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Use Sparingly If At allAug 19 '01 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Use playpens with care because if substituted for parental responsibility they may be limiting your infants' learning potential by keeping them from exploring their world.
I've never been a huge fan of playpens. Just the idea of the word pen seems somehow limiting. However, as I was fortunate enough to receive a plethora of baby furniture during my pregnancy, I was able to find a valuable use for the playpen I was given for my son. Fortunately, the playpen doubled as a portable crib, and was specifically called the Fisher Price Three-In-One Travel Tender. The third use is still something of a mystery to me, although I think it was supposed to serve as bassinet also. When my son was an infant, my husband and I often found ourselves staying overnight with family. This is where the playpen became quite useful for my son's naptime and bedtime. Light enough to take along and fairly easy to set up, the playpen was surprisingly sturdy and was safe to use for my son. The playpen could be set up in a quiet area and as the mesh sides were see-through I could keep an eye on my son without worrying whether he would roll off of a bed. While I don't think I'd have spent the money myself for a playpen, it was handy for travel. I never used the playpen while at home because I preferred to allow my son to get to know his surroundings in the open. This seemed to better encourage his development. I have known parents who have used playpens for brief time outs and this seemed to be effective. The word "brief" is strongly encouraged as there just seems to be something too depressing about leaving an infant in a playpen for long periods of time. After all, babies need stimulation and thrive when given the ability to explore their world. Also, a playpen is not at all meant to be a substitute for parental responsibility. Even in a playpen, babies are subject to climbing, choking, or other hazards when left unattended. If there is no other alternative but to use a playpen when your infant is awake, make sure you keep a close eye on them at all times. There are bound to be some situations where the environment is not safe for a baby to explore freely, and then a playpen may serve its purpose. When it becomes a habit though is when your baby will perhaps be less likely to expand his or her horizons. So, when I think of the best answer to the question of how to use playpens, my answer would have to be sparingly. Only when necessity calls for them. I could have done without a playpen entirely, but they did make traveling with my baby easier when it came to naps and bedtime.  |
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