To be annoyed with cleaner in John Lewis?

[Tralalalaha]

Went out with 21 month old DS in a back carrier to buy some new shoes in the sales. Got to JL and realised as I took him out to get his feet measured that he'd done a mahousive wee and was sopping from waist to knee (as indeed was my back). So nipped over to kids wear, bought some lovely trousers in the sale and sprinted into the changing room bit to sort him out. Both changing mats were in use by little teeny babies, the BF and bottle feeding rooms were in use and I didn't think anyone wanted to see a nappy change while feeding, but there's a big lobby bit so I thought for a quick whip and wipe, I'd just kneel on the floor and rest him on my bag.

I'll say now that DS never ever wees on me during nappy changes, so I was a bit surprised and horrified when he started peeing like a horse and grabbed a cloth out of my bag to put over his winky while jokingly saying 'naughty boy DS'. All of a sudden someone starts shouting at me, and I look over my shoulder (while mopping up DS and the floor) to see a cleaner looking pretty angry. She was shouting and saying why didn't I use one of the mats, so I said they were busy, then she said why didn't I use the table in the disabled loos. I hadn't spotted it to be honest, but wouldn't have taken up a disabled loo just to change a nappy anyway, then she told me I should have waited for a mat to be free. Leaving aside the fact that the little babies on those mats were still being changed when this was all over and I was leaving, poor DS was sopping wet and I didn't want to hang around with him in soggy clothing. I said as much, and then got a bit peppy and asked her if there were any of my other parenting choices she'd like to question and she stalked off muttering about mopping the floor and I finished up DS, wiped the floor with antibacterial wipes and left in a bit of a fricking snit actually.

So, AIBU to be peed off if you'll forgive the pun, or was she perfectly within her rights to be annoyed at the pee on the floor?

[JamieandtheMagiTorch]

One does not expect "unpleasantness" at John Lewis. One expects vanilla-scented smiley middle-aged ladies

[ChaosTrulyReigns]

Think teh cleaners are contractors in Jonelle.

[OnwardBound]

I am going to buck the trend and say YANBU.

I think I understand what you mean about the lobby bit in JL toilets. It is in the toilets yes?

So it's not like you were changing baby in the food hall or in the main shop in front of other customers.

I also know how heaving busy these change rooms can get. If I had been in the same predicament I also would have whipped out my own changing mat and changed nappy on the floor. Not your fault that child chose that moment to pee... and he might have done the same on the official changing mat leaving a mess as well. which presumably you would have also cleaned up?

I think the cleaner was rude and inappropriate. i'm sorry but it is her job to clean and I'm sure she shouldn't be too shocked by a small child's pee on the floor, i would imagine this happens on occasion with toilet training toddlers etc. Not saying you should just leave it for her but you didn't, you cleaned it up yourself and then she could have given it a once over with a mop.

If this is too much for her she should reconsider her position as a cleaner in a toilet.

[JoyceDivision]

Wow, so you had time to look round the shop to buy new clothes but not time to wait for a changing mat?

Yes, the cleaner would have a mop to clean floors, but I think that's for general cleaning duties, not for some one who isn't using changing facilities and their child is weeing over the floor! And then you snipe at her?

As for "Next time I'll sling him down on the table in the breast feeding room and see how that goes down." well, I can probably guess how that'll go down.. quite well, as it's for the purpose of changing your child, yes it is in the feeding room, but often stores provide a room seperate to toilets rather than in toilets so they are not dictating if mum has to take baby into female toilets to change a baby rather than dad, so they're there for the purpose of baby care: changing and feeding!

Your choice to 'sling him down' but if you do, I hope the cleaner takes up your invite to comment on your parenting...

Welcome to mumsnet!

[LetsFaceTheMusicAndDance]

Needle in a haystack, though.

[thepeanutsparent]

OP I think you were a bit insensible You were in the changing room and cleaned up your son's mess. No need to be scolded as far as I can see. However it seems like you're in for a flaming now no matter what you say. Best of luck.

[apostropheuse]

I've had a microchip implanted in my brain, Jamie.

It does get a bit embarrassing when it malfunctions though.

Not that it happen's often of course.

Disclaimer: deliberate error!

[Tralalalaha]

You know the usher in St Paul's cathedral wouldn't let me change DD at the back and at the time I thought they were being unreasonable. In retrospect I was being unreasonable, and I suspect I will come to this ultimate conclusion about JL. But I still think she shouldn't have shouted at me.

