(@) do people still use playpens?

bunnybean · February 2012

Or are they now cruel or something? I feel like I never see them.

TefLepOM · February 2012

Pack n plays are similar as are those octo shaped gate things,

pixy_stix · February 2012

We had one for a while when ZB wasn't moving and just newly mobile.

NaturalBlond · February 2012

They are called pack n plays (PNPs in bump speak). We have one but we haven't used it yet.

meshaliu · February 2012

They do. In my house they're called baby cages.

bunnybean · February 2012

But PNPs are rectangular. Aren't they too small to happily contain a slightly mobile baby?

meshaliu · February 2012

I imagine that depends on the baby. My kid will sit in one happily if she has the right toy. But if she has the right toy I can also just sit her in the middle of the living room.

There are also play yards like this:

Precision Pet Soft Sided Pet Play Yard in Navy / Tan Size: Large (46" x 46" x 28")

EloiseWeenieSkipperdee · February 2012

I used the pack n play and also the superyard XT (a plastic corral like gate). I loved it, mainly because toys could be contained and not get scooted too far away from baby. I used the pack n play as a play yard while traveling, outside, etc. since the corral was set up in the living room.

**sunny** · February 2012

not for playing, but for sleeping absolutely

EloiseWeenieSkipperdee · February 2012

Here's my son @ 1 year having a ball on the deck in the pack n play.

ETA: yes that is a very old PNP, we use it for the beach only.

Stephiehun · February 2012

meshaliu:
I imagine that depends on the baby. My kid will sit in one happily if she has the right toy. But if she has the right toy I can also just sit her in the middle of the living room.

There are also play yards like this:

This looks like it should be used for baby cage fighting.

meshaliu · February 2012

Two babies enter, only one will cry for mama.

IrishBrideND · February 2012

**sunny**:
not for playing, but for sleeping absolutely

This. DD slept in a PnP at times but never played in one. One of the few anal things I did was not let her play in a crib when she was little because I wanted her to associate it with sleeping. Now she plays by herself in her crib all the time without a problem, but I wanted her to know the pnp was for sleeping (when we traveled) when she was little.

eclaires · February 2012

I always just found it easier to baby proof a specific room/area and then gate it off. Both of my kids were mobile early and the PNP or other play yard things just seemed to piss them off if they were in there for longer than a few minutes.

We also used the PNP for sleeping. My MIL had an older PNP that was square and bigger than a newer PNP... we used it sometimes at their house for Jackson b/c their house wasn't baby proofed.

StatlerWaldorf · February 2012

DD wouldn't play in one. She would just sit there and cry.

faith194 · February 2012

We use it in the kitchen(in a corner far from all appliances/counters). DS can watch our dog outside and play(or throw things out) while I am cooking. I will cry when he figures out how to climb out of it!

caden · February 2012

bunnybean:
But PNPs are rectangular. Aren't they too small to happily contain a slightly mobile baby?

Not for my kids. I have 2 in my great room. F&J will each sit in their PNP and read books or play with a smaller toy for a while (maybe 10-15min?) before they get antsy. It calms them down noticeably. They like having their own space where their brother can't steal their toy or hit them

If I only had 1 kid I probably wouldn't use them much except for travel.

+adamwife+ · February 2012

None of my kids would tolerate them. I have a pack and play, but it is only used for sleep when we travel. My kids would never just play in them. We have one of those octagon things too, but my kids would just stand in them and scream. It's easier to just keep the dog away, baby proof the house and let them have free reign (or wear the baby until they stop wanting to be worn anymore).

ringstrue · February 2012

DD hated her's at daycare. Our living room is too small to have one, but we did use this and gated the whole living room. You can open it up and make a variety of shapes. Now I put it across the driveway when we are in the backyard.

pghctwife · February 2012

eclaires:
I always just found it easier to baby proof a specific room/area and then gate it off. Both of my kids were mobile early and the PNP or other play yard things just seemed to piss them off if they were in there for longer than a few minutes.
We also used the PNP for sleeping. My MIL had an older PNP that was square and bigger than a newer PNP... we used it sometimes at their house for Jackson b/c their house wasn't baby proofed.

Ditto this.

We have had good luck with gating off a large area of our living space (with regular and super gates = the XL one is perfect for gating around the TV/DVR/PS3 etc). We have an open floor plan so we kinda needed this. Henry can play down here semi-supervised, which is pretty nice.

He will occasionally wake up in his crib and happily play for a bit but that is it. Putting him in there awake and not tired = miserable.

laurenpetro · February 2012

i have one at my office for the boys. they get dropped off at 5 but sometimes (usually) i'm running late and they play in it for a bit until we're ready to go.

Jermysgirl · February 2012

I have two of these - we call them baby corrals - one for upstairs and one for downstairs. They kept all of her crap contained and I could go pee without worrying about her falling down the stairs. They are awesome.

JeniLovesNeil · February 2012

We were gifted one. It has a newborn napper on it that we plan to use when he comes to work with me. And if he likes it, we'll probably use it when he's a little bigger.

orangeblossom · February 2012

meshaliu:
I imagine that depends on the baby. My kid will sit in one happily if she has the right toy. But if she has the right toy I can also just sit her in the middle of the living room.

There are also play yards like this:

LOL, This is what I use for my dog when we travel.

snapplegirl · February 2012

majorwife:
i never used ours. i used the exersaucer more than the pnp

Same here.

pink.dutch.tulips · February 2012

they do but they call them pack in plays instead

wejustwant2:) · February 2012

Re: not for playing, but for sleeping absolutely

THIS. They're great for travel too - Is very convenient to make a quick safe bed for your baby/toddler.

I wish my youngest still fit in one...

Eddy1 · February 2012

eclaires:

I always just found it easier to baby proof a specific room/area and then gate it off. Both of my kids were mobile early and the PNP or other play yard things just seemed to piss them off if they were in there for longer than a few minutes.

'yes for us too

Much easier to just contain the little bugger in a room.

absent*minded · February 2012

Pack n Plays are not the same as playpens.

I don't think they make playpens anymore. I wish they did! Pack n Plays are too small, and I plan on purchasing a corral but that seems to serve a different purpose.

mysticporter · February 2012

eclaires:

I always just found it easier to baby proof a specific room/area and then gate it off. Both of my kids were mobile early and the PNP or other play yard things just seemed to piss them off if they were in there for longer than a few minutes.

We also used the PNP for sleeping. My MIL had an older PNP that was square and bigger than a newer PNP... we used it sometimes at their house for Jackson b/c their house wasn't baby proofed.

This is us. Both our kids slept in the PnP in our room until they were 6-9 months and moved to a crib in their own room, and we use it for travel. If they are awake they want nothing to do with it.

belovedbride07 · February 2012

absent*minded:
Pack n Plays are not the same as playpens.
I don't think they make playpens anymore. I wish they did! Pack n Plays are too small, and I plan on purchasing a corral but that seems to serve a different purpose.

Yeah, I don't think they make playpens like we're thinking of (not Pack n' Plays). Like this (from someone's Flickr account, but I remember my parents had a similar one for my brother):

(@) do people still use playpens?

Re: (@) do people still use playpens?

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