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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to want to buy a playpen?

64 replies

pamelat · 18/10/2008 13:47

DD 9 months, not crawling yet but will be soon ish.

I am keen to buy a (large) playpen. I wouldnt leave her in it all day but am think its a nice stress free back up if I am cooking, on the phone etc.

Opinion is divided.

Friends without children and my family think its essential

My antenatal group see it as cruel. I would be the first play pen purchaser! Their babies are all on the move and they say that its not really that stressful anyway, yes welll ....

So AIBU, are playpens terrible or necessary?

OP posts:

ghosty · 19/10/2008 12:01

WE WANT COMPS!

OverseasmumsnetteRsunIteForfaIrtrEatment

Original poster

pamelat · 19/10/2008 19:43

Thanks all

Strangely only 2 boys in our antenatal group, out of 16 babies!! Odd.

Will get myself one. I like the ball pit idea if she hates the actual play pen.

General consensus seems to be that it isnt going to scar her for life !

OP posts:

MurderousMarla · 19/10/2008 19:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ChubbyDick · 19/10/2008 19:54

I have been looking online for a playpen this very day!

My favourite so far is this as it's big so doesn't seem so much like a cage for him

DS3 is 10.5 months old and I feel like I need one just to give the poor boy peace from DS1 (almost 4). It'll also mean I can actually cook in peace while he can happily crawl/toddle about still.

elkiedee · 19/10/2008 19:58

My dad bought ds a cage last Christmas (it was my dad who referred to it first). DS is 17 months now and we don't use it that much for its intended purpose. But a lot of his toys are in there (how did he end up with so many toys) and I tend to chuck things in to avoid tripping up over them in the rest of the room. And sometimes he goes and sits in there to play/watch TV for a few minutes of his own accord. Also, it's a safe place to leave him if we have to leave him downstairs for a couple of minutes. The layout of our house and the stairs makes it hard to use stairgates and we have too much junk/too little space to babyproof.

For teatime cooking or moments when he needs to be kept out of harm's way for a few minutes we often put him in the highchair with a little bit of vegetable/fruit/cheese to eat.

I'm going to have to take it down before the new baby I'm expecting in January, so there's space for baby gym/moses basket/whatever. But I would happily use it again and see how it goes with new baby when they get mobile. DS gets lots of love and attention, chances to go out, etc etc and I can't see why a playpen or anything else should be seen as cruel.

Tryharder · 19/10/2008 22:55

I know a lady who puts her 2.5 year old in a playpen for long periods of time. She says her DD likes it in there .

Feel very sorry for little girl as mum has issues/problems with coping with her DD.

alicet · 20/10/2008 00:24

We bought one for ds1 (babydan one here too)and it stood in the corner of our lounge for about 3 months taking up about a quarter of the room and never actually needed it.

Going to keep hold of it for now in case useful for ds2 but I suspect it will just end up getting put on ebay in a few months time along with all the childproofing stuff we never used either!

Stairgates at top and bottom of stairs and accross utility room door so he couldn't drink bleach and eat cat food worked for us. I certainly don't think they are cruel but I would wait until your lo is mobile before deciding if you need it. And would def support the travel cot idea

Joolyjoolyjoo · 20/10/2008 00:31

WE have the babydan one too- now up again for DC no3, so it has been fairly worth it, although ds is hardly ever in it, tbh- mainly because my dds have filled it with so many toys, he hardly fits in it! But I think sometimes he is relieved to get somewhere he can get peace from them!

Ijskater · 20/10/2008 00:42

You know what we did instead of Play pen? In both the houses where we have brought up babies, the living room was a separate room with its own doorway, so we put stairgates there. That way that room was totally childproof and a huge play pen. SAFETY is first, and your PEACE OF MIND too, so if the stairgate suggestion does not work for your case, go ahead and get the play pen. Now your friends are right looking back it was not that bad, but at the time I needed that security of knowing I could cook etc and my child was going to be OK and I was not going to be tearing my hair out. Just look at it the other way.. what if something was to happen to your little one. I have seen a little girl in A&E after swallowing Rinse Aid. You are not going to leave them there for hours unattended like an unwanted pet either. My friend's house was so big she put a travel cot in the kitchen instead so she could work and her DS watch her and play with toys, snack etc. It's an alternative to spending money on the playpen if you already have a travel cot. Well, hope you find this useful, I've extended myself.

solo · 20/10/2008 00:45

Couldn't have done without mine.

twentypence · 20/10/2008 00:46

I popped ds into his cot or into a travel cot - but then we live in a bungalow so he was never far away. For non dangerous cooking or washing hanging etc. I put him in the sling.

If it's only going to be for a short time here and there then a travel cot will take up less space and be able to go on trips too.

alipiggie · 20/10/2008 01:40

I had a Baby Dan one and it was brilliant. In fact both my ds's loved to play in it. It kept them safe when I was running up and down the stairs. In fact the Baby Dan even has a tent you can put over the top to make it inot a playhouse. I did me well for three years and then I passed it on to someone else. Great for keeping animals and small children apart and of course in desperation you can always put yourself in it and close the gate.

lilysmummy2007 · 20/10/2008 06:27

dd loved her pen, she was nice and comfy and had my friend who makes sofas etc make a really nice padded mat and she often napped in there. it was invaluable to me as dp and i would never have had any clean clothes, or food to eat if i didnt. the one i bought is from herlag, expensive but brilliant as it folds up when not in use and is now safely stored againt the wall behind my sofa picking up very little space. also the base is adjustable so you could use it from very early age and save your back from bending all the way over.

LadyPenelope · 20/10/2008 06:39

DD never had a playpen - and we didn't miss it. DS had one and it was a god send. We used it for 6 months or so and it really was great - big baby dan one and we hung loads of toys off side and put that padded matting on the floor. Once he started to object to it, DD used to sit inside and do her colouring/jigsaws to get peace from him. You gotta do what you gotta do ... nevermind what baby group say!

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