Is a playpen even necessary? - Page 3

[lifescholar]

I used mine for:

- naps (he napped for 10-15 minutes at a time...hardly worth my going ALL the way downstairs to put him in his crib, and I wasn't comfortable leaving him on the floor if I wasn't going to be right with him the whole time

- travel (my son has always gone down in his own space, then joins me in bed later, and I wasn't comfortable putting him on a bed by himself, especially once he was mobile!)

- for times when I was cooking (my son was crawling at 6 months, and it took a few months to teach him to stay back while I was in the kitchen. It was a safety issue, so he'd read books in his play pen for a few minutes while I cooked)

- when we moved (the house was in disarray, there were movers all over the place, and the door was being held open...again, a safety issue)


I personally prefer a play pen to a bouncy chair. I felt that he was much more able to move around in a play pen, rather than being strapped in somewhere. I also didn't use a swing or exersaucer.


Oh, and my son hated being worn until he was 5 months, and able to do the hip carry. Plus, he was a very fast grower, and was over 23 lbs. at 6 months (13 lbs. @ 1 month!!), so I couldn't physically hold him for long periods in a sling.

[UptownZoo]

Originally Posted by treqi

OMFG THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was going crazy trying to figure out where to put the tree!!! PURE GENIUS!

Ah, yes. If you don't already have a playpen, get one of those super play yards that has no floor in it. Works really well, and you can buy extra panels if you need more room for all the presents!

I kept my computer desk in one of those play yards for several years, before we got a house where I had room for an office. Worked great!

[pixiepunk]

the only time we used ours was when we were traveling, specifically for naps or for early bedtimes when the baby needed to go to sleep but we weren't ready, since most of the places we were seemed to always have the bed in the middle of the room rather than against a wall and i was paranoid the baby would roll off the bed.

i never used it at home, except for visiting friends who wanted to put their babies down for naps in it.

a blanket or a lambskin on the floor always worked great for us. we did have a bouncy chair someone gave us that vibrated, and occasionally i could lay them down asleep in that thing and get a few things done. but my kids did nap on me a lot. the key is to perfect a back carry so they're up out of your way - you can do virtually anything with a kid on your back.

[garretsmommy]

DS is nearly a year old and we've gotten by without one... he sleeps in bed with us when away, or sleeps on the floor (on a blanket) for naps, when I need to get something done without wearing or holding him I put him on the floor with some toys or in his exersaucer (nested in his boppy, his swing or bouncer when he was younger). As far as the animal concern, until I felt comfortable with the dog being alone with DS I made her come with me when I was leaving the room- but mostly I just kept DS in site. Good Luck!

[Sanveann]

if i really needed to keep my animals away from my child, i would choose putting the animals in another room behind a door or a gate vs. placing a child in some contraption that's meant to keep the animals away. to banish the baby and let the animals free, yk?

Gates don't work with cats, and trying to round up three of them and shut them in the other room every time I need to set the baby down for five minutes seems highly impractical. It's not "banishing" the baby, IMHO, if you're only setting them down for a few minutes.

We have a playpen. We don't use it much -- I love wearing him, as does DH -- but it's nice to have. Times when I use it: when I'm cooking something "splattery" and don't feel wearing him would be safe, when I'm doing my hair (I don't want him breathing in hairspray), when I'm just too darn tired to tote him around one more minute but I need to get something done

We have an 85-pound dog, so I can't just leave DS on the floor when I need to set him down for a few minutes. I don't think Ti (the dog) would EVER hurt Matthew on purpose, but even if I did think it was a good idea to leave him unattended with the baby, I would worry about him accidentally stepping on Matthew. (He's pretty klutzy!)

[ebony_vbac]

i wanted one for dd1 but couldnt afford it, we did fine without one. i never wore her but she was really idependant and didnt want to be held much anyway. dd2 can lie on the floor on a blanket if necessary or stand in her exersaucer or sit in a boucer, you dont need a playpen unless you want to side car the bassinet side up to your bed for sleeping

[cchrissyy]

no, i've never had a playpen, but I don't wear a baby all day or during naps either, not by any means. well, my 1st napped only in arms or in-sling, but he was special needs and such constant acomodation was only posisble because i had no others.

you do need somewhere to set baby down safely, either for their nap or so you can shower or eat or whatever, and just because even if you don't need to get free, maybe sometime each day the baby wants to stretch or roll or whatever.

but that doens't require a playpen- at various ages you can probably use your own bed, or a blanket on the floor, or just free in a room with babygates as needed.

