Did I tell you that Subang Parade has a smacking ‘baby room’ since their reno to upgrade the whole building? They call it ‘Mother’s Room’ and it’s really clean with all the convenience from breastfeeding rooms to the microwave oven. I love it all except one thing….
All was going well until one day a cleaner lady shooed my hubby out from the room. I was filled with awe and disgust that my baby’s father wasn’t allowed in the room with us. My immediate reflex was to give the lady a hard cold stare and told my hubby to ignore the bitch.
On our next few visits, it was the same and I had to go in alone. What bothered me was, what if my hubby was alone with our daughter and he needed to change her? Will he be denied access for the BIG emergencies just because he’s a man, a good father? Where is he to go then, the men’s room? (Hmm… do they even have baby changing tables at the men’s room?) Or what if he was a single parent? Still cannot, ah? Hiyo…
It’s so gender bias. No wonder a majority of our Malaysian men are hopeless in childcare simply because our society has shaped them that way. Everything is so ‘mother’ dependant… and I wonder if every wife / woman take that in her stride without hesitation or question.
I try to look at this in their point of view. Really, I tried. It is probable that certain groups are afraid of male proximity in an enclosed area. But we’re not talking about strange men walking in alone unaccompanied by a child (haha… normally it’s the other way round, no?) but obvious father & child… and in my case, the mom is there too! So what’s the fuss?
The breastfeeding rooms have solid doors and there’s a small sitting area which my husband normally is with the stroller. There’s also a girl stationed in the room to secure the place and give advice. Is that not good enough?
Parenting is a two person’s job and there are fathers who want to be a part of their child’s development – yes, even changing diapers. Whilst we mothers can change our babies’ diaper alone, it would be much better with someone else’s support – morally or otherwise.
Perhaps, with all the crime happening in my country, it’s better to be safe than sorry? So if my girl poo-pooed and my hubby has no where to change her, don’t complain about our bad parenting or the nauseating smell. Didn’t you know, my hubby might hurt some mothers in the ‘Mother’s Room.’
So, here are some good & clean baby changing rooms which I like (and allow daddy’s to participate in the act of diaper changing):
· Ikano
· Ikea
· The Curve
· Jaya Jusco, 1U
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