Child Friendly Experiences

Child-Friendly businesses offer YOU amazing deals to celebrate Mums on the Go 2nd Birthday! by Mums on the Go
in Child Friendly Experiences, Giveaways
9 May 2012 | 0 Comments
Mums on the Go is celebrating our 2nd Birthday - Hip Hip Hooray!

As part of the celebrations we have teamed up with some of the fantastic child-friendly businesses in our directory to offer you some wonderful discounts!

A summary of the offers is listed below. Please click on the business name to see full details of the offer and any terms & conditions including when the offer is valid until.

Please feel free to share these offers with other Mums ... via email, facebook, twitter, in the playground!

Linda x

SYDNEY
- Rock-a Bye-Baby Equipment Hire: To celebrate the Mums on the Go 2nd Birthday Rock-a-Bye-Baby are offering Mums a $25 voucher to use on any rental.
- TANK Deli Cafe: To celebrate the Mums on the Go 2nd Birthday TANK Deli Cafe is offering 15% off their brunch / breakfast or lunch menu – Monday to Friday.
- Step Into Life (Eastern Suburbs): To celebrate the Mums on the Go 2nd Birthday they are offering a month of unlimited training sessions (normal value $250) for just $49.95. Included in this will also be a voucher to The Running Company at Potts Point for $50
- Yoganic: To celebrate the Mums on the Go 2nd Birthday Yoganic are offering 1 FREE Yoga class
- VitalSelf Fitness: To celebrate the Mums on the Go 2nd Birthday VitalSelf Fitness is offering 1 FREE session : 10% off first pack of 5 sessions purchased : and an Nutrition Guide for Pregnancy and Lactation
MELBOURNE
- Blue Sky Fitness: To celebrate the Mums on the Go 2nd Birthday Blue Sky Fitness is offering a FREE session and 10% discount OFF a session pass
- Vida Chiropractic: To celebrate the Mums on the Go 2nd Birthday Vida Chiropractic are offering any new booking during May & June a complementary 500gm bag of the all new gluten free beautifully tasting forage cereal by Damian Kristof and free entry to their May & June health seminars
- Residential Kitchen: To celebrate the Mums on the Go 2nd Birthday the Residential Kitchen are offering free babycinos with marshmallows!
- MET Fitness: To celebrate the Mums on the Go 2nd Birthday MET Fitness are offering 1 free session to their Group Fitness for Busy Mums, which includes a free coffee voucher at a Highett cafe.
- My Time Cafe: To celebrate the Mums on the Go 2nd Birthday, My Time Cafe are offering a $10 Gift Voucher to be used in their cafe.
- Foxy Brown Espresso: To celebrate the Mums on the Go 2nd Birthday Foxy Brown are offering free babycinos for groups of four adults or more (plus kids) - not including weekends
- Fernwood Fitness Bulleen: To celebrate the Mums on the Go 2nd Birthday they have an amazing offer for new members: 12 Month Memberships to Fernwood Bulleen with $ 0 Joining Fee. Save $199 || 15% Discount on membership || 10 Free Child Minding Passes
Seed DFO Homebush - gold star for child-friendly service by Linda Anderson
in Child Friendly Experiences
2 Apr 2012 | 0 Comments

I very rarely write a blog post about a specific business in our child-friendly directory but last week I had a child-friendly retail experience that really surprised me.

I headed off to DFO - Homebush on a mission to find some new shorts for my husbands birthday and rain jackets for my girls. I had Miss 16 months with me which was not ideal as she HATES sitting in her stroller unless you are on the move ... not conducive to browsing in retail shops.

I hadn't been to DFO for sometime and was delighted to find Seed had opened an outlet store there. Their women's and kids clothes are really beautiful but generally outside my shopping budget ... so of course I HAD to go in for a quick look!

I sped around the store trying not to use up too much of Miss 16 Months happy shopping time - I found a great tunic for Miss 3.5, a top for me and a great long black skirt that I thought might work well while pregnant and then post-baby. I was able to try on the top in the middle of the shop while keeping Miss 16 months entertained but the skirt was going to require a visit to the changeroom and already I was getting stroppy noises coming from the stroller!

