The Parenting Journal

A playpen feels like a solution. You put the baby down, turn your back for three minutes, and nothing terrible happens. It works so reliably that it’s easy to start thinking of it as a substitute for baby proofing rather...

Most parents reach for a playpen out of necessity. You need two free hands. You need two free hands. The baby needs to be safe. The playpen solves that equation. But somewhere between "occasional safe zone" and "all-day solution," something...