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

[LittleOnes]

Interesting I never saw a playpen as cruel. Even if LO is in it for awhile they have the freedom to sit, lay, stand, sleep etc. There may be many situations where LO needs to be confined, and a playpen may be a handy way to do so.

 

[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.

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.

Yes I do realise that. I would struggle to pull over the cabinets we have, let alone my 9kg baby. My house is 'safe' as such. It is just really large and open plan so pretty impossible to put up gates etc and I'm not one for playpens or cornering a section off. Obviously I don't leave knives in the draws she can reach and she can't get in the cleaning product cupboard, but nor have I packed everything away when she started crawling. I think some people can go way over the top and extreme. It is horrible what happened to your friend though, I can't imagine how they felt.
ETA - I do find your post rather patronising. After having worked in ER for a number of years as a nurse, I have seen more than my fair share of children after accidents. My daughter is absolutely not in any danger because I haven't emptied the house, softened every corner and put a lock on the fridge. I am not an ignorant mother

 

[Ems77]

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.

That is the exact thing I plan on using. It gives them a lot of space, they can learn to crawl and subsequently walk, as mine is going to take up a lot of my living room. With the open floor plan I currently have, using gates for safety is not an option as it was with my other children. I am not too terribly fond of the tiny pack and play type, because it doesn't allow for much crawling or walking, but the huge ones like yours and the one I plan to use I see no problem with what-so-ever.

Being as I have been through this twice already, even with my children knowing what they can and cannot touch, they didn't always make the right decision. Curiosity gets the best of young ones, they learn through time and maturity.

 

[Menelly]

Surrounding a baby with toys might work for some. And how did you not expect harsh responses when you said they were cruel?

Totally OT, but I really miss your super cute pictures!!

I have a playpen for Kesslie and I had one for my son too. I prefer safety.

 

[ashiozz]

I haven't read every page but I'm pretty tired of this forum making me feel like a shitty mother.

My son has a playpen at his grandmothers house, not his house but he has toys hanging down from it just like a playmat and he loves his toys in there, thats what he does during family dinner while we're eating, and he's only in there once a week for about 15 minutes a week, but that's "cruel" k. While hes smiling and having fun next time, I'll remember that I am clearly abusing him and I should go to hell for it.


.... -.-

 

[StranjeGirl]

I think they are great..although I don't need one yet an dd still sleeps in hers so she doesn't use it as a play pen because she can't crawl yet. How long I leave her in there depends on how much she likes it. Some kids love their play pens and take naps in there etc, so in that case I can see a child spending a long time in there. If she hates it I will still have it for when I can't be in the room with her...like I have to take a shower etc. Maybe it does seem like a prison, but I care more about my child's safety. If I could afford it and had a room I would completely baby proof an entire room for her, but I don't, so play pen it is. I had a client who's baby cousin died because he pulled himself up on the tv stand and it fell on top of him. Nothing to me is 100 percent safe and I know there are times I have to take my eyes of LO and I would rather put her in the play pen for that moment.

 

[..katie..]

I plan on using a baby cage as soon as patrick is a little more mobile. It will keep him safe, keep him from being knocked over my the dogs or his cousins, allow me to pee.

but then again, I formula feed, occassionally bottle prop, don't wear him, let other people watch him while I work, so i'm obviously satan and my choices cant be included in a valid argument.

 

[ashiozz]

Oh, Katie, don't worry, next week while Tyler is in his baby cage, i'll prop his formula bottle in there for him as well.. so that I can join you in our special place in hell

 

[Larkspur]

I have photos of my brother and I in our playpens from when we were small and we look as happy as clams in them. Soft surface, all our toys in one place, don't get bugged by the dogs... what's not to like? I can even sort of remember my playpen and only have happy feelings about it.

Astoundingly, my brother and I have grown up apparently unscarred by our "baby jail" experiences. We're both very independent (both own our own businesses) and we don't seem to have had our sense of adventure stunted (we both travel internationally several times a year).

I will be putting my baby in one when I want him to have some safe quiet playtime while I get some things done. My house is totally impractical to childproof completely for a small child who is at that crucial intersection of being mobile enough to get into anything and stupid enough not to know what not to touch.

As a previous poster pointed out, pretty much anything can be cruel depending on how you use it. Even babywearing and breastfeeding.

 

[Blah11]

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.

