Playpen vs baby proofing while hosting nanny share

[Anonymous]

Parents looking for your insights.

We live in a townhouse in DC, living room with fireplace ( metal grill), dinning room and kitchen aka not open floor plan. We like to host our nanny share and both the babies are 7 months
Soon they will be crawling and walking and I am trying to think how best to baby proof while hosting. The living room has 9ft by 6 ft open space if I move the furniture around. I want both the babies to mostly stay in the living room.

Debating if I should get a big wooden playpen or just put a gate by the dinning room entrance? Our living room has plants, small nick nacks which we will have to move while hosting.

Want to keep it easy for both babies and would like your insights

[Anonymous]

You can't have the kids spend all day in a playpen. They won't develop normally if you pen them up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can't have the kids spend all day in a playpen. They won't develop normally if you pen them up.

Never said that was the case, but the limited time they are inside I want a solution.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can't have the kids spend all day in a playpen. They won't develop normally if you pen them up.

Never said that was the case, but the limited time they are inside I want a solution.

How often do you think a nanny is taking 2 infants out in the winter time?

[Anonymous]

When we hosted a nanny share, I had a company come baby proof all the areas of our house (which was also a townhouse) that the babies would potentially be in. I didn’t want our nanny to have to even think about those issues so that she could focus on other things.

So yes, get a gate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When we hosted a nanny share, I had a company come baby proof all the areas of our house (which was also a townhouse) that the babies would potentially be in. I didn’t want our nanny to have to even think about those issues so that she could focus on other things.

So yes, get a gate.

Thanks new to this.

So did the babies use the entire house? First time parent and unclear how best to make the house safe but not loose our lifestyle.. have a big backyard, park near by etc

[Anonymous]

I recommend a roller shade gate. Here is an example.

https://retract-a-gate.com/

Be sure to check on the recall and safety track record of gates, sleeping products, swings, and chairs. Stay away from puffy, soft sleep products and kids sleeping in gear that's not intended for sleep (swings).

We tried small and large plastic walled playpens (no floor). They were not very effective and they were hideous.

My mom swore by the playpen she used with me and my sibling. We turned out fine but these mostly don't exist anymore because they were a safety hazard. We were also quiet sit and play type children.

If you will have two nappers, you may need two pack'n'plays and they can be used as temporary playpens up until a certain age (forget specifics). You need some kind of baby pen because nanny needs to have hands free to cook or to be able to answer the phone or use the bathroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can't have the kids spend all day in a playpen. They won't develop normally if you pen them up.

Never said that was the case, but the limited time they are inside I want a solution.

You can't have them spend all their inside time in a pen. A pen is fine for 10 minutes while the nanny runs to the bathroom, but kids need to be able to explore and learn from their environment.

[Anonymous]

The time span for the play pen, like every other piece of baby equipment, is very short lived. We used one in the phase where mine outgrew sitting in a bjorn and was just starting cruising but by the time she was walking no way would she want to hang out in a tiny space. You'll have to babyproof no matter what- my 16 month old tries to get into everything

[Anonymous]

Gate. A playpen is too small of a space for two babies to spend most of their time.

[Anonymous]

Why would you not just babyproof your house? I mean, one of these infants is yours, right? I assume they also live in the house?
It will be far easier for you in the long run if you just go ahead and babyproof part of your house now, assuming you will be living there through the toddler years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why would you not just babyproof your house? I mean, one of these infants is yours, right? I assume they also live in the house?
It will be far easier for you in the long run if you just go ahead and babyproof part of your house now, assuming you will be living there through the toddler years.

This! This is your child’s home. Baby proofing is something we all do when our kids become mobile and start exploring.

[Anonymous]

Between various nanny shares, dd was in three different homes (including ours) and not a single one had a play pen or gate (other than for stairs and such). Babyproof and gates if you must.

[Anonymous]

Gates are really useful imo. A playpen isn’t.

[Anonymous]

I am also really confused about what you are going to do with the baby when you are with them, rather than the nanny. You'll still need a baby proofed house.

Your lifestyle is going to dramatically change. You have a child. That's how it works.