I was delighted to get to the changeroom and find a box of toys available. I picked up a colourful, wooden tambourine with ribbons hanging from it and handed it to Miss 16 months. She was enthralled - not only could she bang to make noise it but she could also thread it over her foot or arm. Phew ... I had a happy toddler again.

I went up to the register to pay for the clothes I had found and wondered how I was going to extract this magical toy so we could leave the store, and also wished I could take it with me on the rest of our shopping mission to make it more fun for both of us. I jokingly said to the shop assistant "What are the chances we could take the tambourine on a lap of DFO and return it to you at the end?" I really was only joking so was amazed when the shop assistant said "Sure, as long as you bring it back ... I can see how much your little one loves it"

WOW - I wasn't expecting that! She actually told me that a number of parents actually just leave the store with toys from the basket without asking and don't return them - I think that is just rude and doesn't encourage stores to provide child-friendly features like toys. So I was even more amazed she would let me take the tambourine once I knew this.

That colourful tambourine kept Miss 16 months happy for 80% of our shopping mission - it was fabulous! I made sure I said a very big thank you when we returned it to Seed at the end.

Not only does Seed now get a their own listing in our directory but they also get this special thank you message from me published so everyone else can hear how wonderful they were. I haven't mentioned the shop assistant by name just in case Seed Management don't approve of her actions - but as a mother I can say I was so impressed by her attitude and appreciative of the general help I received whilst browsing in the store - I will happily go back to shop with my kids in tow. Happy Mama = Happy Shopping!

Have you had an experience in a retail shop recently that exceeded your expectations?

Linda x
Should restaurants ban children? by Linda Anderson
in Child Friendly Experiences, A Mum's View
20 Feb 2012 | 6 Comments
Last week Mamamia published a blog post called The restaurants that wont allow children. If you read the article, and attached comments, you will find it was a topic on which people held some very strong views.

As someone who spends a lot of time researching and supporting child-friendly cafes & restaurants I was really fascinated by the article. A lot of really interesting questions were raised:
- Does a cafe/restaurant have a right to ban small children?
- Would you pay a surcharge to take a child to a restaurant?
- When does a child's behaviour become unacceptable in a cafe/restaurant? Is it when they cry, or when they bang their spoon on the table?
- Do parents have the right to take their kids to any cafe/restaurant they want to or just the "child-friendly" ones?
One comment posted that made me chuckle was someone who asked something like "If we can ban children because they are too noisy can we also ban the tables of pretentious grown ups that laugh too loudly and talk at the top of their voices all the way through dinner?"

For me personally:
- I like taking my kids to a range of cafes/restaurants .. not just the officially child-friendly as it is important they learn how to behave in a "grown up" environment. Having said that I mostly go to child-friendly places because it makes my life easier and therefore we all have a much better time.
- A surcharge for my kids - that is just ridiculous!
- Banning Kids - I can't believe I am going to say this but I think if that is what fits with the restaurants values and business then they should do it. If they believe it will make their "preferred" customers happier and therefore they will make more money - so be it. Of course, I will feel put out and offended ... but hey, if we are really not going to be welcomed with kids surely it is much better to just have that out in the open so I can go elsewhere
- What behaviour is unacceptable from my children in a cafe ? well, the same behaviours I would find unacceptable at home. Tantrums, hitting siblings (or other kids), throwing food/plates etc on the floor intentionally, screaming ... If my kids behave like this in a cafe (which would be very rare) we would either leave or at least have some "timeout" outside. If my kids are just being kids, happy, bit noisy, bit messy, but generally well behaved ... I ignore the occasional dirty look I might get from someone who was hoping to read the paper in total tranquility.
What do you think? Should a restaurant be allowed to ban children? What boundaries do you have with your kids about behaviour in a cafe?
How child-friendly is your GP surgery? by Linda Anderson
in Child Friendly Experiences
14 Dec 2011 | 1 Comment
How child-friendly is your GP surgery? I commented this week on a blog post by Mrs Woog that my GP surgery is very child-friendly. The waiting room has a great play corner will occupy little kids for quite a while. Then once in with my GP he has a big bucket of Duplo on hand and a babies rattle stashed in the drawer if needed. And of course, the staff are all very friendly and accommodating.

