Is it okay to change a baby’s diaper at a table?

[TDC Nala]

I've been at WDW where all the restrooms have changing stations and have still seen parents changing diapers on tables at the counter service restaurants. One family even left the diaper on the floor beside the table when they left.

 

[Mkrop]

A lot of bad and inappropriate behavior going on from many in this story

 

[Rhody Red]

Definitely never okay to change a Baby on a Table. It's trashy and no one else needs to see it. I've seen it happen more times than I care to remember.

When our Kids were in Diapers and needed to be changed, I took them to the Restroom. I always carried a Pad in the Diaper Bag to lay them on if there wasn't a Changing Table.

 

[Nancyg56]

I do not care what kind of vibe you are trying to portray I think every business should have to have a changing table in the restroom. To ensure *everyone* has a decent place to take care of their bathroom needs! I despise age discrimination so much...... it is still discrimination against another human being plain and simple.

I believe that there is a vast difference between having a restroom that can accommodate those people with disabilities and having a restroom that has a baby table in it. I imagine that a business needs to consider teh number of employees available to clean the bathroom if patrons decide that it is okay to leave filthy diapers laying around rather that placing them in sealed bags. They also need to worry about patrons who allow their children to head to the restroom alone, and those children use the tables as a jungle gym, and they also consider their liability if a baby is left unattended for even a moment and that child injured.

I took my babies with me and always made sure that I had the appropriate materials to keep the baby clean. It was not always convenient for me but that was my issue, not anyone else's.

 

[kevschickee]

Oh my! Agreed so many things wrong with this story.
Honest to goodness I preferred to change my kids in the hatchback of our Jeep I kept a changing pad, wipes and extra diapers in a storage box in the back and when we were out (depending on the place) I would choose to go to the car so that I knew the space was a bit cleaner for my child. That worked totally fine 7 months out of the year but on those freezing cold days it was not such a good option. I do not care what kind of vibe you are trying to portray I think every business should have to have a changing table in the restroom. To ensure *everyone* has a decent place to take care of their bathroom needs! I despise age discrimination so much...... it is still discrimination against another human being plain and simple.

Age discrimination???

 

[Jessica14]

I never, ever had the need to change my babies on a table. I always had a changing pad and as soon as they could stand, they could be changed standing up which was easily accomplished in a stall or in a car. It's the best skill a parent can learn.

Jessica

 

[AntePrincess]

Starbucks may be trying to avoid the messy repercussions of babies in restrooms. As much as we all want to believe that people will take care of their dirty diapers in a thoughtful manner, we all know that there are enough people who would not. Starbucks may not want to have stinky things tossed in their restroom becasue they simply may not have the resources to patrol tha bathrooms after every change.

Ugh, that's for sure! We've never used a changing table in a public bathroom, they grossed me out too much, I brought a pad if it was going to be difficult to get back to the car. (Actually, I brought multiple pads and shoved the used ones into the diaper sack since we used cloth diapers, it also grossed me out to reuse something that had been on the floor in a public bathroom.)

Honest to goodness I preferred to change my kids in the hatchback of our Jeep I kept a changing pad, wipes and extra diapers in a storage box in the back and when we were out (depending on the place) I would choose to go to the car so that I knew the space was a bit cleaner for my child.

Same here. I had a nice little set up back there.

I've been at WDW where all the restrooms have changing stations and have still seen parents changing diapers on tables at the counter service restaurants. One family even left the diaper on the floor beside the table when they left.

As if I had enough to worry about with germs at Disney World... I confess to using changing pads in out of the way places rather than wrestling into overcrowded restrooms, but that's as far as I went at any big public place.

Age discrimination???

LOL, really. It isn't the kid being inconvenienced it's the parent.

I never, ever had the need to change my babies on a table. I always had a changing pad and as soon as they could stand, they could be changed standing up which was easily accomplished in a stall or in a car. It's the best skill a parent can learn.

Two thumbs up to changing them standing. Saves a lot of grief.

 

[NoSoup4U]

NOT COOL! Im assuming the lady had either a car or a stroller. She could have changed the kid in either one of those. Seriously, in what world is it ok to change a baby in a place where people EAT AND DRINK?

 

[ckay87]

Tell me this - where on earth did my mother change MY diaper when we were out in public (I'm 43). I actually don't know the answer, but I can guarantee you that it was not at a restaurant table. And those plastic, fold-down bathroom changing tables did not exist either.

 

[AustinTink]

I never, ever had the need to change my babies on a table. I always had a changing pad and as soon as they could stand, they could be changed standing up which was easily accomplished in a stall or in a car. It's the best skill a parent can learn.

Jessica

Ding, ding, ding!!! We have a winner. Ditto for me.

I did everything in my power to AVOID changing tables until my boy was old enough to stand. I changed him in the car in a quiet, safe environment. Then when he was old enough, he stood in the stall. It's was easy and much more sanitary than those disgusting changing tables.

 

[Conservative Hippie]

I've been at WDW where all the restrooms have changing stations and have still seen parents changing diapers on tables at the counter service restaurants. One family even left the diaper on the floor beside the table when they left.

The bathroom by the Japan QS in Epcot does not have a changing table. Many at DTD don't either, and the bathroom in China didn't until they renovated it. Several times have I squatted on the floor in that tiny Japan bathroom changing a diaper.

I am one of those weird moms, I suppose, that always changes a diaper in a bathroom, or at my changing table in my home. And yes, apparently it is weird because in a lot of mom forums, a home changing table pops up as one of the most useless baby items. "You will end up just laying down a towel on the floor or the bed or wherever." Not me, I always change on the table with my wipes and diapers and cream and all that junk right there. Out in public I believe urine and feces belong in a bathroom. I have my own changing pad and have laid my kid on the pad on the floor many times. And although DH will, I will not change a diaper in the car either!

