Just to clarify...?

Question

I asked if anyone else thought it was wrong that family members of mine, who have a 9 month old, brought over not only a diaper bag & carseat, but also a feeding chair & a playpen to my home when invited over. Everyone said "You must not have children, otherwise you'd understand." Well just to clarify:

We had about 25+ people over, & nobody thinks it's a bit inconsiderate to set up a playpen in the middle of someone's living room where there is limited space and seating? That playpen took up a good portion of my living room. People were constantly walking around it & it took up a space of the room where we could have set up folding chairs for seating--but NO, they HAD to bring that damn thing.

The feeding chair took up a chair where someone else could have sat. But NO, they HAD to bring that and take up seating instead of just putting the kid on someones lap and feeding him or putting him in his carseat to feed him.

You still don't think it's a bit rude to bring those things?

Answer 1

That's more than a bit rude--that's just plain inconsiderate and wrong.

People shouldn't bring house and home with them when they are invited over. That child could have easily sat on someone's lap and been fed or layed on the floor on a blanket to drink a bottle. There's no need for a feeding seat taking up a chair.

And the playpen--no need for it. The baby could have been passed around with family members or sat in his carseat with a toy for awhile or something. I mean, if you need another pair of arms like that--don't bring a playpen. Bring a bouncy seat or another small seat. Don't bring an entire playpen that takes up someone's living room.

Answer 2

I'm sort of iffy on this one. When we drive an hour away to my father-in-law's house to stay overnight, I do take the playpen. I set it up in the bedroom we sleep in though; not in their living room. As far as the high chair, what's wrong with mom or dad's lap? My inlaw's have a high chair but my grandmother doesn't. When we drove 5 hours away to go to my grandma's house, I didn't take the high chair and my daughter was only 6 months old at the time. I held her while daddy fed her. I guess there are just some people that can NOT live with out all their contraptions. I'm guessing they didn't even ask first. Yea, I think it's rude.

Answer 3

I think the playpen is a bit much, i would have asked to set it up in a different room where it would have been out of the way. But as for the feeding chair, i don't think thats rude. It's safer and easier to feed the baby. All kids have them, and the kid is 9 months old, where do you expect him to eat? The carseat is more inconvient to feed because it's so low to the ground and trust the feeding chair would have been more convienient than the carseat.

Answer 4

think of this objectively. if you had a child and couldn't leave it at home, what would you do? i agree though that bringing enough stuff to move in is inconsiderate. they didn't need to bring all that much and they probably didn't have to set up the playpen in the living room. there were also alternatives to having some of those items. one way to get over it is to see the child as a grown up too. maybe a friend you invited and that extra spot was where they were going to sit anyway. just look at it from different perspectives and you'll get a feel for it. but yeah i would have to agree on overdoing the child thing a bit.

Answer 5

Next time you have a party- make sure to put no children on the invitaions or better yet get on here and complain after their food covered kid runs loose through your house mucking up your furniture, walls and guests. I am sure it couldn't possibly be that they were trying to find ways to contain and amuse this child so he wouldn't interfere with the party. I think if anyone is being insensitive it is you. Maybe you should have moved the playpen to another room so the child could nap. Get a bigger party place, invite less people to your smallish home, or don't invite people who will bring their kids.

Answer 6

Sounds like a bit of overkill. Is this their first child? If they were worried about your house not being child-proofed, they should have reconsidered bringing their baby to your house.

I have taken my kids to in-laws homes that were far from child proof, but we watched our kids and didn't let them get into things they shouldn't.

I do think it was a bit much to bring all of those things into the house. If they watch their child, they wouldn't need the playpen, and my kids have always sat on my lap when we are at another's house.

Yep, it is a bit rude,I'd say!

Answer 7

Trust me, they need this stuff. It's like packing for a vacation just to go to the store when you have a little one.

It's hard to just hold a baby at a table, and the carseat makes them fussy after a while. It's better to have lost some seating space rather than have a screaming, pissed off baby.

Answer 8

It was inconsiderate. Too bad you didn't have the prescence of mind to say - oh here's a much better place to put that - and taken them to the place for their equipment. if they protested, you'd have said, oh i'm so sorry i didn't leave more room there, please suggest another place, but i just can't have them right here.

this is actually one of those good occurences - if you don't focus on what another person did, but on how you could handle it better next time, you will grow in tact, assertiveness, and compassion.

also, it makes for a great gossipy tale, so you win on two scores, and everyone will come back to your house for a nice party next time.

You could also inform those folks that they don't need all that silly equipment. Besides the car seat, all they needed was a sling. They sound lilke day care users, the type that don't really know kids.

Answer 9

A lot of new parents bring all sorts of crap to someones house cuz they think they need it I agree with you and I have four kids I have never brought that stuff to any ones house

Answer 10

I have 3 children and I would NEVER do this. Maybe on an overnight stay, but not for a few hours. It is rude.