It doesn't get much better than that but none the less I am dreading my Dr appointment tomorrow. I haven't been to the Dr for my own needs since April, and I was able to schedule it on a day when my girls were in childcare so I could actually have a focused conversation about my needs.

However, since our move back to Sydney a month ago I have been without any childcare and we have no family support here to draw upon ... ah yes, THAT is why I created Mums on the Go in the first place - LOL

My husband is interstate for work so I am faced with the prospect of taking a mobile (but not safe) 1 year old and a very impatient and demanding 3 year old to my appointment.

So I have been sitting here brainstorming what I can do to actually make this manageable. Ideas so far:
- endless supply of snacks
- toys & books (but I really don't believe they will help)
- A big fat bribe ... such as "If you are a really good girl and let Mummy talk the Dr without hassling me, without pushing your little sister over and without whingeing ... we will go and get a really big icecream afterwards. BUT only if you are GOOD"
end of ideas ....

So tell me, how do you (or would you) tackle the need to have a proper conversation with your GP with 2 kids in tow? I am open to ALL suggestions.

Linda x
Child-Friendly Businesses … who does it best …Sydney or Melbourne? by Linda Anderson
in Child Friendly Experiences, Travel with Kids, A Mum's View
23 Nov 2011 | 0 Comments

I have 2 beautiful daughters – one born in Sydney (now 3.5 years old) and one born in Melbourne (turning 1 next week). Grandparents other immediate family are spread across the country and in fact across the world so anywhere I go my kids go too. If I need to do something for myself … get a haircut, have coffee with a girlfriend or even make an emergency appointment at the physio … at least one of my kids come too!

Having lived in both Sydney and Melbourne recently with small children I figure this leaves me in a pretty good position to have a view on which city provides the most child-friendly businesses!

For me, child-friendly starts with a good customer service attitude but it has to be much more than that. I want a business to go out of their way to make it easier for me to bring my children with me for example a box of toys, a high chair or some crayons and paper.

Child-Friendly cafes are the most frequently sought business in my life and I have to say Melbourne wins hands down as being most child-friendly for eating out in my book. I have been so impressed by how many cafes go to the effort to be child-friendly in Melbourne. Anytime I went exploring a new suburb I was guaranteed to have a choice of child-friendly eating options. After to returning to live in Sydney a week ago we went down to our local cafe strip. We live in a very family orientated suburb so I was amazed that we had to go to 4 cafes to simply find a highchair!!! This would never have happened where we lived in Melbourne. It is clear that Melbourne’s reputation for great food and coffee is something Mums and their kids can enjoy too.

Sydney, however, gets the thumbs up for Mums & Bubs fitness. My second child was born a few months after we moved to Melbourne. We moved to a beautiful bayside suburb filled with young families so I was surprised at how difficult it was to find Mums & Bubs fitness groups in my area. Not being a fan of going to the gym (which often have crèche facilities) meant my postnatal exercise options were very limited. In Sydney I was spoilt for choice when I had my first baby.

So which city would I say is most child-friendly? I am going to sit on the fence here (sorry!) … both cities have some wonderful child-friendly businesses available for Mums to ensure you can still look after your needs even if you need to take your children with you. I really enjoyed our time in Melbourne and feel very grateful for how child-friendly it was but I am also very happy to be back to Sydney and look forward to reconnecting with all the child-friendly businesses here.

Linda x
Child-Friendly customer service - is it that hard? by Linda Anderson
in Child Friendly Experiences, A Mum's View
16 Sep 2011 | 0 Comments

My graphic designer, Bronwyn, moved to Melbourne a few weeks ago so I was really looking forward to meeting her for coffee today. I knew I needed to juggle my 9 month olds sleep time and availability of Bronwyn so I decided to choose a child-friendly cafe a few blocks from my house ... it is beautiful and is located in a really nice boutique garden centre. The only problem is I have actively boycotted going here for a whole year ... ever since this incident over a vegemite sandwich.

