Daddy-Friendly Baby Changing Facilities

[BabyDinesOut]

Sometimes a really simple change can make a big difference.

Why is it that baby changing tables are most often in the ladies loos? Some places put them in the disabled loos, but this is far from the norm.

It would be a simple legislative amendment to require public places to have baby changing facilities equally accessible to fathers as well as mothers.

There is already a petition on the Downing Street website calling for this change - who ever wins the next Election. It opened on 11 January 2010. It would be great if mumsnetters could support it.

petitions.number10.gov.uk/BabyChanging/

Fab idea. Have signed.

Asked DP, who is always complaining about this, to forward the link to his network of SAHDs.

We can't take DS to have lunch in our local pub anymore. The owners are fine with it and they have the right license, but a recent inspection advised them they can't admit under 5s without proper baby changing facilities.

We looked in the nearby Wetherspoons a few weeks ago, they have a crappy plastic table from Ikea in one corner of the ladies, and nothing in the gents, but that is enough to satisfy the inspectors.

I do hope we manage to get DS toilet trained by the time he is five

I've signed up - Excellent idea.

I think it could be extended to other facilities for fathers. For example, my DH would love to take our 6yo DD swimming at our local pool. She is too young to change herself unsupervised, but the male changing room is an open plan room with lots of naked men wondering around. DH doesn't feel comfortable taking DD into the mens changing room - and to be honest most of the other men might feel a little uncomfortable to have DD seriously inspecting their tackle (educational oppurtunity ). Instead DH and DD do a 1 hour round trip to go to the nearest pool with unisex cubicles.

Something thats personaly anoied me for years.
I used to hang out with a very cool single dad who had a hell of a time if he went out.
Well done.

Bump.

.

Thanks so much for supporting the idea - and for signing the petition which has gathered over 30 signatures in the first week with no promotion at all!

Please do circulate the petition to those you think might be interested. If we can reach a critical mass we will be able to get the politicians to take it seriously - especially in the run up to the General Election.

I am working on getting some Parliamentary Questions asked about the appropriate legislation to amend and will keep mumsnetters up to date on progress.!

petitions.number10.gov.uk/BabyChanging/

Done

Done. Jolly good (and very sensible) idea.

Will stick it on my FB status to get a few more people aware of it.

Thanks so much - The FB status is a great way of telling your friends! Will do the same!

Thanks so much for signing the petition - updating status on FB is a great way to spread the word! Now up to 35 signatures petitions.number10.gov.uk/BabyChanging/

I think this is a great idea but I can't see how to sign the petition? The link works but there is then no obvious way to sign it when you get to the petition page...

It has already closed.

How has it closed? Supposed to be open until next Jan.

I agree very much that they should be equally accessible, but how can this work as legislation given that babychanging isn't a requirement anyway?
Surely if you said it had to be equally accessible but there was only room in one set of loos, there would be a danger that the easiest way to comply would be to take the facility away altogether?

I would like a campaign to encourage it but honestly I don't think legislation is the way to go, sorry.

It's because of the general election. Once the election is over it will be reopened for new signatures again.