PSA for hosts and guests. Please be considerate

moonbeam

Mon, Oct 31 2016, 1:36 pm

I have several children and for 11 years I have always had at least one child in diapers. I always have a diaper bag with me, complete with a changing pad and I usually just change the baby in the bathroom. If for some reason that won't work (bathroom too small for instance) I ask the host where I should change the baby, and afterwards where they would like me to put the soiled diaper. If for some crazy reason I can't reach the host and I need to change the baby NOW and the bathroom isn't an option, I go in a corner far away from everyone and change baby there on the floor. It's not the easiest for me to get up off the floor once I'm down there, but I do what I have to do. I would never, ever change my baby on someone else's furniture! Gross. I try very hard to be respectful of my hosts.

The thing with the cold drives me NUTS!! Why don't people call if they're sick? If we are sick I always call my hosts or guests and let them know, and leave it up to them whether they want to still be around us or we should postpone. That's just common courtesy.

Chayalle

Mon, Oct 31 2016, 1:42 pm

Honestly, I'm not putting a diaper changing table into my living room. And I have no space for one in the bedrooms.

For sleepover guests, if they won't use a changing pad on the floor they can choose to change on their own beds, but not on mine or my kids. And not on my couch.

I don't have guests with babies over for just meals that often. I'm going to be unapologetic about the floor being my only option for the once in a while that happens.

Raisin

Mon, Oct 31 2016, 1:47 pm

Chayalle wrote:

Glad it's ideal for your kids.

My kids won't sleep in their bed if a guest changed their baby on it, towel or not. I have had to change their linen on a Shabbos or Yom Tov because of this.

Change your baby over a towel or changing pad on the floor, please, when you are in my house.

And please don't take food into the bedrooms.

Thank you.

They do it on the bed in my toddlers room. (the same place I change my toddler) I'm not sure what I will do when I don't have toddlers. My teenagers/older kids beds/rooms cannot be relied on to be tidy enough to let visitors in.

Another option would be a spare bedroom.

I personally don't mind changing babies anywhere but I guess it can be hard for some people.

I don't have space for changing tables, even for my own babies. Most of my kids bedrooms are really small. Every available inch is taken up with cupboards and beds.

mummiedearest

Mon, Oct 31 2016, 2:02 pm

you can stow a changing pad (the solid kind you use on top of a changing table) behind a couch if you have frequent guests with small children. put that on the couch for the parent to change baby on. nothing will happen to your couch.

amother

Periwinkle

Mon, Oct 31 2016, 4:58 pm

mummiedearest wrote:

I have the changing pad that I used on my changing table. I kept it and a few covers, and when I'm having guests over with small kids, I put it on our spare bed with a towel underneath. When guests ask where to change the baby, I tell them they can change baby right there on the floor in the play area (everyone I know brings their little portable changing pads) or they can go in the spare bedroom and use the changing pad.

I think it's polite to ask where to change a diaper. But I would never tell someone to use the bathroom floor. My bathrooms are very clean but that's just gross. I'm not going to tell a guest to go kneel down in the bathroom. Ick.