The sun is shining today in Melbourne so I knew it was going to be really lovely to sit outside, sip my coffee, and have a great catchup. I arrived first and went inside as they have a sign saying "please wait to be seated" - with a baby on one hip and a bag full of baby lunch stuff, change of clothes, nappies ... you know the drill. I asked for "a table for 2, outside in the shade, with room for a highchair". The waitress told me there were plenty of table available and I could find the highchairs tucked in the corridor outside the toilets ... and off she went.

Seriously?! I am on my own already juggling bag and baby and you want ME to go and get the highchair?? Apparently yes.

I went and found a table outside and put the bag down. I then went inside, with my baby, to find the highchairs. I then carried highchair in one hand through the cafe with baby on my hip held with the other hand (hoping she was not in the mood today for suddenly launching herself backward ... a game she seems to find amusing). As I balanced baby and highchair a waiter walked past me and smiled politely ... I looked back at him and thought to myself "Don't smile at me ... offer to bloody help me!"

Are my expectations really so high? Surely child-friendly customer service can't be that hard ... can it?

I had a wonderful catchup, in the sunshine, with a wonderful person and a wonderful baby ... but I won't be going back to this cafe again any time soon.

Linda x
10 Things to do in Melbourne before we go by Linda Anderson
in Child Friendly Experiences, Travel with Kids
12 Sep 2011 | 4 Comments
Although the date for our move back to Sydney is not locked in I do know we are counting in weeks rather than months. Heading home so much earlier than expected means there are all sorts of things I still haven't done in Melbourne that I would like to.

So I have decided to write a wish list and see what I can do before we leave and see how many we can tick off:

With Kids
- Collingwood Childrens Farm - we have already been here once but I loved it so much I want to go back. They have a great child-friendly cafe attached too.
- NGV Kids Space - Melbourne really does great art/science spaces for kids. A visit to NGV Kids Space has been on my list for a while so time to go!
- The Ian Potter Foundation Children's Garden - My husband is a real green thumb and loves having Hannah help him in the garden ... growing herbs and vegies, sweeping up the leaves so I would love to explore the Ian Potter Children's Garden on a sunny Sunday as a family
- Luna Park - we live quite close to this and each time we drive past Hannah (Miss 3) looks at the rollercoaster and asks if she can go on it. Personally I don't think she would go on it but it would be fun just to go and walk around all the rides with her in case she is brave enough to jump on
- Camping at Wilsons Promontory - I haven't been here since I was a very small child so would love to take my girls camping and bushwalking here before we head home. Fingers crossed for some warm, dry weather!!
Grown Ups only
- AFL game at the MCG - have already booked tickets to Friday's game between Sydney Swans and Hawthorn
- an afternoon of shopping - Bridge Road, Richmond ... I dream of a long afternoon filled with shopping and great coffee
- Coffee at Middle Brighton Baths - I have been wanting to take myself here for coffee/brunch for a long time ... possibly with laptop for a change of scenery on a work day. What's stopping me?
- A night at Bennetts Lane - I love Jazz and Melbourne has a great reputation for Jazz venues. It would be a real shame not to experience
- Prahran Markets - I would love a morning at some markets ... just wandering and buying whatever tempts me
Linda x
Parents with Pram Parking Space - BYO KIds by Linda Anderson
in Child Friendly Experiences, A Mum's View
19 Aug 2011 | 10 Comments

I remember after the birth of my first child how joyed I was to discover the existence of "Parents with Prams" parking spaces at major shopping centres and selected supermarkets. Not only did they allow me to park close to the shops but also prevented me driving endlessly in circles looking for a parking spot with a screaming baby in the backseat.

Now with a baby & 3 year old in tow these parking spaces are even more important in my world. They really do make the juggle of kids and shopping bags/trolley manageable.

So one of my pet hates in life are people who use these parking spots who don't have any children with them!!! They seem to fall into a 3 categories:

1. The person who has car seats in the back seat but no actual children with them. Sorry ... but you actually need kids with you to park here!!

