The Playpen

Being a full-time mom with no helper in a country where nearly every family has at least one or two helpers was a real stretch! But Mark and I were determined to see what it would take to run everything all by ourselves, from household chores to taking care of the baby to everything else. (Of course, that was partly the reason, plus the fact that we were renting a studio apartment that was cramped enough just for the three of us!)

So how did I get exercise or any other errand done? Ta-daahh, we had great help from the trusty old… drum roll, please… Yep, our trusty old playpen! It sure was a great thing that someone gave us a playpen after we’d bought JD’s crib. (Thanks, Tita Annabelle for the Graco Pack ‘n Play!) Its foldable feature made it a much easier thing to lug around to different spots. Not only did we get to bring it on overnight trips for JD to sleep in, it served another purpose: as our very own helper!

Yes, we read recommendations in “On Becoming Babywise” about training the baby to spend certain lengths of time in the playpen, and while we didn’t follow everything to the dot, it sure came in handy, especially at the time when baby already started to sit up and try to stand. Why do I say it was a great helper? ‘Coz all we had to do was plunk baby down in it, at a place we could see him and then take turns running around the block! Whoever was stuck watching the playpen would then work up a sweat on the exercise bike or pumping dumbbells! A great way to get multiple tasks done, wouldn’t you say? :) 

I found the playpen plays a great role for letting moms have their daily devotions, too: see it featured in this Daily Devotions site.