I do think the employees should have kept their disgust to themselves and wiped everything down once the family left. It sucks, but that is how retail works. I once had a grown woman pee in a fitting room when I was selling wedding gowns and I just had to grit my teeth and call the carpet cleaners.

 

[kevschickee]

The bathroom by the Japan QS in Epcot does not have a changing table. Many at DTD don't either, and the bathroom in China didn't until they renovated it. Several times have I squatted on the floor in that tiny Japan bathroom changing a diaper.

I am one of those weird moms, I suppose, that always changes a diaper in a bathroom, or at my changing table in my home. And yes, apparently it is weird because in a lot of mom forums, a home changing table pops up as one of the most useless baby items. "You will end up just laying down a towel on the floor or the bed or wherever." Not me, I always change on the table with my wipes and diapers and cream and all that junk right there. Out in public I believe urine and feces belong in a bathroom. I have my own changing pad and have laid my kid on the pad on the floor many times. And although DH will, I will not change a diaper in the car either!

I do think the employees should have kept their disgust to themselves and wiped everything down once the family left. It sucks, but that is how retail works. I once had a grown woman pee in a fitting room when I was selling wedding gowns and I just had to grit my teeth and call the carpet cleaners.

The employee has every right to say something. Food service is completely different then clothing retail. This becomes a board of health issue. I most def would have said something.

 

[minkydog]

I once had a friendship end over this issue. Me and my beat friend were in a restaurant when her 1yo had a large BM. She started whipping out her supplies and I was horrified! I pointed to the ladies room and told to take it in there. She replied "oh, nobody will care. She's just a a baby." Um, no, bestie. People were staring and grumbling by that time--she was making quite a scene. Finally, BF grabbed her baby and flounced off to the restroom. She was NOT happy. She & I never did see eye to eye on this and ultimately the friendship suffered. BF ended contact altogether

 

[kevschickee]

I once had a friendship end over this issue. Me and my beat friend were in a restaurant when her 1yo had a large BM. She started whipping out her supplies and I was horrified! I pointed to the ladies room and told to take it in there. She replied "oh, nobody will care. She's just a a baby." Um, no, bestie. People were staring and grumbling by that time--she was making quite a scene. Finally, BF grabbed her baby and flounced off to the restroom. She was NOT happy. She & I never did see eye to eye on this and ultimately the friendship suffered. BF ended contact altogether

That is disgusting. She sounds very petty.

 

[NoSoup4U]

I once had a friendship end over this issue. Me and my beat friend were in a restaurant when her 1yo had a large BM. She started whipping out her supplies and I was horrified! I pointed to the ladies room and told to take it in there. She replied "oh, nobody will care. She's just a a baby." Um, no, bestie. People were staring and grumbling by that time--she was making quite a scene. Finally, BF grabbed her baby and flounced off to the restroom. She was NOT happy. She & I never did see eye to eye on this and ultimately the friendship suffered. BF ended contact altogether

The friendship ended over that?? wow. But good for you for telling here. Thats just common sense.

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

I believe that there is a vast difference between having a restroom that can accommodate those people with disabilities and having a restroom that has a baby table in it. I imagine that a business needs to consider teh number of employees available to clean the bathroom if patrons decide that it is okay to leave filthy diapers laying around rather that placing them in sealed bags. They also need to worry about patrons who allow their children to head to the restroom alone, and those children use the tables as a jungle gym, and they also consider their liability if a baby is left unattended for even a moment and that child injured.

I took my babies with me and always made sure that I had the appropriate materials to keep the baby clean. It was not always convenient for me but that was my issue, not anyone else's.

Sounds like you know many Moms that grew up in a barn.

I've only seen one diaper left in the "wrong" place. Also having a changing table causes no more liability then kids falling up stairs, of a chair, out of a highchair or on a slippery floor at a business.

It is never acceptable to use a table for changing a diaper.

 

[Arielle22]

I don't think Starbucks should have apologized. The parents were upset because they got called on their inappropriate behavior. Maybe if more people got called out on their behavior we would see less of these bizarre happenings.

I go to two Starbucks in downtown Boston. Neither one even has a bathroom. I would be disgusted if I saw someone changing a baby at one of the tables.

My daughters were infants in the 1990s and somehow we managed to get their diapers changed even though there were not many changing tables. I remember being excited when I found one and didn't have to put a changing pad on the floor.

 

[minkydog]

The friendship ended over that?? wow. But good for you for telling here. Thats just common sense.

Yep. She told me I was unreasonable and that I couldn't possibly understand because I didn't have children. Oh, yeah, she went there... and I was in the throes of infertility treatments.

 

[kevschickee]

I don't think Starbucks should have apologized. The parents were upset because they got called on their inappropriate behavior. Maybe if more people got called out on their behavior we would see less of these bizarre happenings.

I go to two Starbucks in downtown Boston. Neither one even has a bathroom. I would be disgusted if I saw someone changing a baby at one of the tables.

My daughters were infants in the 1990s and somehow we managed to get their diapers changed even though there were not many changing tables. I remember being excited when I found one and didn't have to put a changing pad on the floor.

I completely agree

 

[lizzi6692]

Yep. She told me I was unreasonable and that I couldn't possibly understand because I didn't have children. Oh, yeah, she went there... and I was in the throes of infertility treatments.

Seems like she wasn't much of a friend in the first place if she'd say something like that.