2. The person who has children with them but all over the age of 10. Sorry ... kids over 10 don't count as "Parents with Prams"

3. The person who doesn't want to get wet in the rain, has no kids AND no car seats in the car ... oh, and they take the last Parent with Pram parking spot at my local supermarket. Of course, I pull up behind them with 2 children in the car ... in the rain ... but have to park much further away

I would like to see the government introduce a kind of "Citizens Arrest" for people who abuse the use of these parking spots. Perhaps an automatic fine, or even better ... community service whereby you have to come and baby-sit my kids for a total 10 hours if I catch you parking in these spots without "BYO Kids"
Child-Friendly Handbag by Linda Anderson
in Child Friendly Experiences, Helpful Hints
30 May 2011 | 0 Comments

I have always been a really slack Mum when it comes to packing some "entertainment" in my handbag for my toddler when we go out to cafes. I just never seem to think about it until I am actually at the cafe and my toddler is fidgeting and getting bored waiting for her food. No wonder my business mission is to find child-friendly cafes that provide things like a toy basket so I don't HAVE to remember - LOL

I always look at other Mums with envy and amazement as they unpack a seamingly endless supply of entertainment from their tardis like handbags to make cafe outings happier for all.

Here are a few things I wish I would remember to pack in my handbag!

Colouring In - a small packet of crayons or pencils and some blank paper or colouring in book can be a great distractor. However, for my toddler it is a mistake to bring this out early if I want her to eat as she gets so engossed she refuses to put it away when her meal comes. Best hidden until afterwards when she has finished eating but I still want to linger over another coffee

Magnetic Doll - a local cafe has this great wooden box where the lid is magnetised and has a well love picture of a girl on th it. Inside the box are magnetic pieces of clothing you can dress her in ... they are all things like ball gowns, tiaras, gloves etc. My daughter loves playing with this but as there is only one in the cafe it is often unavailable. So I bought online an alternative Magnetic Doll so we could always have one on hand ... however it doesn't come in a box making it harder to transport and keep pieces together, and the "normal" clothing options don't capture my daughters imagination the same way ball gowns and tiaras do! Still, a good idea though.

Mega Bloks - I was recently given a set of Mega Bloks and I really love them. The big chunky pieces make them easy to use, easy to find if dropped and easy to clean if a babycino gets spilled on them! I throw a good handful in a big ziplock bag and take them out with us for some construction time at coffee time.

Stickers - what is it with stickers? My daughter and her friends LOVE them! They just like the endless process of peeling them off a sheet, sticking them on the paper ... then when they are all on the paper she tries to peel them off without ripping sticker or paper so she can do it all over again. Sticker sheets are cheap, light, and small making them excellent handbag material.

What are your favourite things to pack in your handbag to keep your child occupied?

Linda x
Child-Friendly Sydney Weekend by Linda Anderson
in Child Friendly Experiences, Travel with Kids
23 May 2011 | 0 Comments
Recently I headed back to Sydney with my husband an 2 girls (2 yrs old and 5 months old) for a long weekend. It was our first trip "home' since moving to Melbourne in July last year. It was lovely to go back and catch-up with friends and enjoy some Sydney sunshine and to stay in Sydney as a "visitor" needing a child-friendly experience.

This blog is my reflection on what worked (at what didn't) from a child-friendly perspective.

FLIGHTS
I discovered that you can't do online check-in with Jetstar when you are travelling with a baby so we could not have seats allocated until we arrived at Melbourne airport. This in turn meant we could not get 3 seats together when we checked in. Funnily enough this turned out to be very child-friendly ... or at least Mum Sanity Friendly!
I was given a seat on the ailse with my baby ( and 2 people in seats next to me) and my husband and toddler in seats across the aisle from me (with a stranger in the window seat). This meant we were all "together" in terms of conversation and juggling books, toys etc but we each had an extra pair of hands. Hannah, my 2 year old, talked the ears off the man in the window seat and I had a spare pair of hands to hold my baby when needed thanks to the kind man seated next to me. I also didn't have a toddler climbing all over me or poking her sister! I would actually be tempted to book seats like this in future it was so good!!

