New parents find shopping and eating out difficult
A survey conducted by Tommy’s the baby charity highlights the lack of parent/baby facilities in the UK and the negative attitude of the travelling public towards parents with young children.
The charity is currently encouraging parents to vote in Tommy’s Parent Friendly Awards. Until 27th February, parents and parents-to-be can cast their vote for the companies which are providing the best services for them. By doing so, Tommy’s aims to drive the overall standard of facilities on offer, to ensure that parents’ lives are less stressful.
The survey, carried out among the readers of Mother & Baby magazine, found that 79% of people find it stressful being a new parent, struggling to find even the most basic services and facilities to accommodate their new family.
77% of parents said there is a lack of baby changing rooms and over half (57%) have resorted to changing their baby in a public place, such as shopping centre floors, when baby changing facilities have not been provided for. One in four parents said they find it hard to go to trendy restaurants as there aren’t services there for their children.
Comments from parents surveyed focused heavily on the lack of parent friendly services in the UK included:
“Baby changing facilities in shopping centres can often be badly situated and dirty”
“It’s not that there’s a lack of facilities, but often they are in the ladies’ toilets which makes it difficult for my husband to go out on his own with our baby. Men take babies out and need to change nappies too! Places should take this into account in today’s world”
Tommy’s Chief Executive, Jane Brewin says “Tommy’s believes that all parents should be able to enjoy the crucial early years of parenthood. The Parent Friendly Awards aim to both drive improvement and change by awarding those companies that provide the best services for parents, as well as enable people to recommend the best to other parents”.
Until the 27th February, parents can pick up a voting form from all outlets of Abbey, Asda, Blooming Marvellous, Boots, Center Parcs, Moto, Tesco and Toys R Us.
