Play Yards - Can you live without them?

[ANGB]

I've avoided adding a play yard to my registry for a couple of big reasons: I'm not absolutely convinced we need one; they're huge and will feel like clutter when not in use; and they're not the best-looking things in the world for being so prominent in the house. I'm also trying to go the minimalist route when it comes to baby stuff, but in every area but this one, that's not really working...:rolleyes:

So! Do I have to get one anyway? I've talked to some new moms who have one, and these are the benefits they've mentioned:


Great for when you have a toddler and need to put him somewhere while you take a quick shower or need to be in another room for a few.

At toddler age, they will need a playpen, and this is the playpen of today.

The bassinet feature eliminates the need for a bassinet-only unit, like this one from Eddie Bauer: http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000132W02.01._SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg



So I'm considering removing the bassinet above from our registry and adding something like this play yard from Jeep: http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0002MPVIM.01._SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg It's the same price as the bassinet, but you get so much more use out of it, it seems. Before I do the switcharoo, though, I'd love your opinion on the "need" for a play yard. If you don't use one, what have you used, instead?

[Ohana]

We never had a play yard, and DD doesn't seem too deprived.

Truthfully? We used the cosleeper when she was small (sort of like using the bassinet feature on many playyards), and by the time she was a toddler, she was so in love with Elmo that I could plug in Elmo's World for a few minutes if I absolutely had to be out of the room.

As for showers, DD sat in her portable swing in the bathroom when she was small, and if I'm desparate for a shower these days, I'll just have her jump in with me (she's 23 months, and we've done that for a few months). Honestly, I'd never leave my toddler unattended in a playyard, because she's a class A smarty pants, and I have no doubts she'd find a way out of that sucker within a few minutes.

[Megande]

My son is almost 3 and a half months old and I just bought a play yard yesterday. I bought it simply so that he could have some where to sleep when we go and visit grandparents. If you are going to be doing any traveling with baby, they are a very portable solution, and they can be used when the child is older as well. I bought an inexpensive, no frills version because our baby doesn't care anything about vibrating, etc.

[shortcake]

We haven't once used a play yard with our 2 year old in our house. We do use it when we go somewhere and need to put her down for a nap or to bed - it's very nice if you want to go out to dinner at a friend's house. You can only use a bassinet for that for a few months; we can STILL use the pack n play for sleeping.

As for putting a toddler in it when you need to leave the room or as a playpen, good luck. Maybe it's because we didn't try to use it for this, but DD thinks it is for sleeping and isn't too keen on it anyway - I can't imagine her playing in it. I think most people gate off "safe areas" for play-zones these days rather than putting their kids in a playpen (though I could be totally wrong about that!)

[Sidsou]

My DS is only 13 months, but we've used ours a lot so far. Mainly for sleeping. For the first 3 months, we used the bassinett feature and loved it since it had a vibrating option which worked great since he was collicky and it was the only way to get him to sleep during those first 2 months. Since then, we've used it as a "travelling crib" meaning that he's slept in it for naps at grandma's, a couple of overnights at grandmas, and also when we have gone on vacation (we got one that easily folds). I found it really useful since it is familiar to DS, he falls asleep right away.

I haven't really used it quite yet to confine him, but he's not walking yet so I may need to soon.

Another option since you are thinking minimalist concerning baby gear, some moms don't even bother with a bassinet and go straight to the crib. If you went that route, you could get a playyard that is simply like a circle of gates like this...

http://www.onestepahead.com/images//product/family/10611-v.jpg
You could easily use it inside or outside. Just an idea to think about.

[catmom]

We had a pack n play, and I regret buying it. She hated the bassinet, and the playyard is too small, imo, to leave her in for more than 30 seconds. My mother bought a graco tot block, and we just decided to switch. My DD really likes it, and she is happy to hang out in it for 5 minutes from time to time while I eat a bowl of cereal or go to the bathroom. It is much roomier than the pack n play, and it has some nice "built in" toys in the sides which she likes. I can't imagine not having something, because our wiggly DD didn't much care for the bouncy seat after she was about 3 or 4 months old. And I have to be able to put her somewhere besides the crib from time to time.

[moderngal]

we have that Jeep one you posted. i like it to put DS down when we're on the 1st floor and he's sleepy or if i need a quick place to put him while I answer the door, let the dogs out, go to the bathroom, etc.
the diaper change part and bassinet have low weight limits (15 pounds) and my DS grew out of them quickly, but they were helpful at first.

[onomatopoeia]

We have our pack n play right next to the kitchen. So, when I'm cooking I put DS in it (b/c he doesn't like to sit in his high chair for too long). I use my pack n play for about 10-25 minutes almost every day.

