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Alternatives to a play yard?

post #1 of 8
4/14/10 at 8:30pm
Thread Starter 
DD is nearly two and I use the play yard only when I really need to do something and can't have her running around from room to room like when I have food cooking on the stove. I would really like to stop using this thing completely and I wondered if any moms have any alternatives for a playyard? TIA.
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post #2 of 8
4/14/10 at 9:11pm
Can you just gate the kitchen off? Gate her in a "safe" room?

FWIW DD (21months) has free reign of our place all the time and pretty much always had. It is small, though.

She would never stay in a play yard. Is that like a pack 'n play?

Um, when I am cooking she just knows to stay away from the oven. She likes to point at it and say it is hot. And, I am just super careful when dealing with hot liquids, opening the oven, etc.

I am lucky, though, 'cause she is not a climber. (Sounds like yours isn't either if she satys in the play yard.) And, she really just stays out of trouble.
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post #3 of 8
4/14/10 at 9:42pm
How about a high chair/ booster with an interesting toy or snacks?
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post #4 of 8
4/14/10 at 9:52pm
mine loves to "help out" at a countertop nearby while I am cooking... things take longer this way but she has a blast... we skipped the play yard & it's always worked for us.

there are cool furniture pieces to help the littles reach the counter... we didn't want to spend $$ on that though, and have been using a chair since before she was 2... I just keep a close eye. dd has always been pretty physically stable though...
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post #5 of 8
4/14/10 at 11:53pm
We have gates so I can keep ds (& the dogs) close to me or in the next room when needed without worry that he's getting into (too much) trouble.
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post #6 of 8
4/15/10 at 12:59am
We always have DD in the kichen with us while we are cooking and she also has free reign of the house. She especially likes to "wash dishes" while I am preparing meals. "Washing dishes" consists of DD standing at the sink with child friendly dishes suches as measuring cups and spoons and a bowl of water with a dish cloth. She is usually more wet than anything but we have learned to take her shirt off and let her have a blast while I am trying to get a meal ready.
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post #7 of 8
4/15/10 at 9:38am
DS has free run of the entire house. We have just toddlerproofed the place to the greatest extent possible and have decided that once in a while he'll get a bump or break something but that's life. As for when I'm cooking, I try to distract him with another activity but if he insists, I let him join in. I keep pots on the back burners and knives go back in the block or in the sink if not in use (so that I don't accidentally leave them too close to the edge of the counter). If he is feeling really needy (uh, I mean interested of course!) and wants to be right involved, I do as much prep as I can down on the floor with him (I just don't look too closely at the state of the floor!) or pull up a chair for him to stand on. I'll admit that it's not always 100% safe nor is it very tidy but he would never stand for being penned or gated. And it's real life.
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post #8 of 8
5/28/10 at 8:56am
Thread Starter 
It's been nearly a month since the play yard has been put in the closet. DD seems happier not having it around, there's more space in our living room and she navigates the apartment well. We have a very small kitchen and she's great about staying out of it. Her new thing is to remove all of the books from her book shelf and come get me to put them back! LOL
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