why the HELL don’t they have changing tables in their restrooms?! Since having Kendall I have been to many a Starbucks and never have I seen one with a changing table. I am shocked and pretty much offended that a company that claims to be so progressive and forward thinking, and that eats up so much of my money every year (along with probably plenty of other exhausted moms), can not shell out the $225 it would take to provide me a place to take my kid when I need to wipe his ass. Something as simple as thisis all it would take. I mean, for crap’s sake… the local WalMart gives me more than this to work with. Let’s see… my normal coffee order costs around $2.50 before tax. That means that 90 of my orders would pay for one changing station. I think it’s safe to say I could personally fund a changing station a year, if not more.
It makes no sense to me. Do they not realize that we tired mothers are among a very loyal following of theirs? Do they not know that those of us who give up the daily hit of their addictive coffee while pregnant crave it even more once we are up all night with a screaming newborn? Do they not understand that we can’t go ANYWHERE without the baby most days, including Starbucks? Do they not know that one of my favorite places to go when Kendall is finally napping in his carseat is to my local coffeehouse for my grande skim Misto so that I can enjoy my few brief moments of peace? Just what the hell do they expect me to do when he wakes up, smiles, farts, and craps his pants right there in Starbucks as I’m gulping down my last bit of coffee?
I’ll tell you what I’ve had to do… most times I take him out to the hot car or to another nearby store or restaurant that I know will have a place to change him. However, on our last trip the car was completely packed and we didn’t have time to find another place to change him, so I was one of THOSE people. Those people I used to give dirty looks who changed their kid in a public place. I had to. I had no choice. I plopped my changing pad on top of one of their plush armchairs and proceeded to strip Kendall down and clean him up. And I got dirty looks… from the barista behind the counter…. all of about 18 years old. When I was finished I calmly walked up to her and said, “I know you think what I just did was gross and I’m sorry. I made sure I cleaned up really well and honestly my son and his diaper never even touched that chair. The thing is, this whole situation could have been avoided if I was provided a proper place to change him.” “Uhhhmmmm…okay…” She then flipped her hair and proceeded to steam some milk. I know this fell on deaf ears, but I just had to vent to someone. In my pre-baby days I never once noticed that Starbucks was seriously lacking in the parent-friendly department, but now I can’t help but get really fired up every time I think about it.
(And those of you out there completely disgusted and cringing at this…because I KNOW you’re out there… please note that I changed him on a chair and that there was a large changing pad between his ass and where others sit their ass. No bodily fluids or excrement was left behind. And we did it very discreetly. We were nowhere near any other customers.)
14 weeks 1 day
Hey, it’s better than the mom I saw changing her infant on a resturant table with no changing pad. True story. I gagged and haven’t been back to that resturant ever again. *cough*AlittlerestaurantcalledChilis*cough*
… you really need to send this to starbucks… seriously, send a link of this blog entry to starbucks… they need to know this concern… i’m not yet a mother, and didn’t realize the lack of changing tables in the restrooms, but honestly it is completely shocking!!!!
i went to their website and you could list your blog (or other comments -
possibly to their “my starbucks idea”…
http://mystarbucksidea.force.com/home/home.jsp
possibly to “retail store feedback”
http://www.starbucks.com/customer/contact_forms.asp?nav=3e
ps – i love your blog. you are a very talented writer…
Priceless. I’m glad you changed him right then and there–maybe it’ll teach them a lesson. I was in a bathroom just yesterday, and noticed the same thing–and thought the same thing…”Now, if we’re here with baby, where will I change him/her?”. Now I know the answer, and my response to onlookers will be “Donkey said I could.”
I don’t blame you – in fact I would have done the same thing although I wouldn’t have been as considerate as you were with the barista.
I noticed the SAME thing! And I live in AZ, where taking your kid to the car to change her in the summer is not only inconvenient, but cruel and unusual punishment for both mom and child. I find it insane they can’t be bothered to install a changing table, and I think what you did was just fine. What else are you SUPPOSED to do?!?!
This is exactly what Ive been thinking! Sometimes Starbucks is the only non baby related thing I get to do all day, it’s the moment I look forward to when I go to sleep at night, silly I know. I usually cross my fingers she’ll sleep all the way thru Starbucks until we get home or get to another store. I did have to change her once (but she’s only 4 weeks old so far, I’m sure there’ll be more instances) and I went into the bathroom and was surprised. I pulled out my pad and put it on the floor and did it there. I was so tired and desperate I didn’t even think how germy that probably was. Hmmm.
I really hope you send this to Starbucks. Maybe all of us moms should start e-mailing Sbux with this complaint and see if we can get some changing tables installed! Last time I took Nate to Starbucks, I had to change him on a chair as well (same as you- on a changing pad, on a chair). It’s really disappointing that they have ginormous bathrooms with no changing area.
I loved this post! I agree wholeheartedly! See you on the nest…(that is how I found you)
I think we all should send this link to Starbucks. If they put them in the stores, I could actually justfiy the $$ I spend on coffee. I’ve been there / done that….it sucks !! I’m glad you said something, I do too.
My husband often points out to me the lack of changing tables in the men’s room. Even in shops where there is one in the ladies’, there won’t be one available to the guys. Which is fine if I’m with him, but a royal pain when he’s out with our son alone. Makes me think of all the single dads? What are they supposed to do?