I feel safer w/ him in the playpen than underfoot while I handle the stove, oven, etc.

We have another packnplay at MIL's so that DS can sleepover, but I don't think he'll be using it anytime soon since I don't feel comfortable w/ him going over there anymore (long story).

[Koala_Gurl]

We have a Pack & Play...I haven't used it as a play pen (yet?) But we do use it as a travel crib (we also got the Graco travel crib to use as a bassinet in our room, but DD is pretty much too big for it now at 6 months.)

[ANGB]

Well, I just found this unit, which has been the most appealing option for me by far:

http://babystyle.com/images/product/15834_MID_l.jpg

http://store1.yimg.com/I/albee-baby_1862_20228892


I like it because it has a canopy bassinet that can fit inside the play yard or on its own rocking base (which is also included). My side of the bed is pretty tight, so if we have that standalone bassinet (like this one offers), my husband and I won't have to switch sides...it would fit right in. Plus, in its travel bag, it rolls on its wheels -- I don't think they all do that.

Anyone have this unit, by any chance? It's called the Travel Solutions Playard by Combi. $159.

[ellybelle]

Honestly, I would just think of it as a portable bed and bassinette, and find the easiest one to store/haul etc. I know there are some babies who will play happily in one for a few months, but I think that's what most people end up using them for.

[SiValleySteph]

Well, if you're asking if you can live without one, most definitely! I don't have one and really don't understand why people need one. If I need to run and do something, I can just leave my son in his play area and latch the gate so he doesn't fall down the stairs. I never had/have a need to just put him somewhere. :confused: I don't know.

The one use I can see is to use as a travel crib. But then again, I don't think I'd want to be hauling one on the airplane along with carseat, stroller, etc. Best case scenario would be for the person we were visiting to have one if we wanted to use one. DS just co-sleeps when were travelling (which we do quite a bit) and we haven't had any problems with it.

Anyways, DS is 1 and we didn't have one and haven't missed it at all. If anything, I'm super happy we didn't have one because that would just be one more piece of baby clutter that we are trying to figure out what to do with now. (Exersaucer anyone? :p)

FWIW, we didn't have a bassinett, either. We had a snuggle nest instead and loved that thing.

[Natasha]

I depended on mine when my son was small. My parents live about 3 hours away, and it was priceless everytime we went to visit, as well as when we went to friends houses. However, at home, he hated it. Unless he was napping, it was a prison to him (I used it anyway...). But, for going to other peoples houses, it worked great. We had the pack and play, which broke down and set up pretty easily.

[kmmommy]

We have one and have used it a lot. We travel quite a bit and no one in our families have cribs for DS to use. We didn't want to get into the co-sleeping habit when we were on vacation so that worked best for us.

[phart]

I figured DS would sleep in the bassinet part of ours for a while but he liked being in bed with us better:) Nowadays (he's almost 2) we can't live without it. But of our parents are in town so Aiden spends the night every couple of weeks and the PNP is needed. We also use it to put him to sleep if we go to a party/cookout type thing at friends. And we took it on vacation last year (we drove) and we'll take it on a road trip soon as well. He sleeps in a twin bed at home but I wouldn't risk him sleeping in a strange bed while on a trip.

[mamax2]

I've found our Pack-n-Play to be pretty essential. In the beginning, I did have a beautiful brass cradle that had belonged to my cousin, but found my DD slept so much better in the PNP pushed up next to the bed (like a cosleeper) the vibration and little nightlight on the bassinett were lifesavers as well.

We've used it as a travel crib MANY times - most places we visit w/the exception of our parents don't have extra cribs or PNPs laying around, so we've always needed to bring our own.

I've never used it as a playpen though. My Mom's tried to do that w/the PNP at her house when DD was younger but it didn't go over so well.

[BTB]

I'm sure we could've found a way to make do if we'd had to, but we've already gotten lots of use out of our PNP and DD's five months old - six months this Thursday.

We tried cosleeping - but I never got any sleep that way. Even if it had worked well at home in our queen-size bed, the guest room at both grandparents' has a full-size bed, that'd be really tight for 3 I think. So the PNP is where DD sleeps when we go visiting, and we try to stay the weekend at each grandparents' home once a month - so two total weekend trips per month for us. DD's just now reaching the weight limit for the bassinet (15 lbs) and has a long way to go to reach the limit for the changing table (25 lbs) and playard (30 lbs) so I think we'll get a lot more use out of it.

[Daniel's Kitty]

We have the Jeep one and love it for Grandma's house or if he is being babysat somewhere. One of DS Grandparents houses has a chocolate lab that likes to jump so it is a great place to put him without having to worry.

