. I do use it as a proper play pen when we are doing messy play or painting or something, it's absolutely brilliant for that. Strip baby down to his nappy, put a plastic sheet down on the floor, put the play pen over it and put baby in with paint (usually me also stripped to underwear so my clothes aren't wrecked!). Keeps my carpet clean and stops painty handprint getting everywhere they aren't supposed to! We find it pretty useful in its various forms and uses. We got it quite cheap on facebook marketplace, there's quite a lot going on there in our area.

Minster2012 · 24/10/2018 22:08

Haven’t read the full thread but definitely agree with playpens. I have 14 week old & a nice wooden playpen was 1 of 1st purchases...we have 2 dogs, including 9 month old big pointer pup not used to babies so from day 1 our Moses basket downstairs was “caged” to protect baby from being knocked onto stone floor by DDog2. Moses basket due to come out this weekend & the level of bottom of pen raised to create safe level to rest DS on it for tummy time & somewhere to be put down etc when I nip to loo still and safe from dogs.

Is also great place to throw his toys at end of the day. My In laws had one for nephew in kitchen & nephew sat happily playing in pen whilst we all ate food & at that point I decided it was a brilliant idea. My friends hate them but for us in an open plan kitchen it’s a must for crawling too like you.

Give them some sensory toys and it’s a safe den for short periods to do jobs I think

DDogs1 & 2 now both love their small human but obviously not let alone with him, they have their own cages to retreat to when they’ve had enough

Figmentofimagination · 24/10/2018 22:30

I have similar Bluesky. I have a six sided "baby cage" with a gate as one of the sides. At first I used to have it closed so I could pop DS in there whilst I did jobs etc as my living room wasn't baby proofed. It then got opened up to block of the side table, bookcase and fireplace when we baby proofed the living room a bit more (gates across the living room door and dining room door), and meant DS had more space to roam about but was still safe in the room.
It's now been split into 2 as we have rearranged the room and turned the bookcase into toy storage with lots of baskets. So half now blocks off the fireplace, and the other half blocks off the side table, plugs and tall lamp. The gate part is right in front of the fireplace so I can still get to it if I need to, but don't need to keep moving it like a fire guard.

MrsMummyBx · 24/10/2018 23:57

I bought a big plastic playpen - he multicoloured kind - it was AMAZING. My son played happily in there and it gave me some time where I knew he wouldn't be getting into mischief. Unfortunately he grew out of it after a few months but would 100 percent recommend.

JoeElliotsMullet · 25/10/2018 12:55

Yes, I used one with both my dds because I liked not finding them perched on top of bookcases after I'd been to the loo.

Rarotonga · 25/10/2018 13:07

We had a pretty large one when ds was younger. I was following the advice of Janet Lansbury who suggested having a space where there are no nos, where baby is safe to explore everything and you don't have to redirect or distract them. My little one liked pulling himself up and then cruising around the outside. We made it cosy and he had a few toys in there, which we rotated every few days. We went in there together and he was happy to play in there on his own whilst I nipped to the door or put a wash on. He often chose to go in there rather than climbing the furniture.

SputnikBear · 25/10/2018 13:30

We have a travel cot with mesh sides and a raised base to avoid draughts. I put DS in it when I need him to be safe for a while so I can answer the door, use the loo, prepare a meal, put the recycling out, hang the washing, etc. How can you do those things without a safe space to put your baby?

It’s especially important because we have an open plan space with kitchen and living area combined, so there’s no way to block DS from reaching the oven, fridge, dishwasher, tv cables, house plants, cupboards containing chemicals, and obviously the fire which is the biggest hazard. When I’m available to supervise him he can roam freely, but there will always be times when I need to leave him for a bit.

Heatherjayne1972 · 25/10/2018 15:09

I had one. Was useful for toy storage rather than baby play area

Although it was very useful one year when I put the Christmas tree in it as my little crawler wouldn’t leave the tree alone !

RomanyRoots · 25/10/2018 15:16

They are handy to put round your Christmas tree too, so toddlers can't tip them over. We decorated ours and put the presents and tree inside.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6