Pack n' Play

Mary Berger · December 2012

Another argument about the stupid pack n' play. My mother-in-law and Aunt-in-law are pushing that we use a pack n' play during the day. I really don't get it. Why is this so important? According to my MIL, our son needs to play with one toy at a time so he can develop his attention span. The aunt-in-law is pushing it because my husband complained that LO is "all over the place". Honestly, I don't have a problem managing my son during the day so I don't see the need to confine him to a pack n' play and restrict the number of toys he plays with, but this issue just keep being pushed and pushed on me.

I'm just wondering if a lot of people are using them at 1+ years old and your reason for or against it.

Thanks!

VTFutureMrs · December 2012

We stopped using the pack n plays awhile ago. The only reason we would ever pull it out now is if we are traveling and we need a place for DD to sleep while we are there, but once she gets too big for sleeping, we would stop using it for that reason too.

Julz629 · December 2012

I am going to be blunt -- this sounds like a ridiculous idea and the rationale is terrible. DS is in the pack-n-play when he needs to sleep and we are travelling.

keeshondowner · December 2012

Their reasoning doesn't make any sense. We hardly ever use ours anymore because our DD is walking and absolutely hates going in it now.

kxp004 · December 2012

Julz629:
I am going to be blunt this sounds like a ridiculous idea and the rationale is terrible.nbsp; DS is in the packnplay when he needs to sleep and we are travelling.

This... Children are supposed to be all over the place and into everything! They are learning... If this is the millionth time they have told you this you could either a be polite and say LO's dr says that is a bad idea b tell them to shove it and you will raise your child the way you feel is best or c tell DH to handle it and you don't want them to say anything else to you about it

Personally I lean towards option b but then again it should probably go a, c then b lol

meheron80 · December 2012

Both ours and grandparents have been put up for about 7 months. We have used hotel ones for sleep but thats about it. Childproofing an area is good enough. Exploration is key to development at this age!!!!

laurakaz13 · December 2012

We use a Pack n' Play for LO to sleep in since we travel so much. I used to trap her in there to take showers, but haven't done so in a long time.

I am appalled that anyone would say a child needs to play with just one toy. Whatever happened to independent play and allowing babies and children to use their imagination?

gracefulruby33 · December 2012

DD only uses a PnP if we are at the ILs or my folks' place for naps.

If your child only showed an attention span to one thing for a long period of time at this age, don't you think that would be a red flag, instead of the other way around? Baby is learning and they are exploring the world around them. For your DH to say that baby is "all over the place" is indicative of him not knowing what babies do. ;-) Your family should know better.

Margaret Lemon · December 2012

We use ours for a travel bed only at this point.

Not to be snarky, but your family-inlaws sounds nuts! Why would you try to confine a toddler like that? I want my child to increase her walking/ climbing/ exploring skills.

From your post, it sounds like you feel the same way. Either tell them yourself to back off or have your DH do it. But know this, you are right...not them!

dairygirl19 · December 2012

WhereTH does you family come up with these irrational ideas?
For real.

My kid has been in a pack n play approx. 9 times. 1 for each night we've been away in her short little life. She hates it to begin with so I have no desire to trap her in it unless it's my last resort.

And why on earth would you want that cluttering up your house on the regular? I never got the love unless for travel even as a newborn.

rnbeth477 · December 2012

We use the pnp for sleep with traveling. That's it.

Who comes up with these ideas? I don't remember that being taught in Developmental psych class... One toy! My DS combines his toys...stuffed animals and balls go in trucks or on top of towers of blocks, etc. It builds his imagination. Your poor DH,

EDWHIP · December 2012

Are these family members watching LO? If so, I would say let them do what they need to do to help you. Otherwise I would say no. Do what is best for you. My mother does some weird things with dd, but I don't complain since the childcare is FREE. If your aunt in law is just criticizing you I would just say, thank you but no thank you.