Yes I do realise that. I would struggle to pull over the cabinets we have, let alone my 9kg baby. My house is 'safe' as such. It is just really large and open plan so pretty impossible to put up gates etc and I'm not one for playpens or cornering a section off. Obviously I don't leave knives in the draws she can reach and she can't get in the cleaning product cupboard, but nor have I packed everything away when she started crawling. I think some people can go way over the top and extreme. It is horrible what happened to your friend though, I can't imagine how they felt.
ETA - I do find your post rather patronising. After having worked in ER for a number of years as a nurse, I have seen more than my fair share of children after accidents. My daughter is absolutely not in any danger because I haven't emptied the house, softened every corner and put a lock on the fridge. I am not an ignorant mother

I never baby proofed for my daughter either. At all. She could get into all the drawers, cupboards, climb stairs etc if she wanted to be she never did. My boy though, he's into EVERYTHING so will def need to baby proof

 

[Blah11]

I plan on using a baby cage as soon as patrick is a little more mobile. It will keep him safe, keep him from being knocked over my the dogs or his cousins, allow me to pee.

but then again, I formula feed, occassionally bottle prop, don't wear him, let other people watch him while I work, so i'm obviously satan and my choices cant be included in a valid argument.

Honestly the post is really OTT and just spreading drama from other threads into this one. It creates a really bad feeling and is unnessecary. No one was discussing bottle propping or formula so IDK why you even brought it up other than to create tension.

 

[Ozzieshunni]

I plan on using a baby cage as soon as patrick is a little more mobile. It will keep him safe, keep him from being knocked over my the dogs or his cousins, allow me to pee.

but then again, I formula feed, occassionally bottle prop, don't wear him, let other people watch him while I work, so i'm obviously satan and my choices cant be included in a valid argument.

Honestly the post is really OTT and just spreading drama from other threads into this one. It creates a really bad feeling and is unnessecary. No one was discussing bottle propping or formula so IDK why you even brought it up other than to create tension.

Agreed. No one has mentioned anything about any of these

 

[_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.

Yes I do realise that. I would struggle to pull over the cabinets we have, let alone my 9kg baby. My house is 'safe' as such. It is just really large and open plan so pretty impossible to put up gates etc and I'm not one for playpens or cornering a section off. Obviously I don't leave knives in the draws she can reach and she can't get in the cleaning product cupboard, but nor have I packed everything away when she started crawling. I think some people can go way over the top and extreme. It is horrible what happened to your friend though, I can't imagine how they felt.
ETA - I do find your post rather patronising. After having worked in ER for a number of years as a nurse, I have seen more than my fair share of children after accidents. My daughter is absolutely not in any danger because I haven't emptied the house, softened every corner and put a lock on the fridge. I am not an ignorant mother

Didn't mean to come off that way

 

[urchin]

I don't have room for one set up as a playpen (and they are still playpens in the UK!) but I will definitely have one that opens flat as a room divider.

We have 3 biggish dogs (make that enormous, if you are a small child) and sometimes they play quite rough with each other. Fine for us grown-up people, but I would imagine it would be terrifying if you were a small child on eye-level with it all going on around you.

So I will section off the sitting room into a safe baby space and an unsafe doggy space - that way everyone can play safely as they wish

 

[sapphire1]

I haven't babyproofed either, don't even have a stairgate. That is mainly why I have a playpen. If I'm not in the room to watch her, she goes in there. I do let her loose in the kitchen when I'm in there, and she opens the cupboards and takes all the food out

 

[Blah11]

i much prefer the room divider babydan style ones to the ones that look like travel cots

 

[highhopes19]

I still think a baby would be just as safe if they were on a big playmat surrounded by toys etc if you're only doing something for a few mins but i do consider my lounge area to be quite baby friendly so don't see it as a problem

Me personally would disagree I arrange Isabelle's toys over the whole rug for her to play with..... But at the moment the tv, DVD player, DVDs, dog toys, wires etc ate just really tempting lol x

 

[x_Rainbow_x]

I still think a baby would be just as safe if they were on a big playmat surrounded by toys etc if you're only doing something for a few mins but i do consider my lounge area to be quite baby friendly so don't see it as a problem

Me personally would disagree I arrange Isabelle's toys over the whole rug for her to play with..... But at the moment the tv, DVD player, DVDs, dog toys, wires etc ate just really tempting lol x

haha exactly... Izzy has a room full of toys shed rather crawl to the fireplace and climb up it, try eat any shoes about, and pull all books off the bookcase.. dunno why i bother with toys lol

 

[lhancock90]

I have baby gates.
Evelyn is mobile, she jumps and i'm just waiting for her to learn to climb out her cot, should that happen, the stairgate on her bedroom gives me massive piece of mind.
Playpens, babygates. Jeez. Its not like were feeding them poison is it. What the big deal!?

 

[tina3747]

If Finn would go into a playpen I'd use one. He never sits still and unfortunately screams when I've tried to use one. Like yesterday for instance, I came in with a ton of shopping, I was putting things away as he was taking them out! A job that takes me 15 mins turned into 45, almost empty box of rice krispies all over the floor,a smashed jar of pasta sauce anda now broken fridge drawer!!!
He hates his high chair unless your sat next to him, even then he tolerates it for 5 mins max, for some reason he can twist himself out of the straps too even though they're fairly tight!!
I think most baby items like this are fine as long as they're not abused, it's not good for any child to be left in anything too long.