BFZ - Baby Friendly Zone. Ever heard of one? Not if you've not left Malaysia you haven't. They don't exist here. Sadly enough.
I recently braved travelling with my (then) 5 month old to Sydney, Australia. I now know that the prerequisite to the next journey I make ( God forbid I have to travel again )will be just how BFZ the country is!
Australia MUST be the most BFZ of ALL. Here's why in no specific, terrific, splendific order!!
1)Baby Hire
no no no , you can't rent-a-baby. ( anyway, why would ANYONE want to? If i'd managed to escape this far, don't get me wrong, I love my bub and all, but a baby-free-holiday? Ahh sheer bliss ! )
Equipment rental. From cots and sheets, carriers to strollers, sterilisers and bottles, mobiles and toys. Even clothes! You could arrive here simply with bubba n your boobies! And the cost was so low, barely AUD$100 for the 3weeks for all my stuff!
2)Parents Rooms
From barely there ( don't complain - better to have one than none ) to have-i-died-and-gone-to-heaven-luxury, Baby/Parents Rooms abound in Australia. Every mall, major shopping centre and even baby speciality stores have these rooms.
Private breastfeeding rooms, baby change tables, microwaves, huge toilets even prams can go into. These are surely heaven on earth for Mummies and Daddies! I often resorted to holing up in them just for some peace and quiet!
3)Priority Parking
All Westfield Malls and some other large malls have special parking for 'Parents With Prams'. The BEST Parking lots, on the MOST accessible floors. Always an empty lot, even on weekends, and no one abuses the privilege! Nanna was SO thrilled to FINALLY be able to use this facility that she is very naughtily contemplating putting a pseudo pram in her car now we are gone!
4)Wide Aisles
Wide aisles in all supermarkets, shops, malls etc.. no one ever has to leave their prams outside a store!
5)Baby Food Choices
The flavours! - Chocolate Banana Brulee, Organic Fig Swirl, Fruit of the Forest Gels and more.
The textures! - Gels, Smooth, Pureed, Lumpy!
Taking the brainwork out of starting baby on solids! And so good, you may even try some yourself!
6)Accessibility
Ramps, ramps and more ramps. Ramps on every street corner and every curb. Buses with lowering steps and trains with places to park your prams in them. Lifts on every floor. Total accessibility, Australia has it all planned out! From womb to tomb, stroller to wheelchair, you'll never be stuck!
7) Babies and Parent's Rooms in Cinemas, baby Friendly Restaurants, Hotels and Resorts. - and the list goes on and on..
As Nanna kept reminding me - babies are VERY IMPORTANT PEOPLE in Australia.Don't upset the little people. Lose the Parents Vote and you're in trouble!
If ONLY Malaysia viewed our little people with as much importance, instead of SEEMINGLY going out of its' way to make Mums'and Babies' lives more difficult than they already are!
Future of the Nation? Well our babies certainly are not being treated as such are they? If only we could lobby to make Malaysia a BFZ, wouldn't it be wonderful? Where babies are not only seen but heard and accepted as rightful members of society with facilities and rights equalling that esteemed position! - Babies of Malaysia Unite ! Vote BFZ!!
1 comment:
I very much agree with you Mummy Karen! I am not yet a Mummy but I Hey! accessibility in Malaysia is not even in infant stage. If they don't treat babies as such, what more the Disabled people? The older citizens? The wheelchair bound people?? I am currently working for an NGO, one of their movement fight is to fight for the disabled rights to be protected, better education and accessibility environment!!! Government does not have to create a new accessible environment, they just need to do some adjustmen LIKE JAPAN. i recenty attended the UNITED NATION CONVENTION of the rights of PWD at NIKKO HOTEL, our minister, DATUK SHAHRIZAT admitted that we 10 years behind of JAPAN as she went to JAPAN for the first time sometime last year, she discovered that JAPAN has world class accessible environment!!!
Thanks!
Post a Comment