Playpen or other options?

[trrk]

What is the best option for safely containing a baby once they are on the move and you need to go to another room (eg spend 10-15 min in the kitchen preparing food, go to the loo or put washing away upstairs)? At the moment I leave her on the playmat or maybe the jumperoo and know she won't move. It's also a small open plan flat so I can basically see her at all times if I need to check she is ok. We are moving to a compact 3 bed terrace soon, also corresponding to the time she may be on the move (she will be 8-9 months) and starting to think ahead about how to manage things. Is a playpen with toys the best option? We also have a travel cot but it's pretty small (Maxi-Cosi iris) so don't think she would be happy in there for long. There is an open plan living and dining area (total area 7.3 x 3.6m) and separate kitchen but it's all compact so we wouldn't have room for a large playpen and would have to minimise other furniture. It would also be hard to completely babyproof it. What do other people living in a similar situation do? I assume you don't take your baby to the kitchen or upstairs every time you need the loo?

To be honest once mine were on the move then yes I’d take them with me to do washing or dinner (not a quick trip to the loo admittedly) but then both mine were explorers and could find trouble in even the most baby proof rooms.

My ds has just started army crawling last week and hates to be on his own, I can only leave the room for about a minute before he'll scream, and that's while he's in a playpen with all his toys. So I think it's probably much better to just get a small playpen for if you need the toilet or something quick that you're not going to take baby to, otherwise just keep them with you and let them explore where you can see them.

My first would be happy playing in a playpen for a little bit - but not really if I left the room.
Second, no space for a playpen now the house is full of children's crap belongings so she comes with me/gets under feet/empties the cupboards....

My little darling used to scream if I left the room so I’d just have to carry him around. So yes I would have to take him upstairs to the loo with me.

Jumperoo so they’re contained, or baby walker thing so they can scoot around without falling on their face constantly.

It was the stage I found the hardest personally but it doesn’t last too long.

It DO depends on the layout of the house & the child. It's not what you want to hear, but my advice is 'wait & see'. But anything more than popping to the loo, the vast majority will want to come with you wherever you go! Well they'll want to come to the loo with you to, but the duration of a quick wee you can deal with the screaming! (Rather than carry them upstairs!)

I just brought them with me. Mine would absolutely not have been happy shoved in a playpen on their own for 15 mins while I was in the kitchen cooking!

My 3rd is 10 months old, we had a play pen for a spell for the second and I did love it but it was massive and more to stop older sibling stealing baby’s toys.

Anyway, we have a stairgate on the lounge door as of this week and leave her in there if necessary, or put her in the high chair while cooking if DH is not around.

I used to pop my toddler in the high chair while I was cooking, he would play with a few toys and eat snacks!

I tended to do any necessary jobs upstairs after my children went to bed or while they were with their dad.

I honestly can’t remember how I managed to go upstairs for the toilet! I guess I took the toddler with me. Fortunately once I had three children
( age 4, 1 and new born) we had a downstairs toilet I could run to!

Thanks for the responses! I guess I should enjoy the current relatively immobile stage while it lasts! The kitchen is not that large either and I’d be a bit concerned about DDs safety and getting under foot while I’m cooking. Moving her high chair into a corner of the kitchen could work I guess. Will hold off on deciding about the playpen for now and see how it goes.

I had a playpen for mine and loved it and so did he! I used it when I needed to go to the loo, clear up after lunch/cook etc. Gave me much needed mental space to know he was safe and happy for 5-10 mins.

I did keep it to short times when I really needed it which may have been why he was ok with it. I rotated the toys and books too.

It was big and high sided and completely safe. If it had been smaller I don't know if he would have enjoyed it so much.

I also found the crawling stage the hardest so far as he needed the exercise but it coincided with winter so we spent a lot of time in the house to let him burn off steam. Mentally, it was quite tough and boring and the playpen really helped me.

I would vote for getting a decent travel cot as you may need it at some stage. I would also think about popping in a bag of age appropriate balls, a mini ball pit kept my pair entertained.

It's very unlikely your baby will be happy to be left in a room by themselves for any period of time tbh.

A travel cot with a rotating set of toys is good for a few mins when you need to run to the loo/answer the door.

For longer periods like cooking/putting washing away you'll probably need to take the baby with you and either make the space safe to crawl around or use a highchair/cot or even a buggy to contain them where they can see you and interact.