Soap Box

Let's talk about public bathrooms and not the usual "why do they never have toilet paper, locks and napkins" talk. No. I want to talk about public bathrooms and the absence of changing tables. How is it that we are now in the year 2015 and I must change J's diaper on the sink counter? Don't worry, I've never resorted to the floor. But I have set him on the floor because there was nothing else I could do. Does management seriously think I can hold a squirmy 6 month old and wipe myself at the same time?! I'm not a man!!!

On our recent get away, I had the "privilege" of visiting many restrooms. Most of which didn't have a changing table. So I had to bare his tiny hiney to the bathroom world and received some pretty disgusted stares along the way. Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is the biggest airport in this country and there is not a single changing table in the entire facility!!! All 1,276 terminals. So maybe it isn't that big but I'm pretty close. Nor is there a family restroom! What am I to do when J realizes he isn't sporting girl parts like mom and wants to use the big boy bathroom. Heck freakin' no! That kid can kiss any chance of being independent goodbye!

That leads me to the other rant. What about family bathrooms? I use to think they were kind of weird but now that I have a little person in tow, I think it's brilliant! You never realize how small stalls are until you cram yourself, a baby (squrimy, remember?), a diaper bag the size of Texas and a stroller that you can never figure out how to fold into said stall with you. So, you do the unthinkable. You use the handicap stall only to walk out and find that the local retirement home has decided to go on a field trip and all 75+ members of the 80 and older group are all waiting on that stall. Talk about embarrassing! 

One last thing. I promise. A mall outside Atlanta has these amazing little seats that you sit your hellion on and strap them down while you talk to men about horses. They then fold back up into the wall and off you go. How amazing! 

I'm just saying. If advertisements are trying to appeal to the "moms", then maybe they should take some time and start with where we spend a majority of our day. The bathroom.

-W