Good Points: Hands-free entry to the Parent Room. Complimentary disposable change mats. Separate sinks for nappy change and food prep benches. Soap dispenser at nappy change bench. Adult and child size toilets. Lockable doors on private feeding cubicles. Clean and working microwave. Separate food prep bench. Extra armchairs in the main area.
Bad Points: Private feeding cubicles are too small to be able to fit a pram inside AND be able to close and lock the door. No additional powerpoints for those mums who need to express using an electric pump. Massive nappy disposal bin is too far from the nappy change bench.
One of my favourite places to go when the weather is miserable is Jitterbugs playland and cafe at Castle Towers. And no…..I’m not being at all sponsored or paid to say it. I just like it because we pay the one fee and the little one has unlimited play. It’s softplay too, which means none or minimal potential for major bumps. And the cafe is perfect for us parents who want to relax and still keep an eye on our kids.
The other thing I like about it is it’s location to the Parent Room. Just a little further down the hallway is the Parent Room. Perfect if you need to change bubs or get them to the toilet asap during their playtime.
The best bit of the Parent Room would have to be the entrance. The door is totally hands-free!! It senses you’re there and slides open for you. Perfect! To get back out, however, you need to press a green button but who cares. The entry is totally automatic. Love it!
Inside the room is pretty big. To your right there’s a few armchairs where you can get off your feet and rest for a while. Directly opposite the doorway against the wall is the food prep bench, with sink, soap, and microwave. It’s good to see the food prep area is well away from the nappy change area (with the exclusion of the gigantic nappy disposal bin being put between the two).
To your left as you come in the room, you’ll find the two private feeding cubicles, nappy change bench, and toilets. Considering the available space in the room, the private feeding cubicles could be bigger and more user-friendly. Each one contains an armchair, just like the ones in the main room, and that’s it. The doors are lockable from the inside, but you’d find it tough to get the pram in there with you and also be able to close the door to lock it. There’s just not enough room! If you really do want privacy, then you’ll probably need to keep the pram outside the cubicle. If the doors opened outward instead of in, you’d have a better chance of getting complete privacy. But it’s not to be in this Parent Room.
The change bench has two spots for changing little bottoms. Between the two spaces is the sink and soap dispenser. At either end of the bench you’ll also find a dispenser containing complimentary disposable change mats. Little things like this can really make a big positive difference to a parent. The downside of this spot is the nappy disposal bin. Ideally there would be a few nappy bins tucked underneath the change bench, where it’s most accessible and convenient. Instead there is a HUGE bin against a wall between the change bench and the food prep area, which is out of arms reach. Not very handy at all. These gigantic bins seem to be a common feature throughout Parent Rooms in the Towers, and it’s a feature that could do with a rethink.
The toilets are pretty standard. Adult and child size, with the one sink. Not much to tell here. I just wish the sanitary bin was between the adult toilet and the wall, instead of being between the child and adult toilets. Little ones are curious enough without having this unit within easy reach.
So if you’re headed to the Towers and are shopping around on Level 3, go check out this Parent Room. It’s got all the basics you need, but could do with some improvements. It’s definitely no Stockland Mall Parent Room, but it does the trick.