If you’ve ever taken your little one swimming you’ll know the chaos involved when getting changed.
Trying to get ready without your belongings taking over the entire changing room is one thing, but when it’s YOUR turn to change you need eyes in the back of your head if your baby is on the move. It’s not easy. Especially when doing your best to be mindful of other people (without children) who are using the area.
According to the Coventry Telegraph, mums have been left angered after a hotel in the UK posted a sign ordering parents to keep infants off benches in the swimming pool’s changing area. Easier said than done if there are no changing mats or tables available.
The notice, which was labelled ‘polite’, read, “THESE BENCHES ARE FOR BUMS. NOT BAGS OR BABIES!” It also thanked parents, before urging them to “vacate” changing rooms with their children promptly after swimming.
Hotel bosses reportedly say the sign was put up for “health and safety” reasons, but a number of mums are angry at the tone of the message.
One mother who saw the sign whilst swimming with her four-year-old told the local news outlet, “The wording is disgusting.”
While she understands the reason behind it — to prevent parents from changing their children on the benches — she finds the delivery offensive. “They’ve just labelled both bags and babies as a nuisance,” she said.
Another mum told the Coventry Telegraph, “I’m appalled by the sign and the exclamation mark just makes the statement worse.”
Comments on Facebook were divided. One person wrote, “The sign is ridiculous and could have been handled with more grace.” Whilst another said, “They cannot expect people to put their babies on the floor unless they provide mats or more changing stations.”
Others, however, weren’t offended. One comment read, “If people don’t like it they can go elsewhere. Nothing worse than getting back to change and finding some mums covering the benches with what only looks like they have enough changing bags for the week, leaving no one else any room to get changed.”
What do you think about the sign? We’d love to hear your opinion.