One thing I did NOT find child-friendly was the new check in your own luggage system used by Qantas (our return flight). Trying to navigate touch screens, stickers, scanning bags with a toddler on the run was a nightmare - even with 2 parents. I dread the day I am travelling alone with 2 kids trying to do this!!

CAR HIRE
We had quite a lot of people to see and things to do whilst in town so hiring a car was the best option for us. It meant we didn't have to fly with car seats and gave us flexibility to come and go as we needed to which is essential when juggling the unpredictability of a baby's sleep pattern.

ACCOMODATION
We rented a 2 bedroom townhouse in Leichhardt as I like self contained places when travelling with kids and the location was close to 80% of the things we were doing over the weekend. Unfortunately the it didn't turn out to be a child-friendly as I would have liked due to:
- A big staircase - normally this wouldnt be a problem but this time they were steep, slippery and wooden and there was no rail for Hannah to hold onto (smooth walls instead). We blocked off the stairs with furniture during the night to minimise the risk of an accident at 3am
- Hannah's bedroom had a big "cut out" section near in the wall next to staircase which meant any lights on would shine into her room, and noise could not be shut out (or in!!) very well making it hard for her to go to sleep or not be woken by the baby (or wake the baby!)
- Flight path ... I had forgotten about this ...
EATING OUT
We had some lovely opportunities to eat out as part of our time with friends ...

TANK Deli Cafe - I was thrilled to have the chance to have a light lunch at TANK Deli Cafe on our way to a 1st Birthday Party in the local area. Don and Beatrice provide a wonderful child-friendly experience and are a favourite cafe in the Mums on the Go directory. The coffee was great, Hannah's babycino with stars on top was a hit and she devoured her vegemite toast. My BLT was melt in your mouth stuff and Geoff enjoyed his yummy TANK gourmet sandwich. The enclosed play area was a good distraction for Hannah while we waited for lunch to arrive.

Celinis - We had a big group catch-up with friends to allow us to see as many people as possible without zipping around town like headless chooks. I struggled to find a child-friendly cafe, that would accept a large group booking and was open on the Sunday I needed. When in doubt I turn to our wonderful facebook community where someone suggested the back room at Celinis. We had 9 adults and 11 children under the age of 5 and this turned out to be the perfect space for us. Tucked out the back it didn't matter how much noise the kids made, there was a open area with a rug that the kids could play on, and the staff were very helpful.

Italian Forum - we took friends out for a celebratory dinner. I forgot to note the name of the restaurant we ate at but they had a highchair, a good kids menu and helpful staff. The quality of the kids meal is reflected in the amount of adult conversation I was actually able to participate in!!

All in all a great weekend away and a good test run our winter break in June where we are heading to north QLD for a week.

Linda x
Is child-friendly hard to find? by Linda Anderson
in Wellbeing for Mums, Child Friendly Experiences
18 Apr 2011 | 0 Comments

I recently decided it was time to get serious about my fitness and jumped online to find a child-friendly personal training group in my area.

In July last year I moved to Melbourne and I live in a suburb that is:
a) very outdoor/fitness orientated ... everyone seems to run, cycle, go to the gym etc
b) full of beautiful parks and the beach ... great for outdoor training
c) and over flowing with small children and therefore Mums who probably want to get fit

I assumed it would be really easy to find something to meet my needs ... I was wrong! I cannot tell you how long I spent trawling Google for suitable businesses. There were so few options in the general area that I quickly reduced the list to zero once I deleted the ones that required me to show up 5 days a week (really? with my kids?); or only trained on the days I have both girls at home; or were walking groups only.

I was so surprised at how hard it was to find a child-friendly fitness option that wasn't about joining the gym and then using their creche facilities. I wonder if there are businesses that exist but don't have an effective online presence or is there a market opportunity waiting to be filled?

So this got me thinking about what other services do Mums REALLY want to use but can't because they cant find a child-friendly option?

Is there something you have searched for but couldn't find?

Linda x
Child-Friendly ... sometimes the little things mean the most by Linda Anderson
in Child Friendly Experiences, A Mum's View
20 Sep 2010 | 0 Comments

I have been in Melbourne for 2 months now ... how time flies! I have been really enjoying exploring the suburbs around where I live and discovering child-friendly businesses ... especially child-friendly cafes. Obviously I have a strong personal need to go out exploring right now but I love knowing that by doing so I am making a start on a Melbourne Directory for Mums on the Go which we want to launch next year.

