This Thing Holds Your Baby While You Pee
Japan, how are you so smart? When I was in Tokyo last week with a few other Lifehacker team members, I went to the toilet at the mall. There was a thing inside the stall that, like the mother of a baby, almost made me cry (jet lag and hormones, man). It was a seat to hold your baby. Um, well done . Which new parent hasn’t tried to shove a ridiculously large stroller into a tiny stall only to end up picking up the wriggling baby and holding him back while he goes about his business (or, God forbid, put him on the ground)? This device gives you the freedom to go in peace.
I have seen many other examples of Tokyo meeting parenting needs. At the same mall, moms and dads can rent a stroller for about a dollar. This makes sense in a densely populated city, where it is not easy to take the subway with you, go up and down the stairs.
Inside Narita International Airport there are baby feeding rooms with changing tables and purified hot water dispensers for formula preparation. I was expressing breast milk in one of these rooms and it was very comfortable.
While in Tokyo, I also noticed baby sinks, mini shopping carts, and other amenities in the marketplace that probably seem common to residents. As an American mom, I appreciated the effort. This kind of mindfulness is essential.