Reaping the full advantages of playpens or playards

Playards are derived from playpens.  This is built specifically for babies and toddlers to be used as often as wished, whether as a part of daily routine or occasionally.  Here, babies are contained in a safe environment and they can be contented there with toys, and be happy.  Adults find this yard so useful so that they can get things done as they do not have to give the child undivided attention. 

Reviews and opinions posted by parents on message boards and forums reveal opinions of the playard.  Some enlightening comments made were:

·         They are only used for a few months of babies' lives.”

·         Children will not stay in them for long.

·         Children are unhappy in them.

·         Children are bored in them, hence always sleeping.

·         They are used by lazy parents.

Contrary to popular beliefs that the playpen is a place of confinement and babies feel very restricted or that they are used by indolent parents, the playards have still been featured as one important and convenient in some way or another.  

Consider the age range that should go into a playpen

Playpens are well suited for children up to six months who are not at the stage of moving about independently. Once the child is at the stage of development where he can freely move about and do so independently, then this confinement will not appeal to him, He will show his unappreciation through feelings of distress and crying. 

Consider the duration of time that that the child should be in the playard

Children have very short attention span; they like to interchange their activities because they are explorative by nature.  A growing baby must be given the chance to explore, to move around, and to socialize.  Confining the child to the playpen most of the day is not quite ideal if these activities are to be done.  However, the playard can be used at intervals to get things done that would otherwise be difficult to accomplish while attending to the baby most of the time.  Incorporating the playard environment into an infant’s routine is will make him/her familiar and appreciate being in the playard.  Nonetheless if it is improperly used such a part of disciplinary measures, then the child will not appreciate being in the playard in other times. 

The playards are built of certain sizes and certain material to withstand a particular weight range, thus a toddler will not be well suited for most playards.  One type that would suit toddlers is the sturdy built kind with gates for entering and leaving the playard, similar environment to that of a park.  Depending on the size and material of construction, more than one child can share the space of a playard.  Ideally, children who are similar in age and ability will get along well in this environment.  Putting toddlers with babies leaves the baby vulnerable for serious accidents to take place.  Nonetheless children here must be supervised as they interact with each other,

Although the playard has great use for leaving the baby with minimal supervision, there are certain items that can be placed in it for maximum safety. Care must be given to the type of material that is used in the playard.  Items with long strings, unsafe toys, pillows and blankets can cause suffocation in the infant.  Items suitable for the playpen are boks, soft toys and other toys hat the infant won’t trip over.  Children enjoy making a mess so these items should be packed in boxes to allow the child to remove them and play with them however he wishes.