in changing my ds on a bench in a shopping centre??

[nappyaddict]

If i am please do tell me

Basically we were sat on a bench in a shopping centre eating our lunch. ds is very particular and won't have anything dirty on. He noticed butter on his clothes and started pulling at them and getting quite upset so i undressed him. I thought as he was undressed anyway i might aswell change his nappy before putting a new outfit on. The woman next to me is tutting. So i said have you got a problem? Of course she said no but it was obvious she did have a problem.

So was i wrong? Or was she wrong?

[ScottishMummy]

go goggle it

[TinkerBellesMum]

missmollymoo as part of my course we were talking about attitudes to children, particularly the foreign ladies cultural beliefs. One lady was explaining how in one country (don't think it was where she was from, but close ) they don't do nappies, they will preempt the baby and just hold them away from them self. Even in church they will just let the baby do it's thing on the floor!

We are a very paranoid, sterile society!

[ravenAK]

I wouldn't've had a change of clothes with me for a 2 year old (disorganised mum), so the dc wouldn't've been stripping off in the first place.

I think you should be able to change your child's nappy wherever you happen to find yourself. However, given that it's potentially a bit gross, looking around for a designated changing area should happen first.

(We were in Leeds last wknd, shopping centre having work done, toilets out of order. Got tutted at by elderly lady for bf'ing & changing dd2 outside closed toilets. Grrr.)

[Flibbertyjibbet]

I never changed my own babies nappies on my own lounge floor. I had changing station upstairs and used that. At anyone else's house I would go to use the bathroom and put my mat down there.
SIL will change pooey or wet nappies on the floor of whatever room she is in in whoevers house she is in, without asking.
When she starts at my house I say 'oh you can use the changing stuff upstairs' and off she goes.
She changed a shitty nappy over her knee at mils once, we had all just sat down after a nice sunday dinner and were subjected to the stink of baby poo. BIL who had no children then was nearly sick. FIl said 'oh flibberty just changed miniflibberty in the downstairs bathroom' but she just carried on.
What on earth makes people think its ok to change a shitty nappy on someone elses lounge floor - they shouldn't ask if they can do it, they should assume they SHOULDN'T - and go to change their baby in the bathroom.
I do my own poo and wee in bathrooms and toilets. Call me old fashioned but I do my childrens poos and wees nappies in bathrooms and toilets (or appropriate changing areas) too.
I agree with an earlier poster that this helps children make the link between poo and wee and a toilet.
Changing a baby's nappy, no matter how quickly, in a shopping centre, is not appropriate.

[Twinklemegan]

Cor there are some pretty precious responses on this thread. If there are no nearby changing facilities I change my 2 year old wherever we happen to be - I haven't yet had to make the choice with a pooey nappy mind you. But as for worrying about undressing a toddler in public - for God's sake. Even if someone does look - so what? It's not like anything's going to happen is it?

My view is that baby changing facilities are generally pretty disgusting and unhygienic and I try to change my DS in the open air if I can. Generally on the car boot (and recently on the car bonnet in a multi-storey car park). I refuse to traipse half way around town just to change a wet nappy.

[ninah]

Nappyaddict - I would've done it

[ExterminAitch]

pre-dd i remember a pal of mine blithely changing her ds's nappy on my sofa. it was just a piss but i remember thinking ffs couldn't you at least have asked for a towel or something so that your kid's arse wasn't on my couch. i reckon it made contact for all of five seconds but i was still pretty squicked.

i think we forget how hard-wired all that toilet training is for us, especially for people who don't have kids.

[Monty100]

No worse then sneezing in public IMHO.

Gawd, what's wrong with people!?

[nappyaddict]

i also didn't want to traipse halfway around a town i didn't know trying to find a changing facility. i have no idea where BHS or mothercare is. i think i recall a new look. i don't drive (i had gotten the train there) so there was no car bonnet to change on.

if i am at a house with someone who has a child a similar age to ds i will instinctively change his nappy on the floor if it is not pooey. i never would have thought there would be a problem with that but perhaps i am wrong? those people who do have a problem with this do you not change your own child on the lounge floor?

[lazygirl]

I wouldn't have changed on a bench next to someone because they might not like it and they might tut at me lol.

I would if I was alone and I have changed my lo in unusual places like a corner of a adventure playground etc. I don't think what you did it is an awful thing.

[wrinklytum]

I think i usually seek a changing room if I can but if needs must then have changed nappies on the grass in a park.Wouldn't change nappy anywhere near someone eating.Nappies with wee-don't see the problem really.Stinky pooey nappies a bit different cos of stench (dd a right stinker).
I don't think you did anything wrong NA but we all differ.Am pretty used to various bodily fluids due to job so maybe this is why??As long as have a changing mat/surfgace of some kind and wipe hands don't see a problem

[missmollymoo]

nappyaddict, my final thoughts are:
Just imagine how dull these people must be to have an opinion that to change your babies nappy in certain places is unacceptable.

My children are confident, polite, well behaved and extremely secure in themselves. They have no "dignity" (fgs) issues and have fun getting extremely dirty on our many travels.

I don't spend my days worrying about hovering "paedophiles" (fgs!) waiting to catch a glimpse of my 2 min nappy change.

Can you believe someone actually informed me of the bacterial content of dog pooh!! simply because i made a jokey comment about dogs poohing in the park!!

You change your nappy wherever you want girl and bugger the bores.

[ScottishMummy]

my my wee bit of a rattle out the pram moment.how dare anyone disagre with you.anyone would think it was a discussion board.

Pah the Bores

[missmollymoo]

I do agree it's a discussion board, but this poor mum has been blasted.

Someone has suggested a paedophile may have been around, plus that she has disregarded her childs dignity, all a bit extreme me thinks when all she did was change her childs nappy!

[ScottishMummy]

Blasted!an overstatement dont traipse your businesss on AIBU if you dont want a response

sure NA will get over it and live to post another day

[SlartyBartFast]

she loves the controversy!

[alwaysfcuked]

Think this thread has gone a bit off track!!

[Lowfat]

I had this problem at a coorporate picnic a few weeks ago.

I changed DS 19mn on our picnic rug in the open air because there were no baby change facilities unless I took him in a busy pub during the lunch time rush. A few people - without comment- looked but we tried to be discreet and hide beind the pushchair as much as possible.

I have also changed DD o a park bench when she was a baby.

If there is no food around and you are being quick I dont see a problem. But I think chaging clothes is more generally acceptable the changing nappies though

And FWIW children dont give a monkeys at the age - they just want to be comfy and secure

[ScottishMummy]

hey i would like to attend a corporate picnic - did they provide food etc

[catweazle]

Last weekend we were at the zoo and stopped at a cafe for a drink. After we'd sat down. a woman at the next table proceeded to change her baby's nappy on the bench. I was really quite annoyed about it but thought I was just being daft. Right next to where she was sitting (with what was clearly her mum and another adult, so not alone) was a block of toilets, with baby change facilities in them.

[TinkerBellesMum]

That's just your child though, mine would happily strip off where ever she is.

[Janos]

Nothing wrong with it IMO, as long as you cleaned up afterwards!

[wotulookinat]

I wouldn't have done it, but it wouldn't bother me if someone else had. You wouldn't have got a tut from me anyhow.