ras26 · December 2012

Not defending them at all, but I think their suggestions are a notion from an earlier generation. Pack 'n plays used to be referred to as play pens. They used to put the kid in with toys, and that's where they played while moms did their housework etc. I'd chalk it up as ignorance of a change in parenting methods, and either tell them to back off, or just ignore it.

cast920 · December 2012

ras26:
Not defending them at all, but I think their suggestions are a notion from an earlier generation.nbsp; Pack 'n plays used to be referred to as play pens.nbsp; They used to put the kid in with toys, and that's where they played while moms did their housework etc.nbsp; I'd chalk it up as ignorance of a change in parenting methods, and either tell them to back off, or just ignore it.nbsp;

Play pens were a lot bigger than a pnp is now. Probably twice the size. The one my parents had was spacious and a child could actually play in it. The pnp is too tiny for actually playing in.

RayRay007 · December 2012

LOL. We only use it for sleeping. Well, when she was a few months old last summer we used it a bit outdoors to contain her, but that was about it. I have been thinking lately, what happened to the term "play pen". I have pictures of myself as a toddler playing in it. It was literally a pen for playing in. That was back in the day when it was perfectly acceptable to put your child in there with a toy and ignore them for a couple hours while you had a beer on the deck with friends. Now you have to have a beer on the deck with friends with toddlers climbing all over you. Times have changed.

ETA: As pp said, moms were probably doing housework, not drinking beer on the deck. I'm just referring to the particular picture of me as a kid. The playpen is out on the grass, adults are sitting around the deck drinking beer. LOL.

bluejetta · December 2012

Ugh that strikes me as a bit odd but maybe a generational difference. We have never put DD in a pack and play for anything but sleep -- she never would have stayed content in there even when she wasn't fully mobile. I have a relatively baby safe playspace and much prefer letting her roam as it were.

chardonnay24 · December 2012

We only use it at night when traveling.

authorofdreamz · December 2012

We have only ever used ours as a travel crib and I will occasionally turn it into a ball pit for her to play in while I fold her laundry but that's about it.

SkyBee · December 2012

We have only ever used a pack n' play for sleeping. DS has free range of the house and I don't think it is a problem. I also can't see how letting them play with multiple toys would cause problems with development. Kids pick toys they are interested in. You can't force a child this young to play with a toy for a given amount of time.

sarahjulypsu · December 2012

Haha, it's totatally a generation thing. My husbands gram who is 99 is always on my case about this. She dosn't understand why I don't just put her in a play pen. She harps on it all the time. I just ignore her mostly because she is so old and I don't want to be disrespectful to her. If it was my MIL I may have to say something just because I see her more often and she watchs DD.

People had a different attitude on parenting and lifestyle choices. I understand it's super annoying. I did put my foot down on a few crazy things she kept insisting I do. Sometimes I go along with them if there not to crazy and well keep her quite.

By the way I don't own a playpen or even have a pack n play.

Nwlywed07 · December 2012

VTFutureMrs:
We stopped using the pack n plays awhile ago. The only reason we would ever pull it out now is if we are traveling and we need a place for DD to sleep while we are there, but once she gets too big for sleeping, we would stop using it for that reason too.

This. When DS first learned to walk (at 9 months) we used it for a brief time while we were in the process of finishing our baby proofing when we had to leave the room. Now it's in the closet unless we need it while traveling.

stephdruskinis · December 2012

We had the Pack N Play up in our house for a long time - we dont' have baby gates, and we'd put B in there if we were alone in the house and had to use the bathroom, etc. So he'd only be in there playing for a few minutes at a time. He was okay with it, but I don't understand why you'd put the baby in the play pen if you would just sit around doing nothing yourself? I admit, it was helpful when I had to take something out of the oven and didn't want to chance him running into the kitchen, or when I wasn't feeling well and had to run to the restroom. But to just let him play?

We do still use it as a travel bed...but those days are limited. Last time we visited my sister, he realized he was in the same room as mommy and daddy and tried climbing out a million times overnight. He ended up in bed with us.

Wufroggy79 · December 2012

We never used it as a place to confine active play. It was always just a travel crib. We recently quit using it because DD is close to the weight limit.

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