One of the places I avoid having to visit when I’m out and about in a shopping centre is the Parents Room.
The main reason I avoid it is the same reason I don’t like public bathrooms – their smell and lack of cleanliness. And yes, I’m a plumber, shouldn’t I be used to it? The point is no one wants to go into a bathroom where there is mess on the floor and smells that aren’t healthy.
As a plumber I have come across too many public bathroom atrocities and they shouldn’t seep into the Parents Rooms when little babies and toddlers will be in them.
It is the responsibility of Centre Management to keep the Parent Room clean and available for use for parents in the Centre, but parents also play a part in maintaining its cleanliness.
In the interest of making our Parent Rooms a pleasant experience for all new mums and dad’s to be, here are some pointers for Parent Room Etiquette.
1. Place all soiled nappies in the bins provided that are dedicated to nappy removal. Please don’t place them in the bin for used hand towels or general rubbish. Use a nappy sack to wrap the smelly nappy in. For an eco-friendly version, try paper bags or use cloth nappies that you can take with you.
2. Wipe down the change mat after use or place you own change mat on the provided change area to offer other parents peace of mind when changing their child’s nappy on a shared surface.
3. Don’t push in if there is a line of mums wanting to use the concealed nursing rooms.
4. If you breastfeed and you spray milk on the feeding chairs, wipe it up.
5. Monitor your toddler in the common areas and don’t let them play amuck while you’re using one of the concealed nursing rooms.
6. Flush the toilets once they have been used. That’s just good hygiene and manners.
7. If you or your child misses the toilet bowl, clean it up.
8. Wash your hands after every nappy change and toilet use. This stops the spread of germs.
9. If you microwave a bottle or food that overflows, clean up the spill so someone else can use the microwave after you.
10. If anything is amiss in the parent’s room like a blocked toilet or an overflowing nappy bin, tell center management so they can get the problem looked at pronto.
We can all play a part in keeping our parent rooms a clean and pleasant experience for everyone.
Can you add any tips to this list? Do you avoid going into parent’s rooms?