[AmyE]

Do you NEED one? Nope. Was it handy for us? Yep. We used it as a travel crib (checked as luggage, not at the gate), and plan to take it to Paris with us in December. (We'll take the PNP, Baby Bjorn and a stroller. No need for carseat.) None of the family or friends we visit have small kids, so no one has cribs or PNPs that we can use.

At home we use it downstairs as a changing table, and to put him in for 5-10 minutes at a time. He likes the bear mobile that came with it -at least for a few moments. One he outgrows the changing table feature I figure I can fold it up and stash it behind a bookcase for most of the day. If he still likes it, and will nap there, the PNP takes us less than one minute to set up.

[cpaccione]

We have the Combi unit that ANGB posted earlier. We haven't used the bassinet yet because the new baby hasn't come but we use the play yard for our 15 month old. It's nice to have a place to just set him for a few minutes while I'm getting ready (it's in our room). Other than that though, he doesn't use it any other time except for when we go on trips he'll sleep in it.

Recently, instead of trying to contain DS too much we put gates up to section off the house and that seems to be working well.

This thing:
http://www.onestepahead.com/images//product/family/10611-v.jpg

In my opinion is a big pain in the neck. It's very hard to fold down or adjust the sides. When DS got tired of being in it he would push it all around the living room leaving big gouges in the wall. :( It's also not very easy on the toes either...ouch!!

[ANGB]

cpaccione: You're the first person I've found that owns that Combi. Babystyle doesn't offer reviews on their site, and I couldn't find reviews anywhere else. What are your impressions of the quality, etc.? For the price (which is a little higher than the average BRU play yard), are you happy with what you got? Did you compare it to any others? Thank you. :)

[Brady]

We had one, tried to use it as a bassinett in the early days, and well- he hated it. We also have a pretty small condo, so it was just becoming a PITA since it took up so much space. Gave it to my parents and now it is a lifesaver at their house, he sleeps it in now (thank god!) when we go there for a weekend, and it's also a good place to put him if everyone is doing something and he can't roll around on their floors.

Now that he is bigger (7 months), I wish we had one here only for when I am getting dinner ready and he is not wanting to sit in his highchair or exersaucer. But, it is great to use as a travel crib.

[cpaccione]

So far, I am very impressed with the Combi. The play-yard part is very nice and easy to set up and take down (once you read the instructions ;) ). The two wheels on the one side makes it very easy to move around. Our old one didn't have that. The material on the bottom and sides is very soft.

The bassinet looks like it'll work well for us because it's small and fits on my side of the bed. We plan to only use it on the pedestal though and only 3-4 months, if that. The play-yard part is going downstairs with the little changing table so I don't have to bring her up and down the stairs every time. We decided to do this since we have another little one it would be too hard on me. This way I have a "station" for her up and down stairs and don't have to go back and forth. We plan to put the old play yard back in our room for our 15 month old for those few minutes I need to contain him.

As far as quality, I think it's about the same as some others I've seen at BRU, such as the Eddie Bauer and Jeep, but we picked this one because of the bassinet. I knew we would need one anyway so instead of buying two separate pieces we bought this so it'll all go together. I thought the price was reasonable for what we got.

Hope that helps!

[mimieliza]

Okay, I'm not a parent, so this could all change, but I plan on using a Pack-n-Play because we have two large dogs. I want someplace to lay the baby to play other than the floor (where they might step on him). So I plan to have it set up in our living room or family room. So if you have a dog, that may be a factor to consider

[Koala_Gurl]

Okay, I'm not a parent, so this could all change, but I plan on using a Pack-n-Play because we have two large dogs. I want someplace to lay the baby to play other than the floor (where they might step on him). So I plan to have it set up in our living room or family room. So if you have a dog, that may be a factor to consider

It's funny, I thought the exact same thing...but I just put DD on the floor with the dogs! :) (Golden retrievers)

In the beginning, I had DD in the papasan chair, and later when she could play on the floor with some toys I just had her there.

[mimieliza]

Koala_gurl -
Hey, that's good to know! My dogs can get rough when they play with each other, but they're actually really gentle with kids, so maybe I'll be able to do the same.

[Sarah]

We never had one with DD1, but we have one now, with
DD2. We've never used it yet, but maybe we will when she gets bigger. We do have a large dog in the house now, but she's fine with the baby. I can see perhaps popping the baby into the PnP when I run down to get laundry or answer the door, but for now I stick her on the couch, in her crin (if I have to use the bathroom) or in her swing or bouncy.
So it's definitely not a necessity, but it might be useful if you have a larger home or animals.