[UlrikeDG]

I wanted to add to my earlier Christmas tree tip... Playpens can also be a great place for older siblings to play where the baby can't "mess things up." They can climb in and out by themselves, so they don't feel trapped, but they don't have to be isolated in another room just to get a safe place to play.

[Jennifer Z]

With my first, wasn't neccessary at all. I got it because it was cheaper than the diaper changing furniture and changing diapers up high (rather than on the ground) was really helpful with my back. It ended up being a good place to store diapers and clothes though.

With my second, it was much more helpful, simply because it gave me a place to put her to protect her from him when I needed my hands.

[moodymaximus]

yes. for stroing toys when your kids are 4.

[Quindin]

They make great hampers!!

[christyp]

We were given a hand-me-down Pack and Play and never used it until we had a sitter to watch DD during the day for a few days. DH and I are vigilant about keeping an eye on her and keeping her away from stairs, etc, but I didn't trust that the teenager would have the same instincts, so I set up the Pack and Play and instructed her to put DD in it if she was cooking or had to go to the bathroom. Gave me peace of mind. Now it mostly stores toys and slings, but she naps in there sometimes.

My other point is that you don't need to spend a lot of $$ on a new one - this is why they invented hand-me-downs, and craigslist.org We actually received a new one as a shower gift (not registered for) and were able to exchange it for a bunch of other stuff that we did want.

[indignantgirl]

I've never had one, never used one. I did wear all three of my babies, but my youngest is the only one I've worn all day long.

[crysmomofthree]

Originally Posted by UlrikeDG

My mom thinks so. She put the Christmas tree in it so I couldn't pull it over on top of myself.

when my first two were little my older son liked to play with little lego, but my toddler was quite the lego eater, I put the older kid in the playpen wiht his "creations" and let the toddler run around Problem solved!

[crysmomofthree]

we have a pac and play, I never use it at home but I use is all summer when I"m camping and when we visit family. our extended family do not have baby proof homes, no baby gates and lots of open stairwells and a pool! so if my dh or I can't have full attention on the baby (which is difficult with 4 other kids to watch) the baby needs to be in a playpen

I don't htink they are useful before the baby is mobile, and if we didn't have one I don't think we would miss it. its not something I use often

[wonderwahine]

I loved my bouncy chair, and the playpen, dh couldnt be around all the time, ds has sensory issues so hates to be held to long or worn, without those things to keep him safe when i had to pee or cook, i would have gone insane.

[UmmIbrahim]

I used to think all these "new fangled" baby gear items like strollers, swings, play pens, you name it were STUPID and wastes of money and was determined to do things the basic, old fashioned yet better way.
Well, at 10months ive changed my mind.

dont get me wrong we dont have a ton of this stuff in our tiny apartment but we gasp...at 10months are actually USING the playpen (pack 'n play) as a crib (cant cosleep no more...sleep deprivation issues)...anddddd we just bought a small umbrella stroller (no clue why, butu maybe we'll need it someday! )...and we have a Exosaucer which shockers of shockers Ibi actually enjoys being in!

basically what im saying was we were hardcore anti-modern parenting ...seriously hardcore and i liked it. But as Ibi has gotten older ive found that utlizing a few of these "modern parenting inventions" can be rather handy dandy at times.

Its hard to babywear 24/7 w/ a 17lbs rugrat...its next to impossible...after a few months you wont do it...most children start to like rolling around or doing whatever for short periods OFF mommy at around 4 months...so sometimes stuff like that can come in handy. We didnt have it and so i always had to entertain Ibi which was kinda exhausting at times.

Just my coupla centz

[boheime]

The only baby "gear" we've ever used are carseats and slings/carriers. Nothing else has been needed. I now have a 5 year old, a 3 year old, and a 4.5 month old - when did they get so old?

[Kay11]

Originally Posted by alegna

I have a thing against playpens. We never had one, dd was never put in one. We never missed it. Sure, I set her down a lot. Baby on a blanket on floor works fine.

-Angela

I agree!
I wore my DC when vacuuming, etc. That's what learning back carrying is for imo! As for not wanting to cough/sneeze on/near baby, well I'd imagine that's bound to happen if you've got a cold unless you find some way of nursing them several feet away from where you are.
Personal view here obv, but playpens are like baby jails to me. I truly loathe them and can't see a need for them at all ever. Sorry, but jmo.

[hipmummy]

I have to use one. I detest using it, nut our laundry room is three stories down. I acnnot carry ds and the laundry (safely). I carry the monitor with me and then come right back up. I also use it when i load the car and shower and boil water. Heis maybe in it a total ogf 20 minutes a day. he reads his books and does not mind.