Does anyone think playpens are kind of...cruel?

[Ozzieshunni]

I think I've found our Halloween costumes for this year!

 

[kit10grl]

I think it's ott that they are no longer called playpens - bc it insinuates imprisonment - and are now called playards.

Damn it! And I wanted to get Alex a striped jumpsuit.

that is so cute. I need one to make him wear when hes in 'the pen' now pmsl

 

[mummy2lola]

I don't have one but I don't think they are cruel in anyway unless a baby is stuck in there all day and having no interaction with mummy at all.if something needs doing then if people feel it is safer in their home to add a play pen rather than risk baby climbing and falling off the couch or falling onto the tv stand then I really can't see how they can b judged for it but then this is baby club and u can't give water to a hot baby without being penalised xx

 

[Geek]

I have a playpen and only got one so I would have somewhere to put LO while I ran to the loo and got food out of the oven, my living room is as baby proof as I can make it but I still wouldnt leave him on his own in there.
They're also useful as somewhere safe to put LO if you smash a glass etc (like I did today :/)

LO love his and is always trying to climb in it, we have some ball pool balls in there and a few toys. He likes to press his face up against the mesh and for me to do the same on the other side lol. He's never in it for more than about 5 minutes though.

I don't think they're cruel, just the people who leave their babies in them for long periods of time. I couldn't manage without mine.

 

[_jellybean_]

I am completely baffled as to why anyone would think a playpen is cruel I have a travel cot in my living room, and I couldn't manage without it. Holly goes in there when I have a shower, go to the toilet, catch up on chores etc. She is happy to sit in there and play with her toys, and I put the TV on for her too *shock horror*. My house isn't babyproof, I put her in there so she's SAFE. If I leave the room the first thing she does is climb on the sofa, pull everything off shelves, generally destroy the room. If I am in the room, she has free reign. I certainly don't leave her in prison while I'm sat on my arse doing nothing. And I don't know about anyone else, but I prefer to shit IN PEACE!

lol...I let my LO watch t.v., not all day long, but for a half hour here and there.

I have been working with children/teaching for approximately 17 or so years...since I was a teenager. I have learned that it is most important for children to be loved, to have an adult to talk to, things like that. All of these little things really are so trivial when done in moderation.

 

[Blah11]

i think theyre ideal for certain babies. roman is exhausting. hes always wanting to be on the floor to crawl, chew wires, pull tables onto himself, bash his head on units, eat batteries etc! A play pen would be good & safe for him IMO.

 

[Blah11]

Question for the ladies with older children who've never used a playpen--how did you manage? Do you always keep your babies with you? We try to baby-proof the place but I wouldn't trust LO to be out here alone. One thing I've learned is that babies are very good at finding ways to get into trouble! I'd never leave her on her own, and taking her everywhere with me wouldn't be safe or practical. We have a very small kitchen for example and I wouldn't want her underfoot while I was cooking.

my little girl was really lazy lol. she wasnt interested in moving & i could sit her down at a year old with some toys whilst i made dinner and shed be in the same position 10 minutes later!

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

We tried to use one to enable me to get ready for work when ruby was 1 but she just cried whenever I put her in it!

 

[booboo42]

Cruel - an inanimate object?!

i suppose a charity collection tin could be cruel if you hit someone over the head with it but surely that would be a strange thing to do with it.

Similarly i don't think people buy these with the express purpose of lying down and eating doughnuts for 3 days while their baby screams!

 

[Lyo28]

No Definitely don't think they are cruel unless a baby is being left there for long periods of time while the mammy sits with her feet up!

I don't have one but getting one soon as Once this baby arrives It will be needed badly for my son!

 

[Saphira]

Gosh, I've never seen playpens in a negative way.. I mean, I don't agree with a baby being put in them for hours on end everyday for parent's convenience but I find them a safer alternative than letting baby have the run of the room/home when you need to do the inevitable (trip to the bathroom, make a meal, etc. etc.). My daughter's in her pack'n'play no more than an hour everyday. More than that isn't necessary. We're living in a completely hard wood floor apartment and haven't gotten to putting carpet out in most rooms yet so laying her directly on the floor isn't comfy at all. Everyone's situation is different. I'm certain no one puts their baby in one seeing it as jail, rather a safe place for a short period of time.

