Am I keeping them too confined?

In our living room we have put up one of those SuperYards (circular baby gates). It is pretty big as we bought an extension for it. The babies spend a majority of their day in here playing when they are not in their cribs napping, in their high chairs for meal times or out for a stroll. They seem content for the most part and we often get in the play yard with them to play but I worry sometimes that I am confining them too much. Both of the babies are standing, cruising around the gate and Samuel is starting to take a few very wobbly steps but both are still quite unsteady. We have an old house with hard wood floors and radiators in every room. My fear, even if I just gated off the living room and tried to baby proof, they may still fall and hit their head on the radiator or wood floor. My thought was to wait until they were really walking to take away the superyard but am I slowing their development or hurting them in anyway?

Oh so much to worry about! Thanks for reading and giving your thoughts!

 

I had to get over my fear of them falling and hitting their heads. We have tile in main area on the house, wood in their room, but carpet in the living room and den. At the sitter's house she has wood floors. When they were learning to walk, they fell, they hit their heads, but they were ok. We've tried to give them more free reign of the house, but we've kept the living room and den gated off so that way we have safe places to leave them unattended for a few moments (like if i have to run to the bathroom or something). GL! (oh and my kids always fall and hurt themselves while I'm RIGHT THERE).

 

I was asking myself that EXACT same question last night. Mine are a bit younger than yours, but I wondered if we were shielding them too much by confining them to the play-yard. My DH is home all day with them, by himself, while I am at work and by the time I get home, its almost their bedtime so there is no time for exploring. He doesn't have the patience to let them crawl in the open space of our living room, so they spend most of their day in the "yard". I’m glad I got it though since before they were confined in the exersaucers for most of the day.

Right now, I think there will be plenty of time to do more controlled exploring later – don’t break down the play yard yet

Good Luck :banana:

 

I also had one of the super yards set up and I would put my girls in it to play sometimes during the day when I was getting a couple of things done. I wouldn't put them in it all the time or for long periods I let them explore. They did bump themselves, but that is gonna happen. They also would go to things that were off limits, but I would always tell them no and remove them and eventually they stopped going to it, i.e. DH's stereo equipment.

I think that you need to have a balance between the two. Eventually they are going to outgrow being in the play yard and you will have no choice but to let them out. By then they will be walking if they aren't already...eek!

 

QUOTE(kstar @ Aug 19 2008, 05:10 PM) [snapback]937633[/snapback]
I think that you need to have a balance between the two. Eventually they are going to outgrow being in the play yard and you will have no choice but to let them out. By then they will be walking if they aren't already...eek!

THis is how it was for us. I had the play yard with the extension. We got it when they were about seven or eight months old. By the time a year rolled around, they were learning to climb the walls of it, so they let me know when they were ready to get out.

With the extension, it made it a pretty large area. We also have a sectional couch, so we disconnected one side of the play yard and tucked the gates behind each side of the couch which gave them the whole area of the living room, pretty much. Then they learned how to climb the couch on their own, which led to trying to jump over the sides of the couch to get out.....which led to just taking the whole darn thing down!

Do what you think keeps them safe, I say!

 

We have all wood floors, and they've hit their heads plenty of times - and don't worry, they're still geniuses! :lol: Don't worry, if they fall, they'll be ok. Babies are made of rubber.

 

hardwood floors here too - we purchased rubber daycare mats from Sam's Club and padded the entire living room floor (either that or DH was seriously going to buy them helmets but I put my foot down!) anyway they were multicolored mats and they were awesome! We put them down from the time they became mobile (around 8-9 months and kept them down until they were surefooted (about 15-16 months or so...)...

Here's a pic of my living room...

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/AmynTony/march009.jpg

And here's where we used our superyard to block the radiator

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/AmynTony/march008.jpg

 

We have two SuperYard fences put together plus an extension that encloses our family room (including a love seat). It's a pretty big area, but DH is convinced they need to get out and explore. After DH gets home we take them out to the living room which is carpeted and set them loose. I have to say they love it. It is so funny to put them at opposite ends of the room and watch them crawl towards each other. They squeal and laugh and it's hilarious. We are right there the whole time since there are also some steps and hard wood areas. We have talked about how long we think the yard will last and I figure we can keep it up at least until they are walking with some stability. Right now they are just pulling up on things so we have a little ways to go before saying goodbye!