Totally agree- send it on to Starbucks. Maybe you’ll get more than a hairflip back.
i feel like going to starbucks JUST so i can change porter in front of everyone. i imagine they might get the message if they were getting daily reports of poopy diaper changings. the poopier the better.
ditto kristina, i wouldn’t have been nearly as nice to the barista. she would have gotten the stink eye.
Hahaha, since this issue clearly still hasn’t been resolved, maybe someone should organize a Great Diaper Changing Station Protest, where moms all, at a preset time, accost local businesses of any sort that don’t offer changing stations, and change their babies in the public areas
I bet that’d get something to happen!
1. Thank you for clarifying you used a changing pad. I don’t blame you for changing him, but do appreciate the sanitary-ness.
2. It will be awhile before I eat at Chili’s again, even though I know logically there are thousands of est. with numerous tables each.
3. My coffee is $4.17 for a grande mocha frapp. + $2 for a pastry. I think I’ve bought a few changing tables.
4. The flippant barista will complain to her manager who will take note- that’s where you made a difference.
5. Now that I think about it the brand new Sbux don’t even have changing tables.
6. You ROCK for being hilarous and standing up for mothers with dirty diapers everywhere!
I once changed Olivia on the floor between our table and a wall at a resturaunt. They had only a very small one-seater bathroom and no changing table, and rather than change her ON the table we were eating off of, I plopped her changing pad down on the floor and changed her VERY stinky diaper there. Hopefully someone complained and maybe next time there’ll be a changing station. One can only hope. ~A
I just did a little research on the Starbucks Ideas site. There are tons of requests for a changing table. It seems that almost no one has voted to have this implimented. I agree that you should post something. Take it a step further and post on here and The Nest to have everyone go to your suggestion and vote for it! Moms and Moms-to-be need to stick together.
I Could not agree with you more. I want to track down a starbucks execs e-maill address and send this entry to them! I too would have cringed at changing a baby in a public place but that was pre-baby. Now all I want is a cup of coffee and a place to change my baby so I don’t have to go back out to the car.
Been there, Done that !!! It has happened to me before as well. I have had no choice but to get out a changing pad and change his diaper wherever I can. This happened to me recently on vacation in the Ozarks. It was more difficult now that he is a toddler !!! I had to change a shitty diaper with him standing up….NOT FUN. COuld have been avoided with a changing table/station !!! Ugh ! I feel your frustration with this one
Awesome! That is great that you told the barista. Who cares if it falls on deaf ears. Someday …. and you and I both know it … she’ll be you! Hahaha and I agree with the previous comment – send this blog link to Starbucks!
[...] oozing out all sides of his diaper. You run to the fancy private bathrooms, only to realize that the place you pay hundreds of dollars a year to provide you a hot cup of brew can’t shell out … Asshats. Clearly your loyalty to them over the years means nothing once you become a parent, [...]
[...] I’m a take charge kind of girl, in case you couldn’t tell. If I don’t like something, I complain loudly and do what I can to change it. Granted, since having a baby, I’m experiencing a bit more lag time, but now that our life is setting into some semblance of order, I’m on a mission to check things off of my to do list that I’ve kept running for the last year. And, at the top? Figure out just why the HELL Starbucks doesn’t provide changing tables in all their restrooms. [...]
You should have just changed him on the counter where they take the orders. I bet they would have had a changing table in there the next week! Or possibly you would be banned from SB for life…
A friend of mine changed his daughter in the womens’ room at a restaurant. There was no changing table in the mens’ room and his daughter had pooped. He waited outside and asked a woman who came out if there was anyone in there, he need to change his daughter’s diaper. The woman check and told him it was clear. She also stood outside the door to let anyone who came to use the womens’ room he was in there.
Turns out, a woman did have to pee. The woman who was standing outside for my friend explained to her that he was in there changing his daughters diaper. She said, “That doesn’t bother me.” and proceeded to go into the restroom. She peed and cooed at the baby as she washed her hands next to where he was changing the baby’s diaper. She smiled and told him it was great that he was willing to do that for his daughter and left.
When he came out, the manager saw him and told him it was completely inappropriate and unacceptable for him to have utilized the restroom. He told the manager he would be more than happy to change the poopy diaper on the table next time, if the manager preferred.
The manager told him that wasn’t acceptable either. My friend said, well, either put a changing table in the men’s room, allow me to use the one in the womens’ room, or kiss my business goodbye.
The manager just walked away.
***This happened 4 years ago and that restaurant still DOESN’T have a changing table in the mens room!
AMEN to all stores needing changing tables! I live in Southern California, and twice a year we make the 8 hour drive to visit my parents up North. Almost all of the gas stations we stop at along the way? No changing table. All the fast food places? No changing table. These are towns in the middle of nowhere that exist solely because of people like me who are passing by. They CATER to those of us on roadtrips . . . but apparently, not those of us with kids! We have a Honda Accord (so no big area in the back of a van or truck to lay a baby down on) and it’s usually packed to capacity with stuff for the trip. Have you ever tried to change a screaming baby on the 1/3 of the backseat of the car that doesn’t have anything on it? (Or done that in PHOENIX in JULY????) AGONY! I think EVERY STORE should be mandated to have a changing station (and if you don’t want to put one in the men’s room also, then make it a unisex bathroom! It’d be SO much quicker and quieter and easier if my husband and I could both help rather than make one person wait outside the door helplessly while the other juggles the poop and the squirming baby and the diaper bag and all the rest!) It should be an accessibility law