 

[bbyno1]

I wouldn't say they are cruel but i have never had one. Mainly down to the fact my living room isnt that huge so it would take up most the space!
I don't know what its like to have one but i can easily survive without one. I know it can help whilst getting dishes done or having a shower etc but i just use the jumperoo for that which is in the kitchen. That way Sophia can watch me clean as i watch her bounce..When hoovering living room and tidying there shes in her bouncer on the floor so she can still see me and i still interact with her. I shower when she goes to bed but if i do in the day (once in a blue moon) i just bring the swing into the bathroom.

What i guess im trying to say is. I like the fact i can put her in 'safe' things but with me still. I would rather that than pop her in a playpen and go upstairs and shower iykwim

 

[loverguts]

I'd like to clarify that i said it was cruel that someone i know leaves her LO in it for hours.

I didn't say i think its cruel to leave your LO while you take a 10 minute shower or get the washing up done etc. I just personally think they look horrible and i think i would feel a bit guilty putting my child in one for some reason. Buuuut maybe i'll be eating my words when DD is a bit older - she might be way more unmanageable than DS was!

 

[skc22]

I don't use play pens, but I'm not particularly overzealous with baby proofing. No level of babyproofing will ever guarantee a child’s safety, I think teaching them about safety is more important. Yes, my LO is only 11 months, but she already knows the things she can't touch.

 

[Lynzeigh]

My sister will be giving me her playpen for my baby when he starts becoming mobile. I plan to keep it in the kitchen, as naturally the kitchen is a hazardous place. Bin, hot oven fridge doors to open, washing machine etc are all health/hygiene risks. I could leave my son in his cot but from the kitchen I won't be able to see or hear him. I could bring his bouncer in the kitchen but he is not always in the mood to sit in it. And also he loves to watch everything I do and be close to me the majority of time and I think it is a good learning experience for baby to watch how mummy cooks and cleans etc.

A playpen is not cruel, it allows the baby to be safe, they can lay down if they wish, or stand or sit up in it if they wish and they are on the ground which makes it even more desirable than leaving them in a cot or bouncer in my opinion.

 

[pinklightbulb]

I used one with Eamon when I lived in a big old house that the stairs could not be blocked off in. The lounge room door didn't close properly either. So if I was out of the room, in the playpen he went.

 

[mommyof3co]

The only time we've had true playpens were when they were newborns and they slept in the bassinet part and I used the changing station because it was easier than the table because of the way it faces. Then after that we'd use them when we traveled..sometimes. I never used them for them to play in or anything like that. I don't like the idea of leaving them in there for a long time by themselves, it's just such a small space. BUT for my 4th we have this set up for him

It's where all of his toys are kept and my older boys are not allowed to bring their toys in there. They play with legos mostly but other toys with small parts so this keeps an area of the house completely safe for him. I do open it up for most of the day but if I'm needing to cook or something and my DH isn't home to keep an eye on him I will close it like that and put him in there so I don't trip over him while trying to cook. But most of the time it's opened up it's just a designated place for JUST his stuff so it's safe. BTW that is about 10ft across and about 7ft deep so it's a very large area for him to play in

 

[Randianne]

At the moment, LO is curled up in it asleep with her stuffed monkey. That's where she naps during the day as her room is so bright.

I feel like words such as 'cruel' and 'abuse' are thrown out too easily around here. And often they are synonyms for 'parenting style I disagree with'. It is okay for babies to play by themselves sometimes.

 

[_jellybean_]

I don't use play pens, but I'm not particularly overzealous with baby proofing. No level of babyproofing will ever guarantee a child’s safety, I think teaching them about safety is more important. Yes, my LO is only 11 months, but she already knows the things she can't touch.

Baby proofing is also about making sure that your cabinets are secured to the wall...just an FYI. I had a friend who's child died b/c a cabinet fell on her, and papa was just in the next room. So that's fine if you don't want to be overzealous about proofing, but at the least, make sure those things are secure.

 

[x__amour]

This is the playpen we had as well.

No, I don't think they are. I think they can be incredibly useful. In my last place, our TV was on a shelf that LO could easily reach and in our living room we had a huge sliding door that had blinds and she would rip them down. So we had a playpen. If she was in it playing, I was in there with her. It's not like I left her there and walked away. Obviously it was great when I had to use the restroom or something because I knew she was safe. I see nothing wrong with playpens, they keep a child safe.

We are in a new place now and my TV is on a mantel over the fireplace. Now everything is baby proofed and we no longer have blinds.

The only thing I don't like is they're not the prettiest.