Jen

 

We had rugs put in right before the boys were born and our house has radiatior heat in every room. Once they started cruising I opened the gate up (with one ext.) and put around the perimeter of my living room and wrapping around the front of my end table. This did two things prvented them from getting to or touching the register under our front window and touching or pulling things out of the draws on the end table. I also put a doorway gate on our steps, vestibule and the doorway between my living room and dinning room. The boys had complete access to our living room we also got rid of our coffee table which opened up space for them to cruise and not get hurt...GL!

 

They probably will fall and hit their heads on the floor, but all babies do this so don't worry. As for the radiators, can you tuck a blanket around them until it's heat season? That will protect small heads and fingers, and will allow you to let your babies out of the Superyard. For what it's worth, my girls have had free reign of the family room (tile floor), hallway (tile), and kitchen (wood) since day one. They have fallen a million times, but get right back up and keep exploring.

 

I also recommend letting them have free rein. THey are kids and need to learn and explore. THey will be ok.

 

I'm not sure exactly how old your toddlers are but I'd say you can give them a bit more freedom and worry less about injuries. Start a room at a time - you can put up some gates and allow them to explore the living room, for example. You'll find out what you need to baby proof (i.e. door on the electronics cabinet, covers on the outlets) and then you can open up another room. Ultimately, you have be smart about baby proofing (remove tables with sharp, glass corners for the time being, for example) but don't worry too much about bumps and bruises - they're inevitable. The business of learning to walk can be dangerous, but it's so worth it! Toddlers love to put their fingers where they shouldn't, but that's all part of the learning process. My boys have fallen too many times to count - they don't even register any more! It's just part of their day.

 

I have always had the mentality "let them be kids" Unless they are doing something that is incredibily dangerous, I let them be. That is how children learn. After a few falls on our hardwood floors, they learned to hold their head up when they fall. Children learn through experience. By keeping them "corralled" all day, they are not learning much in the way of experience. I would take the gate down, proof what you can, and let them explore. It's how they learn....

Just a story of something my mother said the other day. She was in the bathroom and Alivea was kneeling on the toilet seat. My mom was yelling at her to get down. I come in and ask her what Alivea is doing that requires her to yell at her and she says "she is sitting on the toilet" and my response was "it's okay, we let her do it" My mom said "what if she falls off" and I said "then she might get hurt". My thoughts are "it's nothing that will kill her or cause permanant damage if she falls off the toilet seat, but she will be more careful next time if she does b/c experience will teach her"....

 

QUOTE(LV twinmama @ Aug 19 2008, 10:27 PM) [snapback]938149[/snapback]
I also recommend letting them have free rein. THey are kids and need to learn and explore. THey will be ok.



I agree. They need to learn what are no-no's and what they can safely explore. You have to find a balance in babyproofing enough that you won't lose your mind with watching them every second and giving them enough things to explore. I never had this problem as my babies are fussy fuss-buckets who never would have stood for being confined to a SuperYard but they are 13 months and even now know what they are "allowed" to do and what they aren't. Such as looking at me to make sure that I will still say "No" when they are going for electrical cords and the like ... babies like boundaries b/c it makes them feel safe .... but too much of a boundary is just not fun for them. Not to say that my girls don't do things they aren't supposed to (love playing with the night-light in their room ... BIG no-no) but they are learning and safe and that is what is most important! I have a playroom that is totally babyproofed (carpet and tile and the tile is covered with foam alphabet flooring I got at BRU) and I feel safe leaving them in there just to throw the clothes in the laundry or something ... though they are always standing at the gate crying for me as soon as I step away ... LOL! My girls are pretty cautious and are pretty good walkers at this point and have never fallen and smacked their heads while learning to walk ... they were more likely to fall on their knees or bottoms. From what I have read, though, babies heads are "made" to withstand the falls! My girls love to explore the one kitchen cabinet that I let them get into (plastic baby dishes and sippys ...), they love to pull all their DVD's off the TV stand and put them back on, they REALLY love cruising around under the dining room table, pushing their highchairs all around the family room ... and all these things are so fun to watch, too ... YOU and THEY may both be missing out on some fun moments of toddler imagination!

All that being said, you have to feel comfortable with the decision you make ... so maybe just try it little by little ... give them free reign of their bedroom (babyproof to the max) and let them loose in there and see how it feels to you ... once you are used to it then give them reign of their room and the hall (with any stairs/radiators blocked off) ... babysteps ... no pun intended =)

 

I don't know about the radiators but it's a fact of life that they are going to hit their heads, a lot. Sometimes I thought I should get my girls helmets and I'm sure I'm not the only mom who considered it. Now that I've raised two kids, I can be a little more laid back with my third because I realize that falling is just a fact of life. The kids are really made much tougher than we suspect.

