I used to be a bit anti-playpens. I don’t know why, I just thought they seemed a bit… mean.
A few weeks back Hubby’s mate called and said he was packing up his daughters playpen and did we want to borrow it. Hubby said yes.
So we put up the playpen in the lounge room and filled it with toys. At first I was apprehensive with putting Lacey in there. It felt like I was putting her in some sort of kiddy jail. It felt cruel.
We hopped in (and still do) with her and played games. She loves it in there. She potters around and plays. She sings. She dances. She chatters to us.
It is sort of necessary in our home. It’s small. We have lots of sharp corners. Cords. Power points. Book cases. Lots of things that little hands shouldn’t be near. It’s impossible to make our home kid-friendly. We just don’t have the storage for it. So we use the play pen. Most of the time she is out and about exploring (out of the playpen) with us within a metre of her. But when we need to cook or clean or be kid-free for a moment we use the playpen.
What do you think? Are playpens cruel or caring?
all i know is that she is the cutest baby on the planet.
sis xx
I loved your post about Kiddy Jail. My kids are 12 and 16 years now but I so remember those days and being terrified of all the sharp corners around the house that they always seem to find!
I also love your monthly mantra!
Hope you and your family are having a great start to the week!
Brian
Meh. How can something she enjoys be a bad thing? If you left her in there all day with no toys, then yes, that would be bad, but honestly I think they’re a great help. We don’t use one at home (we’re able to baby proof pretty well) but have one at DH’s grans house because she has so many breakable things around!
I wish my kids would stay in kiddy jail, I didnt have a chance in hell. not cruel at all.
Not cruel at all – she’ll soon learn what she can, and can’t touch around the house regardless of being in or out of there.
I think some kids just have it in them to explore.
The bonus is too it keeps all the toys together!!
Hey, thanks! Now I don’t feel so bad. 🙂
Caring, definitely! I have fond memories of hanging out with a bubba that I used to nanny for in his play pen – we’d chat and read and play games – so that he was okay when you had to leave him in it to make dinner… xoxo
we have one and use it daily and i’m fine with it. it keeps my baby girl safe when i’m off having a shower. hers is filled with toys and books and she will sit there and amuse herself – i’m sure she doesn’t see it as a jail!
Elizabeth Saxe Coburg-Gotha is an evil woman, why do we slave away at work our whole lives for money with her face on