How to keep baby safe while I do the chores?

[grainie]

Hi!
We have a playpen, but baby hates it (ten months old)
Can anyone recommend an alternative to a play pen which I could put baby in while I make a cup of tea, load the washing machine etc?
We have a babybjorn bouncy chair but he's not a fan of that either.
How does one get any jobs done?! Thanks!

I put my 9 month old in his high chair with some food to play with. That will keep him occupied and happy for 20 minutes or so.

Just child proof the room. I had open plan downstairs and just put a gate on the stairs and let the kids crawl around.

Anything breakable was moved up shelves out of reach. Left toys out for them to play with. What damage can they do?

Jumparoo? We used to call it the Neglect-o-matic, like smth out of Wallace and Gromit

Just let him crawl around near you? That’s what I did. Or put him in a sling on your back which was my other solution

When they're content, just leave them to explore. When they're not, sling on your back.

Depends what I'm doing.

Quick things like making tea/loading laundry just let her crawl around near me/within eyeline.

Anything that takes longer like washing up or cooking I put her in her high chair with toys on the tray.

She also has a little bouncer rocker chair that can be used too.

I second the jumperoo suggestion- buys you 10-20mins & tires them out!

One of those bouncer things that hang from the top of the doorframe?

How have you not perfected making a cup of tea with one hand yet?

@DontBuyANewMumCashmere

Jumparoo? We used to call it the Neglect-o-matic, like smth out of Wallace and Gromit

We did like a PP and just baby proofed the bottom three feet of each room. At ten months, DD was well able to cruise her way around (she walked at 11 months) so I just used to use my speed advantage against her and let her slowly follow me around while I did things. She was always so pleased with herself when she caught up with me, bless her.

Jumperoo.

Jumperoo, it’s the circle of neglect.

Child proof the room and let them crack on.

Use baby gates to keep them in child proofed areas

I would just skip to baby proofing , you'll need to have it done soon enough anyway.

Just leave them on the floor. My DC wouldn't go in the jumperoo any more at that age. I popped in and out to keep an eye on them or did jobs in the same room.

Never perfectly childproofed the house but did lock anything dangerous away like knives, chemicals, medicines etc.

I put baby in the sit me up bath tub? The schnugle? Empty of course.
Fill it with toys. Plonk him around the house whilst I do things.
I’ve also put him on wash baskets with toys and blankets too
I also put a towel /muslin down in it for nappy free time. This depends on how mobile Baby is?

Jumperoo infront of peppa pig?

I also pop him in the cot wit toys

If not embrace the baby carrier /sling

In my experience, I w

In my experience, I would just give up.

Neither of my kids let me do any chores. My youngest is nearly 2 and the minute I try and wash up she will grab on to my legs and scream and tug at me until I stop doing whatever I'm doing 🙈🙈.

As others have said though, baby proof the room. Or just give up. That's my only advice.

Baby proof as much as possible. Stair gates on the doors. Then play pen/baby jail when there is an emergency when they can't be left insecure.

The examples you give would take about 5 minutes. For that length of time he can just be in the playpen and be a bit fed up for a few minutes. He’s not going to spontaneously combust just cause he’s not 100% happy all the time.
Or just keep him where you can see him and crack on with the chores. Is he crawling?
Put out some toys and stuff I the floor and keep an eye out.
High chair is also a good call.

Just make sure they can't harm themselves with anything and leave them to it?

Secure blind cords. No food lying around. No chokable items/toys. Anything breakable out of reach. Stair gate.

You can't restrain kids forever you need to be able to do things like make a drink without having to do something with the baby.

Either strap him to your back or stick him in the playpen if you can't work around him.

I saw a picture a while back from the era of baby cages outside apartment windows, and the mother had stuck the kid's jumper underneath the leg of a heavy table to pin them there. Playpens aren't that bad comparatively!

Door bouncer

If he’s on the move then you’re winning. Just childproof and let him crack on. Cruising was the turning point for DD1 - before that, any chores were done to the tune of her shouting angrily at me for daring to move around when she couldn’t. Such wonderful memories.

I usually just make sure there's nothing dangerous about and then I just let her wonder as she pleases

Or I take her with me

I really like the suggestion about putting baby on your back, I need to try this

I wouldn't give baby food unsupervised, if they start choking you wouldn't know (choking is silent)

Along on your back. DS would happily fall asleep whilst I hoovered!