Parent Room Roll Call #3 - Highpoint

Yeah I know, we've all heard the Knifepoint jokes, but I have to say this shopping mecca can be a bit of a haven for new mums. After having Lucas, Highpoint was my first expedition into a public place with a baby. Mums will know what I'm saying here - this is a major deal. I know it's not what everyone is thinking, but the whole time all you are wondering is what people think of how you are handling the whole baby thing, and whether you are royally stuffing it up or not.

So it was here I came to become part of society again (it was the most crowded, warm and closest place I could think of). First port of call was the below Parents Room for a feed.

Parent's Room - Highpoint

Now it looks pretty plush, and is well equipped. There are 2 booths for breastfeeding, 3 change tables (including one in a breastfeeding booth), a microwave and a large sofa with enough room in the space to manoeuver several prams around in. The family loo is big enough for a pram as well and has both the kid and adult sized toilet.

Feeding booths

Alas on the day I used it, both booths were being used so I had to try and feed on the sofa. Now Lucas and I did not have a great time breastfeeding so I was pretty nervous about being on show but was doing OK. Then another mum came in and sat next to me to feed as well, her bub was 3 months old and an old hand at the whole feeding gig so I tried to look as though I knew what I was doing.

Sofa beside the parent highway

We then had a parade of parents using the facilities and unfortunately the placement of the sofa means everyone does a drive by in the pram (and an ogle) before finding what they need, fine if you're cool with the whole baby thing, complete nightmare if you are struggling, so I guess this would be the only drawback to this space, otherwise quite a good room.

I understand this room (near Border's on the lower floor) is the newest one at the centre, and after a quick peek in the other parent rooms (there are many) I reckon it is probably the best one. The others are a bit poky and only one other I saw had booths. Most had family loos and the one we used had a kid's loo as well (near Big W). I did not get to all the rooms so if you have any other tips, feel free to share!

All up, Highpoint is a decent sized one-stop-shop for an outing with bubs, a good variety of places to go (although it's pretty big as a centre so running 3 year old is easily lost). Definitely try and go on a weekday as it can get pretty crowded on a weekend and prams are hard to get through the people traffic. Food court is a big circle again, but has too many exits to keep a roaming toddler's mum on her toes. Good variety of food on offer though so if you can keep the kid still with food - give it a go!

leave the kids at home

I am up in Sydney for the week after having flown up on my own with the two boys on the weekend. While I was pretty concerned with flying on my own with 2 kids, the flight itself was fine and the boys were well behaved, although I was hoping that a flight during nap time would mean a nap, not squirming on my lap, but at least he was quiet.

So it was a coincidence that this week Fairfax Newpapers ran an opinion piece on screaming kids on planes. In the article, the author, Erice Challis, explains that things would be much easier for everyone if airport facilities included more family friendly areas (play spaces, parents rooms etc) so kids could get their energy out without the need to run around in waiting areas and send other passengers batty, while giving the added benefit of tiring them out before boarding the plane.

Aaahh, the joys (Image EverymanTri.com)

I agree with the idea, and that it would benefit all passengers, not just the families using the facilities. What did concern me were the comments after the article. They were 50/50 for and against the idea, but the negative ones! When did Australia become so intolerant of children? I understand people having a gripe about kids who are running amok while a parent sits oblivious with the earphones in, but surely to paint all kids as precious little brats who are sure to make 'my' plane trip uncomfortable is a little discriminatory.

It was not just this article either that drew the wrath of pissed off passengers everywhere, this article about a woman suing Qantas over a screaming kid (ridiculous) and also this article about a survey of travellers who suggest a family only area on planes, both had the same vicious comments basically expressing their hostility toward children and lazy parents who chose to have them. One comment laughingly explained that it was the parents who decided to inconvenience their lives by having kids so the rest of us should not have to put up with them as well! 'Hey babe, let's inconvenience ourselves by starting a family'? Seriously?

I spoke with my mate Cookie about this and she mentioned she did feel the same about other people's kids before she had them, and I would have to admit that before I had kids I to could get pretty grumpy about the screaming baby in my vicinity on a plane, but this is the question I am asking, when did Australia as a society decide that kids were an inconvenience, they should be seen and not heard and we'd all be happier if they were left at home?

Travel to some destinations (Italy, Japan from what I hear...) and the bambinos are a delight to all and sundry, I reckon you might be treated better and with more respect if you DO have kids with you, so when did all this kiddy hatred creep in on our 'tolerant' and 'fair go' society? Shouldn't that fair go be extended to kids as well?

