The hubby and I decided that it would go in the family room right now since we don't have any other cushioned surface in that area. However, he wanted it in the corner next to a wall so it wouldn't look so obstrusive in our very modern family room. The thing is that the whole purpose of having a pack and play is so that I can be in the kitchen or working while sitting in the family room and being able to see the baby playing from different angles. So after both sides presenting our reasoning and some frustration on my part, the hubby gave in and decided to leave it right smack in the middle of our family room where I originally suggested. Also, it is where I could also see the baby from the kitchen. Note: I have an open kitchen that is right next to my family room.
And now I'm strongly considering buying those padded, colorful mats that you see at daycare centers for my family room so that the baby can play freely (and I'll be with him of course). But after a lot of research, are those things safe?
I went on Amazon when I woke up at around 4:30 a.m. (I was so tired that I fell asleep with all of my clothes and jewelry on at 8:30 p.m.) this morning and lots of reviews said that they smell like those permanent markers and that the colors come off and on some, the removable parts are choking hazards (YIKES!). What are is your experience with them? Would you recommend them? I saw one called the SoftSpot and it looks nice but at $100 for just the mat (cover is another $40), I'm not so sure about it. Do you have one of those and is it a product that you can't live without?
I'm dying to know what other parents do about this. And have you had the discussion as to where the pack and play or other kid gear should go with your hubby and/or significant other? Did you end up with a pros and cons list? How did you decide? Did you get to pick where one went and he chose the other?
Not that I've done ANY research on this since I am not a mom, but if those bright rubber tiles just don't sit well with you and/or your hubby, maybe look into options with the FLOR tiles. They have tons of different color,shape & thickness options that may be a good alternative to sharpie smelling, paint chipping rubber squares.
ReplyDeleteOn a side note- great blog, keep it up even if it is at 6am! haha
Thanks for the recommendation, I will definately take a look at the FLOR tiles.
ReplyDeletere: the blog, thanks for reading. If there's ever a topic (non-mom related) that you'd like to hear about, then I'm happy to explore it.
Hey! It was funny how you're still trying to keep the "modern" look in your house... jeje, just wait until you have to get toys, and tricycles, and all sorts of things.
ReplyDeleteI have actually bought those cushiony things and I like them, and I got the ones from Marshalls :) NOT for a $100. I never had any experience with them smelling like sharpies, and the color does fade off after a while, but more like normal wear-and-tear, nothing horrifying. I actually do like them especially when they start sitting up by themselves - they often fall sideways and backwards - and I'd say 50% of the time you don't get there in time to catch them.. so, it's great to have a thick cushion to break the fall. One piece of advice, and more like a WARNING, is don't get the ones with the puzzle pieces... you'll see lots, sometimes it's animals that come out, numbers or even the whole alphabet. They start taking them out and then they start missing and then you'll go crazy trying to keep it nice and neat. So just go for the big solid bright colored squares, which I'm sure will go perfectly with your very modern family room. :)