Reviewed by B
Overall: Roomy except during school holidays. Then it becomes standing room only. All the essentials. Nappy change, feed, rest and play. Probably the best so far of what’s available at Macquarie Centre.
Good Points: Roomy. Two good sized private feeding cubicles. Three change bays. Clean and working microwave. Couch and armchairs. Fenced in play area. Television. Sink. Toilet room has an adult and kid-size toilet plus matching sinks. Auto-slide door.
Bad Points: No additional powerpoints. Centre staff use the toilets in the Parent Room. Couch and armchairs are a bit worn and torn. The only sink is next to the microwave, which isn’t very hygienic for use after changing nappies. Nappy bins not emptied that frequently. Wall mounted activity centre is missing most of the working parts. Standing room only during school holidays.
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| Three change bays – nappy bins underneath |
This use to be my favourite Parent Room. But since discovering the facilities at places like Stockland Mall, this doesn’t quite cut it anymore. When school is in session though, it does the job.
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| Food prep area with microwave and sink |
This Parent Room is on Level 3, between Ella Rouge and the Centre Customer Service office. The auto-slide door is fabulous and every parent room should have one. It just makes life a whole lot easier when you have a pram. Inside there’s a big main room, then 2 private feeding cubicles, play area, nappy change area, food prep area and toilets. These are starting to look a bit run down though. But if you’re on Level 3, it’s the best available option.
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| A couple of armchairs for much needed rest |
The nappy change area is on the right hand side of the main room. The bench is a little high, so could be a bit of a hassle for anyone who isn’t that tall. The good part is there’s three change bays built in, and nappy bins are just underneath the bench. It seems though the regular checking and emptying of these bins is not given a high priority so the room can get quite smelly.
For handwashing after nappy changes, the only sink within reach is on the opposite wall right next to the microwave. Having just one sink available, and having it in the food prep area, is not very hygienic at all.
At least there is soap and papertowel.
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| The broken activity centre |
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| Television to help you relax |
For little ones who need to burn off some steam there’s a fenced in play area. It’s pretty basic but definitely not the worst I’ve seen. Blank walls, one wall mounted activity centre (missing most working parts) and plain lino floor. Not very exciting. Whenever I’ve been there lately, my little one finds it more fun to run in and out of the play area repeatedly. I’d find that more fun too since there’s not really anything in there to do.
For parents, there’s an old red couch plus two armchairs to rest on. Afterall, we need to rest and restore our energy levels while the little ones are burning it up. The little old school television mounted high up on the wall will help you veg out a little.
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| Armchairs and table in feeding cubicles |
Now to make sure you get one of the private feeding cubicles, the best time to get in is before 12pm hits. There’s three of them, and all have armchairs and a little table. Privacy is provided by curtains. One of the cubicles is better than the other two though – it’s the one up the end with a window looking into the play area. Very handy if you are resting and feeding with one child and the other is in the play area. Sadly there aren’t any additional powerpoints in any of these feeding cubicles.
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| Adult and child-size toilets |
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| Adult and child-size sinks |
Probably the best feature of this Parent Room is the toilets. There’s both an adult-size and child-size toilet and both have matching sinks. And the child-size sink really is little. Yay!!!! It’s actually pretty cute, with it’s own little soap dispenser. The other thing I love most is the sanitary bin is sandwiched between the adult toilet and the all – far away from little hands. Extra yay!!!
Annoyingly though, there is a downside to this toilet room. But it’s to do with the staff in the shops nearby. Everytime I’ve been in this Parent Room, staff from the nearby shops wander in and out to use the toilets. This is so frustrating!!!! Why can’t they use one of the other 11-12 toilets throughout the centre? Is it that hard for them to walk a couple of metres in the opposite direction? Too bad if you have a little one with you who needs the loo. When little people need the toilet, they tend to need it NOW!!! They can’t wait while the girl from the shop next door finishes her thing and gets out. Staff should NOT BE ALLOWED to use the toilets in the Parent Room. Next time I see one of them in there, I’m going to let them know in no uncertain terms it’s not on. Then I’ll march to the store they work in and let the manager know, along with Centre Management. Actually, stuff waiting until then. The moment I finish this post, I’ll email Centre Management about it. I’m sure I’m not the only one who is annoyed by this.
So is this Parent Room any good? Yep, it’s alright. Just avoid it during school holidays as it’s jam packed with parents, carers and kids all day long. Plus some people who hang out in here with their children seem to be quite inconsiderate. On one occasion, I had to sit on the couch to feed my then baby girl. I was sandwiched between two other mums, and one of them was whingeing loudly on the phone that she was in the crowded parent room, jammed in on the couch. Not a pleasant experience at all.
Anyway during school holidays or weekends, head to the new one on Level 1, or even to the one on Myer. Those two tend to be alot quieter and less crowded.