Play pens

the glass woman

Just wondering what peoples opinions of Playpens are? Did you use them, if so at what age, or are you totally against them? I go through phases of putting our travel cot/playpen up downstairs and putting my 13 month old in it for a few mins if i'm trying to sweep up or wash the floor or when i'm ironing, otherwise He's under my feet..

High&Low

I see nothing wrong with them, except when they get old enough to start trying to climb out. Great way of protecting a baby from an 18 month old!!!!

Nevyn

No harm in periodic use but leaving a child in the play pen or buggy all day to my mind would be wrong.

Needed it more with my second the my first as she was a climber and would get grumpy close to nap time.

paulksnn

Like the others have said, they're excellent to keep baby safe for half an hour, or so. Especially when you want to do laundry, or leave the 3 year old downstairs as well without worrying about the baby.

The child has some room to manoeuvre and at the same time, some time to themselves.

Our little one used to take her afternoon nap in it, as well as it making an excellent travel cot for weekends away.

lostinnappies

I love play pens. As does my little 11 month old. He doesnt spend much time in it because hes a mover and a shaker lol. Because i have back problems i cant spend all day lifting him (he weighs a ton). I alternate between the play pen, high chair, walker and crawling. Most of the time he spends crawling and sweeping the floor for me but with a 4 year old i have to be carful he doesnt get trampled so a play pen helps me no end. lol

sasmac

I used a play pen for both my children. My second child a boy started to climb out of it at 16 months so i had to stop as it was getting dangerous. With my first a girl she stayed longer(at least 2) and when she started to climb out I used to turn the telly off so she used to climb in to watch the telly so I got another year out of her.

JoeyJJ

Be careful when they start climbing, my brother nearly bit his tongue off when we was a toddler. Mouth open tongue out and fell.

deisemum

I didn't use one for my boys but as I'm a childminder I got one but it ended up being used more for storing toys than anything else

Oryx

deisemum wrote: »

I didn't use one for my boys but as I'm a childminder I got one but it ended up being used more for storing toys than anything else

Me too. It ended up in the kitchen, chock full of teddies. On my first I used it a bit, just for those moments when you need both hands and eyes to do something. With my second, I already had no 1 running about so one extra around the floor I seemed to be able to handle better. Plus my daughter would yell in a stroppy way every time I put her in it, and I preferred to watch her, than listen to that.:)

Quackles

Oryx wrote: »

Me too. It ended up in the kitchen, chock full of teddies.

Me three.. bought it for my mother's house when the wee man was one or so (she was minding him, he was driving her insane), but it was too big and cumbersome. I took it home.. he enjoyed the novelty of sitting in it with toys for a while but it eventually became a huge toy box in the living room window - it's only gone a couple of months now, and he's three :eek:

SarahMc

Theres a lot of tosh about playpens being un p.c. But in my view, used well, i.e. child not confined for long periods, they can be an excellent way to keep baby safe, and parent sane.

BanzaiBk

My niece (1 yr) was put into the playpen for the first time yesterday. After getting her bearings she pulled herself up onto her feet and hurled a teddy at my nephew. Sign of things to come?