play pens

what are your views on them...we got given a playpen was one my in laws gave to hubby's brother and his wife and now they have passed it on to us.

my MIL mentioned to hubby that we should get Megan used to the playpen (which is about 1.2 by 1.2). and my husband agrees. I didnt really say anything but I am not really a big fan of them would be ok if it was a bit bigger also there is only really one place in the lounge where I could put it and it means If I am in the kitchen I cannot see Megan.

now a few times I have put Megan in her highchair and put the highchair in the dining room while I am preparing dinner..so I know she is safe..not that she is crawling yet and I can see her. and it also gives me a chance to let her know what I am doing :)

my MIl says the playpen will be handy for when she is crawling and I want to go and hang out the washing..most of those sort of things I usually do when she is sleeping..while she is awake I do try to and spend time with her playing etc rather than doing housework.


I am probably not making much sense just wanted to semi vent :)

nicolaann wrote: I have a friend who does the ironing in a playpen. She puts the ironing board in there, so the kids can't touch.

I was going to suggest something like that too. My sister has a 6yo a nearly 2yo and a 4mo and she puts the baby in the playpen on his playmat so the 2yo can't get at him. When my mum had a toddler and a newborn at Christmas she put the tree and the newborn in the playpen so they were both safe from the toddler.

We didn't use a playpen, the house we lived in until Michaela was 20mo had a very small lounge/living area which we baby proofed and blocked off from everywhere else. Playpens definitely have their uses but they're no substitute for good baby proofing.

Like you I'm not really into confining my girl too much and one of the reasons we moved was that the lounge was beginning to feel like Michaela's little cell, I wanted her to have more room to run around and play in.

Regarding hanging out washing if Megan is awake when you're doing the washing and you don't want to leave her inside you can hang a jolly jumper off the washing line (if you have a rotating line with metal bars to hang the jolly jumper on), Michaela used to have great fun bouncing while I did the washing. Or I'd sit her with a bucket of pegs and she'd play with those.

I imagine if you do decide to use the playpen, once Megan's standing she'll have great fun throwing things out of the playpen and watching her grownups 'fetch'.

Edited by MrsMojo

We dont have one and sometimes I wish we did! As everyone has said there are times when they wont sleep and you just have to do something and once they are moving they move FAST!

I have one and use it every now and then- mostly for when I have to have a shower and she is still awake. That is really the only time I use it through, when i hang out the washing etc if it is nice and sunny she plays in the garden while I do it, otherwise if it wet I let her have free reign in the house (it's all toddler proofed anyway, so she can't get into too much harm). For a while she was Ok in the pen, but now she kicks up a fuss if she is in then longer than a couple of minutes, so I suspect I won't be able to use too much more anyway

MegansMum wrote: my MIl says the playpen will be handy for when she is crawling and I want to go and hang out the washing..most of those sort of things I usually do when she is sleeping..while she is awake I do try to and spend time with her playing etc rather than doing housework.

Remeber she will start sleeping less in the day, and moving more very soon!

Isla never liked being anywhere she cant see me,...she still foloows me everywhere,...so we never even considered one. Isla loves doing jobs with me and I was taking her outside and letting her play with the pegs while I did the washing from a very young age!

Linzy wrote: I don't have a the luxury of a clothes line so hang everything on the clothes horse inside then take it outside. But love the Jolly Jumper idea. As for the shower, if I can't get in before he wakes then Jack has his breakfast and then stays in his highchair, I give him a few toys to hold and wheel him into the bathroom with me!

I put our jolly jumper onto the shower doorframe too and Michaela would bounce happily in the doorway while I showered. DH also attached a hook to the ceiling in our living area so she could bounce in there while we prepared meals. The jolly jumper really was my godsend.