Recently I had an experience at a cafe that really brought home to me how important the little things are when creating a great child-friendly experience. I had taken my 2 year old to this cafe several times when we first moved to Melbourne as it was right next door to our temporary accommodation. The cafe ticked the Mums on the Go child-friendly criteria by having high-chairs, baby change table and nice kids menu but what really won me over as a Mum was their happiness to make a plain Vegemite sandwich on request ... cut into triangles.

It meant I could go in for lunch/coffee and knew my daughter would eat lunch without needing to take a punt on an item from the kids menu. It made my life easy which I really value.
After several delightful visits to this cafe I sat down at my computer and write a really lovely listing for the cafe to be added to our Melbourne Directory ... making special comment about the lovely staff and their willingness to make a Vegemite sandwich for a fussy toddler.

Only days later we went to this cafe on a weekend with my husband for an early lunch and coffee ... and promised babyccino outing. When the waitress, who had served me frequently, took our order she took a deep breath when I requested a Vegemite sandwich.
"I'm not sure I can do a Vegemite sandwhich for you today" she said ... note a bemused and confused look from me. "I could make them the other days you asked because you were here at times my boss wasn't. My boss has a very strict rule about not making anything that does not appear on the menu. Sorry ... I will ask though".
She returned to our table a minute later having received a terse reply from the manager to confirm there would be no Vegemite sandwich that day.

I looked more closely at the menu and noticed that "toast" was a menu item and "Vegemite" was an option for the spread. Funnily enough this requires the same ingredients as a Vegemite sandwich and more effort as you actually have to toast the bread! When I mentioned this the waitress simply lowered her head and said she understood but still could not bring me a sandwich. So we ordered toast ...
Unfortunately the toast came with cute side dishes of butter and Vegemite which meant my daughter was only interested in the idea of trying spread the toast all by herself. A lot of mess was made and absolutely no toast actually consumed.

In hindsight I wish we had refused to order at all to express our unhappiness with the "no Vegemite sandwich" rule ... but it was raining outside and I didn't want to create tears by breaking my babyccino promise to my daughter. I have vowed to never eat at this cafe again but of course they don't know this.
Naturally I have changed the content of the listing but as this cafe ticks other boxes it will still be listed ... even though I would secretly like to delete it!

I hope that through sites like Mums on the Go and the willingness of parents to stand up and know they have are an ever expanding and profitable market that businesses will take a moment to think a little more about the small details. I am sure the manager of this cafe has no idea what a huge different a simple Vegemite sandwich had in my world and my willingness to return many times to her cafe ...

What are the small details that make a difference for you when you visit a child-friendly business?

Linda x
Child Friendly Melbourne? by Linda Anderson
in Child Friendly Experiences
28 Jun 2010 | 2 Comments
In just over 2 weeks time I will be getting on a plane to Melbourne with my toddler. We are moving to Melbourne for the next 2 years as a result of a work contract for my husband.

On one level I am really looking forward to living in a new city, having new adventures and exploring. On another level I feel a little anxious about moving to a city where I have to start fresh with all my child friendly support structures. Although I have no family in Sydney I have a great network of friends and a great supply of child friendly businesses in my area.

When I get to Melbourne ...
- Will there be child friendly restaurants in our suburb?
- Will I find a good family GP and will they be child-friendly?
- Will I find a good yoga class to support the rest of my pregnancy?
- How will my daughter handle the transition?
- How will I handle the transition?
- How long will it take us to find a home to rent?
So many questions ... no answers until we get there!

At least I know while I am finding my own child friendly support structures I will simultaneously be building the Melbourne directory for Mums on the Go website! If anyone in Melbourne wants to help me get started and give me some great child friendly businesses now please do ... either respond via this blog post or use the Suggestions page.

Now time to go shopping for some extra warm clothes!!