Parent Room roll call #2 - Victoria Gardens

Maybe this can be seen as a community service, but I reckon Parent's Rooms (PRs) should be held up to some sort of review process. They are used incessantly, can be a haven for brand-new mums or refuge for strung-out experienced ones so we need to know where the good ones are!

I can remember when Lucas was very new, I felt a little alien getting back out amongst it with a newborn so having somewhere to go where a) it was warm (Lucas is an August baby) and b) had somewhere I could run to in case he started screaming/I started having a meltdown - so large shopping centres with their fully equipped and comfortable Parent's Rooms were the destination of choice, even if the sad line-up of clothing chains were all the same - it's not like I was going to fit my post-baby arse into a pair of Dotti jeans any time soon.

Vic Gardens Parents Room

So it was we ended up in the PR at Victoria Gardens in Richmond today. A long room with family loo at the end (equipped with adult and kiddie loo for simultaneous pees!) We are toilet training at the mo so this is the facility we utilised today - and all good. Lucas loved the kid-sized seat (he's still a newbie at this - I was very impressed with accident-free shopping trip, and we even went to Ikea). Large cubicle so we could fit the pram in as well. Only gripe would be maybe including a kid-sized handbasin as well so he could wash hands on his own (or else a stepping stool provided).

The boys suss out the kids facilities

The room itself is comfortable, providing a good kids corner with table & chairs for kiddies who are waiting, and includes a cute bug-lamp installation on the wall above. There are 2 sofas for feeding, as well as 2 feeding booths with curtains. I have used these booths for feeding before and I have to say I did find the harsh lighting a little much for bub, plus the fact that, being a long room, the booths are along the wall on the way to the loos and found all and sundry traipsing past to get there a little distracting too (booth doors are pretty but flimsy Ikea curtains), this might be OK if you are all good with the feeding gig but if you're having difficulties with it all as I was, it could get a little off-putting.

Feeding booth (bright lights!)

Other than this, the room is good, 2 change tables (probably could fit more) and  microwave for bottle heating. Ideally located beside the dining space at Vic Gardens too. I find this shopping centre a good size, as it is well equipped but not too big - really important when you have toddlers who love to run - I can't help giving him a little freedom, esp in winter it's hard to get to the park for wide open spaces...

Westfield Donny Parent Rooms are grouse

Friday. Raining. Cold. Two boys under 3. Not a lot of cash til payday.

Where or where do we go? Shamelessly I pack the boys into the car and head to a large shopping centre in Doncaster. It’s free (unless tempted), large and spacious for running up and down ramps, and the parent’s room is a godsend.

Now, as a disclaimer, I have only ever used the one near the Drum eating space (which in itself is nicely designed, being a large circle Lucas can run away, only to end up where he started. Also fabulous window wall beside tables where little boys can count red trucks going by to their heart's content) so I’m not sure on the other ones. But the room near here is fabulous.

Has all you need for feeding, taking little people to little loos, changing smaller people’s

smalls and an excellent ‘enclave’ for roaming siblings if you are breastfeeding a bub. It is this feature that I reckon makes this parent’s room the best.

I’m not breastfeeding, but on this particular day the niggling cough I had been keeping at bay turned into a hot-&-cold flushes head cold.

Lucas decided to be insistent about the running up and down of ramps while I concentrated on not passing out or letting the pram with 1 year old Robbie roll away alongside him. Ifind an extra cache 0f strength, scoop up the boy under an arm and roll/run to the hallowed ground.

Robbie roams about in a lovely enclosed carpeted space, Lucas is fixated by the ball/maze activity board and I collapse into a deep comfy armchair usually reserved for feeders but luckily for me, today all 3 booths were free and I could fade in and out of consciousness without fearing I looked like a junkie mum.

Rest assured, after a quick 5 min lie-down, the lunch I had scoffed down 20 min before started to do it’s work (heavy-duty cough syrup also had it’s place) and I was right as rain before the next pooey bum entered for changing.

So, if you are needing good shopping with decent support/facilities, this is a good place to start. I recall trying to breastfeed a one-month old Lucas on my first ever shopping expedition on my own, I reckon it was a 2 seat sofa situated on a parent highway, with everyone getting a gawk on the way by – not great when you are still figuring things out.

For this reason I reckon this parent room design is fantastic, the enclosed area has 3 feeding booths which ensure privacy while older brothers and sisters can be free and within easy reach. Great job Westfield – and retail designers take note – we need more!

Have you found any great Parents Rooms? What made them so good?