After dinner at a family restaurant, my daughter began to fuss. My husband and I both did the "parent butt sniff" on our daughter and decided it was time for a diaper change. I brought her into the restroom only to discover that there was no change station. I looked down the hall thinking there may have been a family washroom nearby, but no such luck! I managed to change her on the narrow counter, but not before spending five minutes wiping it down. In a couple of months, there is NO way she could fit on that counter. I felt bad for those who needed to reach around me to get paper towels and access the sink, but what could I do? I kept shaking my head in disbelief. It's exactly like having a restaurant with no restroom for adults!
There should be a law in every province, every state, and every country that requires all restrooms to be equipped with a dedicated area for diaper changes. Not having one is essentially a restaurant without a restroom. It's like saying to an adult, "You can pay money to eat here, but don't think about washing your hands before your meal. Oh, nature calls? Well, put it on hold and call back later."
I'm not asking for a gourmet diaper change area. There doesn't need to be mood lighting. I'm not asking for heated wipes or fruity hand sanitizer. I don't need a plush sofa to sit on or single use pouches of Vaseline. I don't even need a diaper dispensing machine. I just need a regular Koala Kare baby changing station. I just want somewhere dry I can lay down my own change pad and get my child into a fresh diaper. Somewhere I don't have to worry about her reaching for the wet taps or touching the grimy sink.
I hope all restauranteurs think about the facilities when they decide to provide a community service. They need to think about families who wish to enjoy a meal out together. Babies like adults live by the same rule, "What goes in, must come out." Parents just want a decent place to clean up what comes out. It's not a lot to ask.
2 comments:
The "parent butt sniff"! Hahaha!
Also, you say you were at a Chinese resto? If it was your typical kind of Chinese resto (i.e., the ones with plastic tablecloths), they're not exactly known for great restroom facilities so not surprising they didn't have a change station for baby. *sigh* The inconveniences one has to go through just to have some Peking duck and General Tao chicken.
Actually no, it wasn't a place like that. It was a Chinese restaurant that serves Anglocized food...think of it like a Chinese Kelsey's with steak and lobster. We're more prepared going into an old-fashioned Chinese restaurant (do they still have plastic tableclothes?), but this caught us by surprise.
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