Linda x
A pain in the neck! by Linda Anderson
in Wellbeing for Mums, Child Friendly Experiences
15 Jun 2010 | 0 Comments
A number of Mums have spoken with me recently about the kinds of businesses they look for in the Mums on the Go directory. It seems these fall into categories such as:
- things Mums like doing and enjoy taking their kids/baby along to: cafes, movies etc
- things Mums really want/need to be doing but have found hard to do with children (and so have probably neglected): getting exercise, getting a haircut, clothes shopping etc
However, some things Mums want to do for themselves and they really don't want to take their children along even if it is possible - such as the beautician, hairdresser or medical appointments. I can relate to this and think it is wonderful if Mums can still do these things as "me time".

Recently my neck totally seized up and I was in a lot of pain. My husband was interstate, we have no family in Sydney, all my friends are at work Mon-Fri, and it would still be 3 more days before my toddler had a day in childcare. I waited 24 hours hoping I could sleep it off but when I awoke the next day in even more pain and with even less movement I knew I needed to have it treated ASAP.

Going to the physio would normally be something I would not choose to take a child along to ... if I had the choice I would make an appointment on a day I could go alone. However, there was no choice on this day ... I needed treatment and my toddler would have to come too. Luckily I knew of a physio in the Inner West who was child-friendly thanks to the creation of this site and he had me booked in straight away.

So what was it like having a toddler come along to my physio appointment? The honest answer is ... challenging. The staff and facilities were magnificent and embraced having her there. They had toys, and swiss balls for her to play with and I had brought a stash of her favourite toys, books and snacks. I expected my daughter to play happily and possibly get up to mischief but instead she became distressed at the sight of Mummy lying on a table being touched by a stranger. I found her distress the most challenging part of the experience.

Staff were great at lifting her up to sit with me when she wanted me, helping her down when she didn't and helping distract her when she was upset. I discovered I am very good at singing "Dingle Dangle Scarecrow", with a toddler sitting on my tummy whilst having my neck manipulated ... who would have known!

Having chatted with the physio about the experience I get the feeling that all kids have a different response to being there ... some are happy, some are not, some are happy the next time they come along because it is not new any more.

What did I learn from my experience?
- I would still prefer to go to the physio without a toddler
- I would go again with her though if I had an urgent need
- That I am so happy to know there are businesses who are child-friendly in a time of need
Linda x
Eating Out adventures! by Linda Anderson
in Child Friendly Experiences
17 May 2010 | 0 Comments

I have always had a sense of adventure and a desire to explore. When I travel you will often find me heading down a narrow laneway without a map in hand, hoping I will stumble across something remarkable well away from the mass of tourists.

I have noticed that since becoming a mother I explore less. Since having a child predictable experiences and familiar locations have become of great value. We visit the same handful of playgrounds that I know my daughter likes; we walk the same circuit of footpaths near our house because we know where the cat lives, the dog and the old Italian Man who hands out flowers from his garden; and we have babycino's at the same local cafes because we know what to expect there.

Life with a small child is certainly easier when a level of predictability and routine is involved but I would like to create more sense of exploration in our world.

Last week I decided to embrace exploration when a friend asked to have brunch with us before starting a new job. The launch of our website inspired me to look up a child-friendly café that I had never been to before! It was so easy ... go to the directory search box, select Eating Out, Café, Inner West and viola ... a selection of new cafes to try out!

I was so excited to be venturing off to a new café in a suburb I wouldn't normally bother to drive to. My stress was minimised by knowing the café I was heading to was child-friendly.

The morning was a great success! The food was yummy, my daughter enjoyed her kid sized milkshake, I was able to have quite a good chat with my girlfriend whilst my daughter explored the toys in the play area and the staff were most accommodating. We did seem to annoy one elderly gentleman sitting nearby ... my daughter took to pushing the tiny kiddie chairs from the play area back and forth between the tables which made a scraping noise. Luckily we had arrived before him so I didn't feel too bad ... and we made a quick exit for a playground once we had finished our food.

I have been inspired now to explore more with my daughter. Knowing we have such a great resource at our finger tips now via our website makes it seem easy and fun ... I wonder where we will go this week?

Linda x

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