Play Pens aren't popular anymore?

[PlanetTeaTime]

I've had a few people say to me that play pens aren't in fashion anymore (people whose kids have grown up and started having their own kids)

And I just wanted to know if that's true?

My baby isn't crawling yet so it's been a non issue for us but I'm really curious as to why they aren't popular now?

I think it all depends on the type of house and baby you have. We lived in an upper flat and had loads of stairs - I used a huge one and it was a godsend for when I needed to get ready to go out and take the pram and bags up and down stairs. DS was walking at 9-10 months and would happily walk around the playpen for hours, play with toys in it etc. Some of my friends didn't bother but frankly they had babies who didn't move.

@poshme

We had a friend who was very judgemental about our playpen. But her child would just sit and play in one place.

Their second child never stayed still and would spend all day pulling stuff off shelves, climbing up the furniture etc. They got a play pen very quickly.

LOL - yes, I was totally amazed by a friend’s DC 1, who never pulled anything down or messed anything up. They didn’t have to baby proof at all. They got a shock with DC 2 😀

I was totally amazed by a friend’s DC 1, who never pulled anything down or messed anything up. They didn’t have to baby proof at all. They got a shock with DC 2

It's so damn satisfying to see the smug disappear from their faces 😅

They can be big and bulky but they aren’t in them long, I borrowed one from a friend then passed it on to another friend once I was finished with it - with permission from first friend.

I have 4 kids and the 2 little ones would play in it quite happily whilst I cooked dinner or did homework with older kids but only in ur if my attention was elsewhere as I’d have preferred to be able to give full attention to little ones so I could still see them in the pen and speak to them or life if one was upset, I knew they were safe so I could get on with dinner or whatever. They had me all day otherwise playing or out to the park but one would run one way then other the opposite so I found it invaluable along with the double buggy.

Find ours brilliant. It's a large one with a zippable door. Now he is walking the door is permanently unzipped and he pops in and out of it himself. Use it to store toys more than keeping him safe nowadays but will be handy in case I get sick and don't have the ability to run in every direction after him.
When he was crawling and crusing it was invaluable as I could pee/cook dinner/clean up for 10mins. Once he was fed up I took him out, never left him crying in it. Don't know why people think it's cruel, same people would be full of judgement if I spilled hot water on him when cooking,or I just fed him pouches as I couldn't cook anything safely

@Doyoumind

Because they are like little cages.

Nonsense. They’re practical and safe play spaces that mean mothers can actually do things and go for a wee without hassle and worry.

I think it depends on your house - in our old place we had a tiny kitchen that was unsafe for the baby, so when I had a tiny one I had no option but to leave them in the living room while making lunch etc. Play pen was necessary! Youngest is only 5 and I used it with both. They were never left in it for hours, it was just a really handy place to put them for ten minutes with some toys and know they would be safe. They were always happy in it! I had the summer infant pop and play, which folded really easily when we weren't using it.