Is It Okay To Use A Playpen As A Crib?

Playpen & Crib

A well-rested baby is a happy baby.

It is every parent’s goal to have their toddler sleep well and be ready to face the day.

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Therefore, getting the best sleeping spot for your young-one is a very important quest.

A crib is the traditional sleeping spot for any baby.

It is basically a small bed with high sides.

The high sides are to ensure that the baby stays inside the crib and does not roll out.

Thus, the crib is designed to keep a baby safe during sleep time.

In modern times however, the crib is slowly falling out of favor and the playpen is now in vogue.

A playpen, also known as a play yard, is a portable, collapsible, safe enclosure wherein parents and caregivers may place their babies.

They are useful whenever parents or caregivers need to be away or perform chores.

Over the years, playpens have been redesigned and remodeled.

They now come with very useful features and can be used in various ways.

They maintain their traditional role as safe playing spaces for children and can double up as cribs.

This is very advantageous.

Advantages of using a playpen as a crib

Portability

Playpens are collapsible pieces of furniture, that can be assembled and disassembled quite easily.

Many of them can easily fit inside bag packs.

Having such a product makes life raising an infant very easy.

Travelling become less hectic and in fact becomes enjoyable.

One needs only to disassemble the play yard and conveniently put it in a bag.

Thus, as result, one is able to easily carry the baby’s essentials ready to set up camp anywhere.

Affordability

Playpens are crazy affordable as compared to cribs. Cribs are entirely made of wood or metal.

The extensive use of these raw materials is the reason they are so costly, not to mention the high level of craftmanship that goes in.

Playpens are much simpler and are made of more affordable, lighter and portable raw materials.

Thus, they are less expensive.

They also undergo rigorous testing to ensure that they are safe to use.

Multipurpose

Imagine having a portable crib, diaper changing area, bassinet and safe playing space for your baby, all in one product.

A playpen is all of these things.

It is a convenient multipurpose piece of furniture that has more than one use.

Ideal for small spaces

Cribs are large and heavy pieces of furniture.

They tend to take up a lot of space.

In many instances, parents and caregivers need to place the crib in its own room.

This may not be ideal for small spaces.

A playpen takes up less space compared to a crib.

Much like a sofa bed, it can be packed away when not being used, to free up more space in a home.

Easy to put away

When not in use, the playpen can be packed away in a bag and placed in a corner.

They do not need a ton of storage space.

A little space in a closet is enough.

This is a useful feature, especially when the kids grown up and need larger beds.

The playpen can easily be stored away.

Hazards of using a playpen as a crib

When using a playpen as a crib, it is important to be cautious and to ensure that your baby is safe.

Playpens pose certain risks that could endanger the life of your child.

Therefore, it is important as a parent or caregiver who uses a playpen to take the following precautions;

Carefully set up the play yard before putting the baby inside

While setting up the playpen, ensure that every piece is securely in place and cannot shake loose.

Follow the manufacturer’s set-up instructions.

Take a quick safety check afterwards and ensure that there are no loose side railings or protruding rivets.

Loose side railings may collapse and fall on the baby, injuring it.

The baby’s clothes may be caught on protruding screws and rivets.

The baby could be strangled this way.

Do not add mattresses, comforters, or duvets.

Use the fitting mattress and padding provided by the manufacturer.

Adding large, soft mattresses and blankets in the playpen is dangerous.

This is because it increases the chances of Sudden Infant Death (SID) and suffocation.

Ensures that the playpen is in good shape.

One must ensure that the playpen is in good shape.

The mattress must not be worn out.

It must be firm and in one piece.

It must not be torn and should be properly attached to the playpen’s platform.

A worn-out mattress is a hazard.

This is because, babies can easily pick at the mattress and ingest pieces of it.

This poses the danger of choking

If using a playpen with mesh sides, one must ensure that the mesh holes are not larger than buttons on the baby’s clothes.

This is to prevent the baby’s clothes from being caught in the mesh holes.

The mesh should be properly attached to the railings and should have no tears where a baby can put fingers through.

Keep the playpen in a safe place and in view

The play yard should be far away from stoves, doors, windows or any other place where falling items may find their way into the crib.

The pen should also be away from naked wires or dangling cords that a growing infant may find intriguing to touch or pull at.

The play yard should also be in view.

The caregiver should not be too far away.

They must be close enough to keep a watchful eye on their sleeping young one, ensuring that they are safely asleep.

Conclusion

A playpen is a must-have product.

Compared to its counterpart, the crib, it is more portable, more convenient, more affordable and easier to use.

These qualities make it the better option.

Letting your baby sleep in a playpen is no different to a crib.

In fact, it is much better.

However, just like every other duty related to raising a child, using a playpen needs you to be careful and present.

Ensure that the play yard, meets all the product requirements before use and then sit back and enjoy all the advantages.