I do like the convenience of having baby change tables in public washrooms. I especially like the family washrooms many malls, museums and airports have available. What I don't understand is why so few places have change tables in the men's washrooms.
I am sure there are many fathers who go out of the house with their infant and toddler children. I have had to change my children on the floor of a public washroom before. However, as a woman, I can usually find a Koala Care change table in one of the stalls in the women's washroom. Changing a squirmy child on a dirty public bathroom floor is not fun. Other patrons tend to frown when you use the sink countertop (if there is enough room). If you are lucky, there might be a bench, making it a little easier and sanitary.
In this day and age, we should be encouraging fathers to participate in all aspects of their children's lives. It isn't just an issue of getting dads out with their kids, though. When you are on a road trip as a family, it saves time if one parent can change a child while the other parent is feeding a child. If the mother is nursing a baby, it falls on the father to change the other child. Not convenient if there is no change table in the men's washroom.
I don't know how expensive these change tables are, but I think if a public place (mall, restaurant, movie theatre, etc.) is going to install one in the women's washroom, they should also put one in the men's washroom.
Once you have children, your perspective of the world completely changes. You realize all the things that are not child or family friendly. Public places should have a family consultant when they build. How can we make this building family-friendly? I know for any given family, the length of time your children are small, and require special attention lasts for only a few years. However, other people are having kids, and there will always be a need to cater to families with young children.
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