In an age where there is such a thing as shared parental leave, a time where more and more Dads are becoming stay at home parents, how come finding a baby changing facility in a men’s toilet is still more difficult than finding a needle in a haystack? How is this OK? Research carried out by fabulous dad blogger Al from The Dad Network found that Dads have had to change their little one’s nappies in all manner of places as there were no changing facilities available to them.
The research discovered Dads across the UK were being forced to use the boot of their car to change their baby’s bum and some had even used the floor of a public toilet. Are you serious? It is 2o17 and babies are having to be laid down on a TOILET FLOOR to have their nappy changed when out and about with their Daddy. This is not OK, more needs to be done so babies can be changed as easily by their Dads as they can by their mums, nappy changing is not just something us Mums do.
Sudocrem Baby Changing Room Awards.
As Barack Obama has recently made it law for all male toilets to have a baby change facility in the US, hopefully the UK will soon follow suit. The Dad Network, the NCT and Sudocrem have all teamed up in a campaign for better changing facilities for Dads and the annual Sudocrem Baby Changing Awards has a new category this year – best Dad’s toilet.
There are 4 categories in the awards:
- Cafe/restaurant
- Retailer
- Holiday park/hotel
and taking centre stage..
- Dads toilet
To vote in the awards and to be in with a chance of winning a break at the family friendly hotel Knoll House, follow this link to the Sudocrem website – it’s that easy. You have until the 31st of January to place your votes and the winning changing rooms with all receive a special engraved plaque and use of the Sudocrem Care and Protect logo.
So, hopefully 2o17 will be the year that Dads can take their little ones to the shops without wondering what their going to do when it’s time for a nappy change. Maybe it will be the year where Dads will no longer have to retreat back to the restaurant table and pass baby to Mum as there is no changing table in the gents. 2017 needs to be the year where not a single baby has to be changed on a toilet floor because there really is no better option. It’s not too much to ask for really is it?
What do you think? Are you a Dad who worries about where you will change your baby’s nappy when out and about? Maybe your a Mum who would like to see change so your husband can do his fair share of the bum changes when you’re out in town? I would love to know your thoughts on this.
You can get further information on the Sudocrem Care and Protect Baby Changing Awards here and you can read all about The Dad Networks campaign for better changing facilities here.
Disclaimer: This is a collaborative post. All words and opinions are my own.
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Couldn’t agree more. Just goes to show how far we have to go before people put the same expectations on dads as mums. #fortheloveofblog
Having recently become a sahd and member of the dad network group I’m totally with AJ on this one. We need proper facilities for dads. I do most of the nappy changing in our family.
#fortheloveofBLOG
This is something I’ve often thought of. It really, really winds me up that there aren’t enough facilities for dad’s to change nappies. It doesn’t matter to me anymore now my son is older, personally, but change is so needed. #fortheloveofblog
Rach recently posted…The Sinister Side Of Twitter
Aww great awareness raising! Our local shopping centre Bluewater has fantastic family rooms – such a great idea as both mums and dads can use them. There need to be more of these about for sure #fortheloveofBLOG
justsayingmum recently posted…Owning Motherhood
I have already seen this and placed a vote. I agree that it’s terrible that dads struggle to find places to change their children. Although the cleanliness of some changing facilities generally is shocking. It amazes me that businesses don’t think that baby changing is perhaps the place they should focus the most cleaning attention!!!
#fortheloveofBLOG
Angela Watling recently posted…Five Favourite Finds – December 2016
AWESOME stuff here! I think about how much I have turned my nose up before at the prospect of changing my babies in a public restroom. Can’t even imagine if one wasn’t available to me and I had to use a FLOOR. I had nothing at all to complain about! Thanks for bringing more attention to this important topic. #KCACOLS
Brilliant post for raising awareness, its crazy to think that this is something that has been overlooked for so long.
Thanks so much for linking up at #KCACOLS. Hope you come back again next Sunday
Mainy
mainy – myrealfairy recently posted…How to time manage your way back to happiness
My other half is always complaining about this. If he wants to take our daughter out then he often can’t find a place to change her, which is just ridiculous when you think about it! I had no idea Barack Obama had passed this new law – good for him! Lets hope the UK follows suit. Thanks for linking up to #fortheloveofBLOG x
A Mum Track Mind recently posted…How To Choose The Perfect Family Holiday
I totally agree with this campaign. My husband does more than his fair share of nappies, especially when we’re out and I find it awful that sometimes he has to come back, unchanged and hand the baby over to me to go and do it because he can’t go in the facilities. It’s 2017!! What type of society are we if we’re still saying you can only look after a baby if you’re a mum or you’re happy to stick them on a dirty floor?! Ridiculous. Thanks for highlighting such a great cause. #postsfromtheheart
Devon Mama recently posted…When Parenting Becomes A Competition
Love this post and totally support it. Far too often it’s the ladies toilets that have baby changing, although thankfully more places have a dedicated baby room or disabled/baby changing. I hate the whole attitude that parenting is a mum’s job! Thanks for joining us for #marvmondays
Author
Yes I hate it too! Parenting is definitely not just for mums and changing nappies is a big part of looking after a child in the first couple of years.xx
love this and all the great things Al is doing for UK dads. Mine is out of diapers (nappies to you) but it still can be an issue finding family restrooms. Shes too old to take in with me, but too young to send into some ladies rooms by herself. The challenges never end! #KCACOLS
Author
Ahh that is tricky. I have 2 boys so there will come a time when I have this problem too.xx
Such an important issue, and one I totally agree with! My Other Half does regular surveying of everywhere we go, to check if their baby facilities are accessible to men, this needs to become the norm. Thank you for bringing this issue up and joining us at #PostsFromTheHeart
Author
It is so frustrating isn’t it? It should just be standard that there’s baby changing tables in the men’s toilets as well as the ladies xx
This! It makes my husband so angry when we go somewhere he can’t change the boys, he feels it’s basically telling men ‘dads don’t/can’t/shouldn’t take care of their own kids’.
My hubby has had issues with this too but also uses it as an excuse not to change our daughter’s bottom when we are out together.I truly can’t think of anywhere we have been where there have been facilities for men to do the changing #PostsFromTheHeart
I’ve never thought about this issue until now. Clearly my OH needs to step his nappy changing game up a gear!! I can’t believe we’re in 2017 and dads are struggling to find suitable locations to change their babies!
#KCACOLS
Becky Clark recently posted…Out and About – The Tiny Feet Bistro
I’m a single mum so this has never really affected me but I think it’s really important. It’s pretty crazy that in this day and age there isn’t equality on this! #KACOLS
I’d love to see more changing facilities for dads! My mum worked so my dad took care of us a lot. I imagine I was changed on a lot of floors. #kcacols
Good to hear that dads can change nappy because my husband don’t know any thing about this. I am sure many dads are out there with no knowledge of that. You have shared a great thing with us.
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