There's nothing that us mummies like but a good old child-related rant! I for one am a great fan of my soap box, in fact it's getting a little tattered by now! So when I raised the issue of child safety I got a fair few replies from mummies not satisfied with the standards they had experienced.
It all started after a visit to a pub today when we met Mr H for lunch. When the friendly waitress brought our meals over she placed my plate in front of Little H, well within grabbing reach. This annoys me as it is as we all know a toddler will grab food as soon as they see it, and quite often throw it on the floor, or me! But when I touched the plate to move it, it was pretty hot and could have burnt her hands had she grabbed it properly.
This is not the first time I have witnessed this nor is it the only example of what one twitter friend, Laura at
The Life and Times of the Working Mum, feels it is a 'lack of common sense' and surely it is quite obvious that babies and hot items do not mix? I have seen hot food and drinks passed over a baby's head, sharp metal cutlery specifically placed where the child is sitting and the most frequent culprit - mine or Mr H's drinks placed in front of either Little H or Baby J, ready for grabbing/spilling/smashing.
It makes me wonder why the safety of children doesn't seem to be addressed during staff training? I realise a lot of the staff tend to be young and don't have children of their own and so don't realise the dangers, this is why I believe they should be trained to realise. A hot drink or sharp knife can easily cause a serious accident for a little one who doesnt realise the dangers.
As the discussions progressed amongst indignant mums it then went on to wonder why child-friendly eateries don't provide plastic plates and cutlery for children? One of my local pubs actually does do this and go out of their way to help you out, needless to say we are frequent visitors of this establishment due to this! My fellow tweeter,
Mumpanel, also pointed out Ikea were good for this too. Karen over at
365 Pearls of Wisom wishes UK places catered for child like those she visited on a trip to Canada - our transatlantic neighbours seem to have realised us mums appreciate these gestures. When you're already lugging a bag full of nappies, wipes, nappy bags, changing mat, toys to keep the kids entertained, bottles and food for the baby not to mention your own purse, phone and car keys, it would be easier not to have to find space for bowls, cups and cutlery too! Between the car seat on one arm and the changing bag on the other my arms resemble those of an Olympic athlete!
So, with that in mind, what are your thoughts? Have you experienced any problems yourself or maybe you have somewhere that has provided great service. Please do share!
