THE PLAYPEN

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYHEeoeth8g&feature=player_profilepage[/youtube]

One of the most revered items on the baby gear list used to be the playpen.  It used to be a staple in every home of a family with a baby.  Why has it fallen off of the list of top baby gear items?  It maybe because the word “playpen” is too close to the word “pigpen.”  Many new parents think the playpen is confining the way a pen is intended to confine animals, such as pigs.  Parents often indicate they want the baby to be free to explore, which actually is exactly what the playpen provides.

THE PLAYPEN:  SECURITY AND SAFETY

The playpen is an extremely secure and safe place for baby.  It is in essence a “room of her own” that is scaled down to her size where she can be free to wander and explore.  All dangerous objects should be outside the playpen, giving parents as well as baby a sense of safety.  The protected space becomes familiar to baby and soon she can begin to recognize that she is safe in this space.  The security comes from the small scale of the “room.”  Babies often seek a tiny little alcove for themselves, they love it.  Sometimes they crawl behind a large chair, or under the seat of a chair, it “fits” them.

THE PLAYPEN:  FREE HANDS FOR MOTHER

Mothers often need a place to put the baby while they cook or attend to a chore around the house.  Today, many parents use an exersaucer or jumper for this reason.  We do not recommend these two items and have written about them previously.  The playpen is the ideal choice for mother to have a place to put baby so her hands are free for awhile to attend to some work.  The advantage to using the playpen is that baby can move around or nap while in it.  It facilitates motor skill development whereas the jumper and exersaucer do not.  In the above video from good0179’s youtube channel, the baby sits, crawls, partially rolls, and eventually comes to stand in her adorable little “room.”

THE PLAYPEN:  PORTABILITY

Most models of playpens can be moved from one room to another, allowing parents to move it around the house.  When she is in the kitchen working she can move it close to her, when she goes into the home office to do some paperwork she can transfer it to that room.  What an excellent feature!  It is important to examine the reviews of playpens to learn how easily they can be transferred from one room to another as some are too big to fit through doors easily.

It is time to add the playpen back to the top of the baby gear list, baby registry, and baby shower items.  Maybe we should rename it:  babyzone, safespace, babycove, infant island, etc.  What do you suggest?  Leave me a comment with your suggestion!