To change the diaper away from home we must not only take into account the logistics of everything that is included in the baby's bag, but also an aspect of comfort and hygiene: where to change the baby? Because they don't have schedules or are predictable spaces with baby changing tables are appreciated, although strangely most of them are in women's bathrooms.
So what happens when there is a changing table and it is the dad who takes care of the diaper? Probably more than one you have thought about entering the toilet of women although, luckily, More and more male bathrooms have baby changing tables. How is happening in Madrid. That, when there are, because in the worst case we go crazy looking for that comfortable space and finally it is the same baby carriage, a bench or the same floor has served as a "changing table" to remove the dirty diaper and clean the baby.
This is a much demanded change by some sectors of society (including celebrities such as Ashton Kutcher) but that at the moment does not have legal bases in Spain. So we depend on the "goodwill" of companies and public bodies in facilitating the issue of changing diapers to parents.
In the United States, on the other hand, there is a recent legislation (the "Babies Law") of which we are talking about, which forced the bathrooms of men in public buildings to also have changing tables for babies, since such change requires a place that is physically safe, hygienic and appropriate and that is available in both female and male toilets, since the woman is not the only caregiver for the baby.
Throughout 2017, Madrid City Council has installed a total of 48 changers in cultural and leisure spaces from Madrid Destination, municipal company that depends on the Area of Culture and Sports. Thus, you can already find changing rooms in the men's toilets in spaces such as Madrid Arena, Municipal Congress Center, Fernán Gómez Theater, the Spanish Theater, La Caja Mágica, El Circo Price, Fairground of the Casa de Campo, la Cineteca, the Crystal Pavilion ...
The 48 changers are already installed, although details are missing, such as installing signage and signage. In this sense, we imagine that the icon used in this case will not be the usual one of the woman's silhouette (with her corresponding skirt) changing the baby's diaper, another sign of “normal” and we hope that a more neutral image will soon be generalized to indicate the changing space in the men's room.
The best of this news is that babies are the ones who win because they will not have to be changed on the floor or on the sinks (a folding protector is essential to not place the baby on any surface!) And now we also have to claim that Take care of the proper design and hygiene of these increasingly frequent spaces.
An important step for equality, since changing diapers is not just a women's thing. But many other steps are needed to make it easier for parents to take care of their children, especially in the workplace and for reconciliation in general, for men and women. You who read to us, Dad: have you ever had to enter the women's restroom to change your child's diaper?
