Play pens - yes or no?

[liz1222]

Hi guys :)

My baby is 8 months old, he's very active, very boisterous and happy but at the minute going through a very clingy stage. He's not being himself and he just wants to find me wherever I am I the house and cling on to my leg. I've had a few people suggest play pens as they're safe and he might be happy in there, but I'm just not sure yet.

If you had one, did it work for you? Any advice will be great :) thanks xx

I’m not a fan of tiny play pens as I think babies get bored, but we had a massive octagonal one which folded out into a room divider - essential for keeping baby dc away from shelves/cooker/front door

Yes!

Make it the place they want to be (with the most coveted toy of the moment) and don't leave them too long at first. There will always be times when you need to dump them somewhere safe, or just want them out from under your feet, and having them happy in one is immensely useful.

I had a huge one, which you could also put a tent like roof on, so it really was their den. They might not want to surrender it to next baby along, though, so depending on age gap you might need more than one!

Great for if you need to put them somewhere safe for 5 mins. Mine hated it and wouldn't stay any longer though

Yes I had one. It's a safe place to put the baby so you can get on with stuff that needs doing. Also it's good if they've got older siblings who are boisterous. They have got their own little place with their toys.