The parenting choices thing was a bit irrelevant but I'm not good at comebacks under pressure. They tend to be irrelevant or massively over offensive.

[thepeanutsparent]

Insensible not to wait for mat only btw

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

YANBU.

You changed your son in an area of the shop where such things are designated to happen. And you cleaned up the mess your son made. Why would you leave your child in piss soaked clothes for any longer than you have too.

And in what world does a changing mat prevent a boy toddlers wee from reaching the floor?
And she cleaned up for FFS! Which is more than many changing mat users do (boaks at memories of shit encrusted changing mats and tables)

[TandB]

Jamie - it is always alarming when nice vanilla-scented pleasantness is interrupted!

I was in a cafe in my lunchbreak and a terrribly posh elderly lady was at the next table. I see her in there every now and again so we were having a very nice chat about nice things. She was telling me about the nice activities she had been doing over Christmas and her terribly nice children and grandchildren with their nice jobs.

And then a very overweight, messily-dressed man walked past and nice elderly lady turned into a frothing, foaming harpy, screeching "Look at that disgusting man. What does he look like? Look at his big saggy belly and his dirty hair. Eeeeeeurgh. Yuk. How DISGUSTING!" at the top of her voice. I swear a little bit of spittle came out of her mouth.

It was rather unnerving. And then when he was past, she reverted to sweet elderly lady-ness. "Now dear, what was I saying."

I was very, very polite to her for the rest of my lunchbreak.

[Lindsay321]

Ok It's identical to JL Cardiff then.

Don't fret, I've read you post and while it's never happened to me I get your drift. Just don't tell anyone one on MN that you made a mistake in future!!!

[SchroSawMargeryDaw]

I don't understand why you would have taken your DS home if he pooed but not think it okay to leave him wet for a few minutes while you wait on a mat.

Leaving a child in a dirty nappy would be a lot more uncomfortable than if he was left wet for a few minutes.

YABU.

[Tralalalaha]

Also, had already scoped the sale. Took less than a minute to buy new trousers. They're a lovely bright green corduroy and were very reasonably priced at £7.

[Tralalalaha]

Taking him home was a joke. I'm not sure what I would have done if he'd pooed other than look for a hose. Thankfully DS does his poo first thing in the morning. It's gross.

[JamieandtheMagiTorch]

Tralalaha

Thought so. I'm thinking six of one and it'll all come out in the wash.

[apostropheuse]

You know the usher in St Paul's cathedral wouldn't let me change DD at the back and at the time I thought they were being unreasonable. In retrospect I was being unreasonable, and I suspect I will come to this ultimate conclusion about JL. But I still think she shouldn't have shouted at me.

OK now I know you're taking the piss OP. Nobody in their right mind would want to change a child at the back of St Paul's Cathedral.

[JamieandtheMagiTorch]

Xpost

my last post was referring to your post of22.38

[Tralalalaha]

It wa the carol service! We'd queued for bleeding hours to get in and there's a vast open section at the back and I had a mat...

[JamieandtheMagiTorch]

Lindsay

I have to disagree. Admitting you made a mistake gets you brownie points on MN

[SchroSawMargeryDaw]

I think you need to switch to disposables. They keep dryer longer and your DS obviously needs the extra absorbancy.

[apostropheuse]

Tralalalah that's not in the least believable. Nope it just isn't.

[Alisvolatpropiis]

I had to read your OP three times before I could actually process what you said.

YABU. Are you seriously annoyed?

Are you the cleaner doing a reverse one? In which case YANBU.

[Tralalalaha]

So basically I have completely lost touch with appropriate changing etiquette. I shall write a note on the inside of my wrist for future reference.

[CaptChaos]

There is a slight difference between a child under or over shooting when getting on or off the loo and a child emptying their bladder all over a floor. It's not like there weren't several other options.

Couldn't give a toss that you changed your son on the floor next to some chairs because you couldn't possibly wait a couple of minutes (Having spent far longer than that choosing and buying a new pair of trousers for him beforehand). What makes you VU is how you spoke to the cleaning lady. Any need?

Perhaps if your son is going through a pissing like a horse phase, you might want to rethink your nappy choice for a while, maybe to something more absorbent, different size/pad? It can't be very comfortable for him if he is sat in his urine regularly.