What do you want to see in shopping centres?

I have a question! My DH is involved in management at a huge shopping centre. He asked me this morning "what would you like to see in the centre that isn't there? Like, what have you seen in other places that was awesome?" And I had a mind blank..........

Then I said "I know who will have an opinion!!!" And I came straight on here wink

So ladies, what have you seen in shopping centres- any furniture/decoration/practical thing/ mothers room extra/ etc that you thought "Wow- that is an awesome idea".

If it's something a bit weird if you could post a picture that would be super smile

An kids play area near a food court. There is one outside the food court at my local shopping centre. It's nothing big just a few things on the wall and small toad stool type things for kids to play around on. No swings or climbing things. Means you can sit outside and relax for abut and the kids can have a bit of fun. smile

Also. Toilets that can take a pram. The mothers rooms are always busy and usually only have 1 toilet. With a busting toddler and a baby its hard to make them hold on.

Little Miss's wrote:
Also. Toilets that can take a pram. The mothers rooms are always busy and usually only have 1 toilet. With a busting toddler and a baby its hard to make them hold on.

I agree with this.

I agree with the play area thing - I've seen one in Geelong, and it's great, gives the kids some fun in between shopping, i would love to see one in one of the shopping centres where I live.

Also agree with toilets suitable for mums with prams - one outside of the mothers/baby room. I've often had to use the disabled toilets, and I just don't feel right doing that.

I'd also like to see LESS of those merry go round/wiggles cars type things that cost $2 to go on - if you don't have any cash on you and your kids see one (and know what it does), it starts all kinds of whinging that you just don't have the time or sanity for!

Where I live there is a mall that has a toilet cubical for mum and child, so there is a big toilet and a small toilet and plenty of room for a pushchair. There is one in the parents room and also one in the ladies toilets.... it is great when you are in town with little people. I can fit in one with a pushchair and all three kids so then I know that everyone is safe and everyone is able to get help with toileting too.

I'm heavily pregnant and every time I go to the local Westfield, there isnt enough seating between the shops.

BellyDancingDanni wrote:
Where I live there is a mall that has a toilet cubical for mum and child, so there is a big toilet and a small toilet and plenty of room for a pushchair. There is one in the parents room and also one in the ladies toilets.... it is great when you are in town with little people. I can fit in one with a pushchair and all three kids so then I know that everyone is safe and everyone is able to get help with toileting too.

I like that idea.

I also like the idea of the playground near the food court. At my local Westfield, there is free play ground but it isnt anywhere near the food court.

Little Miss's wrote:
Also. Toilets that can take a pram. The mothers rooms are always busy and usually only have 1 toilet. With a busting toddler and a baby its hard to make them hold on.

Totally agree on the toilet comments. I have a double pram with the twins and have no choice other than to use the diabled as the doors are not wide enough for the pram in the normal toilets and I cant leave the kids outisde if I need to go. Even in the normal toilets have a toddler toilet so you don't have to go into the parents room if your kids are toilet trained and you don't need any of the other facilities in the parents room. I have see some in a newer shppoing centre near me with the adult and toddler toilets in the main male and female toilets. Yes my hubby tell me they have them as well. Great for the weekends when we are shopping as hubby can take at least on in as well. I'm not fussed with the playgrounds as we tend to get in and out as quick as we can and then if we have time go to the park on the way home. Only other thing is to make sure that all the facilities are working in the parents room etc. I know a shopping centre where they had heaps of parents rooms but no facilities to heat bottles etc. They always claimed that peopple kept braking them but they didnt even have a microwave or bottle warmer. Been a few times and the situation never changed.

Thanks for asking for our views. I sometimes think that men design these things and really have not thought about what us mum go thru when out witht he kids. It's not always fun smile smile smile smile smile

our local shops have a play area in areas where the corridors opens up wider so it becomes sort of an "island" in the walk way (shops on either side are sort of recessed back so at that point the corridor is more of a square shape rather than a rectangle). The playground is fenced on 3 sides with netting and has down the soft rubber tiles. there's normally a two level play area with netting to walk over, bumps/rollers to go over/under/between, a slide, things to squeeze past on the top level and underneath is normally a little cubby type place with things hanging down from the "ceiling", blocks to climb over etc. Around the edge on the fence they have things where the kids push marbles around the tracks, naughts and crosses game, funny mirrors (the ones that make your body look squished or stretched etc). Then there's a stand alone mini slide for the little kids and a car or something for the kids to sit in and "drive". Seats are set up at the open side of the fence for parents to sit down while the kids play. Makes a nice spot for the kids to use as a break from shopping and gives me a chance to sit down for a couple of minutes.

In the parent's rooms near me they almost all have the fenced play area for older kids to use - normally just have a play activity thing on the wall, a ikea type plastic table and chairs and a beanbag type thing but it gives me some security for DD while I'm dealing with DS. One that I really love has some feeding "rooms" (the ones with a chair, little table and a curtain for the 'door') set up inside the play area which was really helpful when DS was feeding frequently. There are also feeding rooms outside the play area for those who don't have older kids but I loved that DD could be playing in there and I had a fairly easy view to her so I could still keep an eye on her. A lot of the others just have the feeding rooms separate to the play area so I wasn't comfortable using the little rooms because I couldn't see DD so I'd end up just feeding DS on a seat out in the main room so I could keep an eye on DD.

Leisa.

i agree with all of the above ^^^ smile the parent/toddler toilets are great with a little dunny for little bums..BUT i think they should have more then one..even just 2 would be great. i feel terrible when theres a bit of a line up and my TT DS decides he wants to sit there for ages before finally going when there people outside..you just cant force a toddler to pee roll eyes

more bench seating in the walkways for sure.

definately LESS of those stupid $2 a go things or if they have to be there please take them out of the middle of the entrance to the main shops like coles/ woolies put them somewhere off to the side so im not forced to drag my kids past them.

more cusioned bench tyoe seating in food courts, so much comfyer if you have to bf and alot better fot littles who can fall out of those stupid bolted to the floor numbers

Lanes.

So sick of people just stopping to day dream in the middle of heavy traffic.

Just like a road, a shop needs to have over taking lanes and parks. I swear to god I will ram the next person who suddenly stops in front of the pram. NO SYMPATHY.

Oh, and shops that have clutter everywhere have got to stop! How on earth am I supposed to navigate a pram through shops like 'general trader'? or even just simple clothing stores?

Lol smile

And they could fit you with blinkers and brake lights as you enter the shopping centre? wink

Or maybe they could just have "talkers sections" like smokers sections in bars. And if you want to have a conversation you must go to the fenced area. No stopping mid shop!!!!