 

I just want to add that I think I wrote a similar post not that many months ago. I was SO afraid they'd fall on the tile I'd carry them from one room to another (when they were very capable of walking). The wonderful ladies here gave me the same advice they are giving you- they will fall, but that is how they learn. It hard to see them fall, and I've seen more blood than I'd like (bloody noses, bitten tongues, scrapped knees), but they learn and are more careful the next time. For the longest time I wanted to wrap them in bubble wrap, but I promise you they get better and if nothing else learn how to fall to minimize injury. I would keep the gate though for times when you need to confine them so you can go to the bathroom or grab the phone, etc. GL!

 

Oh, do I remember those times. I was sooooooooooooo scared when they started to stand up and cruise and then walk. We have a lot of tile floor and I used to post about this very thing all the time. It's amazing how eventually, you really do get over the fear. Yes, they will get a couple of bumps and bruises but as someone once told me, it's all a part of their learning process. They NEED to fall to learn how to improve on their skills just like we as adults learn from the mistakes we make. Kids at this age are just so resilient and while we picture the absolute worst case scenario in our minds of what COULD happen, I've never heard of a baby dying because they were learing how to walk and fell down (of course, keep them away from stairs!!) but also remember they are only about 3 feet from the ground so it doesn't hurt to fall too much from that distance. Chance are, they will fall, cry and then be fine in a few minutes and be off and about ready to give you your next heart attack Seriously, after a couple of falls, you get to the point where you just quickly sweep them up and say "You're ok. Off you go." before the first tear can even well up in their eyes!

 

QUOTE
My mom said "what if she falls off" and I said "then she might get hurt". My thoughts are "it's nothing that will kill her or cause permanant damage if she falls off the toilet seat, but she will be more careful next time if she does b/c experience will teach her"....


Totally! Everyone's comfort level is different, but I don't worry about bumps and bruises. I just childproof anything capable of causing serious harm (for example, toilet locks are a must for me, since toddlers can drown in a toilet!), and things that could make a mess that I just don't want to deal with.

 

I did the same until they were just over a year. I used the Lights and Sounds play yards--two attached and it made a large play space. Then I used it as a gate to gradually increase their space and my comfort level. We have all hardwood/tile with large area rugs throughout. They have (mostly DS) fallen and bruised heads but are okay. By the time they had free-run, I was wondering why I hadn't done it sooner.

 

QUOTE(AmynTony @ Aug 20 2008, 12:27 AM) [snapback]937919[/snapback]
hardwood floors here too - we purchased rubber daycare mats from Sam's Club and padded the entire living room floor (either that or DH was seriously going to buy them helmets but I put my foot down!) anyway they were multicolored mats and they were awesome! We put them down from the time they became mobile (around 8-9 months and kept them down until they were surefooted (about 15-16 months or so...)...

Here's a pic of my living room...

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/AmynTony/march009.jpg

And here's where we used our superyard to block the radiator

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c355/AmynTony/march008.jpg


We did the same thing...but we've gated them in our old dining room....with nothing but the puzzle pieces from One step ahead...they play with them and take them apart too...love it.. We did this around 8 months and they're still down for safety even though they're running like crazy. I like having a "safe" room that I can leave them in while I check emaill, rotate laundry, etc....then after lunch, I remove the gate, and they are allowed free roam into the living room that we've super baby-proofed but has the hardwood. We are releasing them in one room at a time and they are learning what to touch, what not to...but I had this same post a few months ago...about confinement. They will get bumps and bruises, but I couldn't stand the popping of their heads on the hardwood over and over. DH was also all in for the helmets, but I didn't think we needed to go that far...I didn't want them to think when they fall...it didn't hurt. I wanted them to learn to brace themselves and learn to fall.. here's a pic of our "safe" room just taken 5 minutes ago...

http://www2.snapfish.com/slideshow/AlbumID...952/t_=88589952

 

We have the LR gated off... It makes it easier on me... Well recently i feel they want more space so we have started the process of putting baby locks on all cabinets. I can just say i feel my life getting easier as each day passes! We will keep the gate up in the LR for some time but i feel goo about letting them explore a bit more. Also we have the superyard outside for them to play in. I think that i need to get an extension to make it bigger but really they just want out. LOL..

 

Thanks to everyone for all of their responses which were full of wonderful opinons and ideas! I think as some of the PP's stated, I need to just start "one room at a time" with baby proofing and letting them explore. Thanks again for encouraging me and givng me great tips and words of advice. I knew I could count on everyone here!