unpleasant experience in ikea – using the baby room.

ever since the incident happened, i haven’t been feeling great and i needed to rant about it. the thought of it irks me to no end. so ya, warning given. rant ahead. I really, needed to get this off my chest.

so, the renovations are almost done and the husband and me have been frequenting ikea lately in between whatever bits of time we could spare.

on one of those week days where i had to take leave to care for the kid, the husband decided that we should make use of the time to visit ikea since jerry is at school and logistically, it’s much easier to manage the shopping with a baby.

we were looking at beds when jerome had a loud, massive, explosive poop job and we had to run to the baby room with poop slowly dripping down his legs (oh, the horror!). So the poop was everywhere on him and i was glad that we made it in time to the baby room and that it was empty. So i closed the door and locked it behind me.

Less than 30 secs later, while the husband was still carrying jerome suspended in the air and me trying to navigate around the stroller to grab the wipes and all.

Someone tried to open the door and i can’t remember if they knocked a not.. but i shouted “hang on”, which obviously means that i’m busy and there is someone in the room right? I could hear a baby crying outside.

So i proceeded to clean the baby up a little before stripping him, careful to make sure his poop stained clothes don’t touch him while swiftly cleaning up the rest of the poop all over him. while i was at it, there came ANGRY SLAMS on the door. demanding loud bangs that shook the door as if wanting to bring it down. the baby outside was still crying, but i feel it was TOTALLY UNCALLED FOR.

So, in a fit of the moment, i unlocked the door, looked at the family and (maybe) shouted in a fluster, “hey, i’m changing a baby too! Can’t you wait? What was that for?”.

Sure, my jerome wasn’t screaming/crying but he was all naked and we had just finished cleaning him and my poop stained hands. i closed the door and proceeded with putting on new clothes for jerome and told the husband to be faster so that the family outside can use the room.

I didn’t think i was wrong. honestly.

i got there first. and i didnt HOG the room. I needed to use it, and use it i did.

so i didn’t even bother keeping my stuff when i’m done. i held the poop stained clothes in my hands, tissues and wet wipes and walked out of the room and told the husband to quickly come out (with the intention of letting them have the room as fast as i could).

so, they were right in front of the wall opposite the baby room and changing the baby on the floor on a mat. it was a family of 5 (parents, small boy of maybe 6 or 7 years old, a kid in the stroller of maybe 3 or 4 and then the crying baby). for a moment, i felt REALLY BAD. Oh no. they had to change the baby on the floor because of me.

and then, i noticed something. the eldest boy was staring at me, non stop. he just stared and stared. i looked away at first glance and then looked back and wondered what was wrong. so i blatantly asked, (not in a angry tone or what) – why are you staring at me?

I swear it wasn’t an angry tone or a menacing tone. it was more like a curious tone.

but guess what. the father spat back at me. “why?! he cannot stare at you is it?!” (he also mumbled something else that i couldn’t really hear)

so i left it as that. fine. maybe he feels that i was provoking him with my question. so i walked away.

BUT!!! that wasn’t the end of the story. while we were walking away.. the father of the family shouted, “F*CK YOU ALL lah! *&@#@&^#@%@^#@(!@” (i cannot hear what else he said).

the husband, at the point in time, totally, totally, lost it and shouted back “YOU F*CK YOURSELVES LA!”

I wasn’t proud of the moment, honestly. and it’s bad teaching as parents (I’m referring to myself, i can’t say the same for others) and i was really glad jerry wasn’t around because he would definitely picked that up. but i knew the husband was really angry and didnt want me to be bullied and that we are, honestly, not in the wrong from using the room.

i couldn’t help but keep thinking what would others do if they were in the same situation. what can i do? would i do the same to people if my kid was crying so badly? well, I wont. But i definitely wont change my baby on the floor either. I would take my 3-4yo out of the stroller, have my elder kid or husband look after the kid and place the baby on the stroller to change her. but that’s my style. and that’s me. i don’t expect people to follow the exact same steps as me.

but com’on. you cant demand a baby room to be immediately available just cos you have a baby. other people have babies too and every one has an equal right to use the room. and i was in the room first. They should be thankful i wasn’t nursing a hungry baby which could take up to 30-40mins?

sigh. and you know what?

i totally didnt know why they had to change the baby on the floor. because…. there are more than 1 changing area in ikea. and just right beside the baby room, there were 2 other changing tables in the toilets.

maybe you could say that they were ignorant of the facilities and didnt know. but i took some pictures on hindsight (just so i could blog).

this was the baby room that i used.

and here’s what the sign beside the door say.

the changing table in the female toilet

the changing table in the male toilet (yes, i actually sent the husband in to check).

and i was TOTALLY TOTALLY sure that at point in time, the changing tables in the toilets weren’t being used. because ikea was near empty the entire time i was there.

so, what was all that shouting/banging for? and vulgarities?

I would have expected someone, who has had THREE kids to be a little more tolerant of other parents since it’s their third time round being one. Sure have loads of experience already right? I have met many parents who are at least understanding and polite. but heck, i don’t even need their understanding, but why do they have to be so friggin’ rude?!

Now, from your point of view.. am i wrong? I know i should have left the staring kid alone and kept my mouth shut.

okie. rant over.

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