A topic of discussion raised recently by admin, Brett Roberts, has had our Dad Club group abuzz with debate: Why doesn’t our city have change tables in men’s washrooms?
With membership over 1,000 members strong, we represent an active and growing population of caregivers within London, and the lack of accommodation for men and young children who are patronizing local restaurants seems dated.
In only 5 years, the increase in the number of stay-at-home dads is over 20%, and this statistic does not include the number of single fathers acting as primary caregivers for their children, or our working Dads who simply want to enjoy the day out and about with their little people, with or without significant others, with the security of knowing they can care for their child’s needs.
When Oscar Wilde wrote: “Why should there be one law for men, and another for women?” he may as well have been saying “Why shouldn’t there be change tables in men’s bathrooms, like there are in women’s bathrooms?”. Why should women be the only gender to be able to comfortably, privately and hygienically change their young children in a restaurant?
If a so-called “family” restaurant does not have appropriate change amenities for all parents, they are woefully behind the times and risk the loss of both the dad who will not patronize their under-equipped establishment, and adjacent families who are put off by a baby being changed on the table beside them. There must be universal participation among restaurant owners to accommodate baby change tables in men’s washrooms within “family” restaurant establishments.
Please join us in the pursuit of equality, and support of all Dads in the London area, by signing and sharing our petition. Let’s see a change table in every restaurant men’s room!
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