Cresta creates an oasis for parents

Cresta Shopping Centre officially unveiled its family room facilities situated within the food court – a proclaimed oasis for parents with young children.

The new family room offers parents a place where they can attend to their babies and youngsters in a safe, controlled and sanitary environment. The facilities include three feeding and changing stations which have breastfeeding rockers; a kitchenette to warm up baby bottles and prepare food; lockers for valuables; a play area; a family bathroom and an area specifically designated to ‘park’ trolleys and prams.

Parents are required to register at a reception desk before entering the family room, so the facilities are controlled and always secure. The use of the facilities are free, but are limited to 45 minutes per visit.

Media were invited to a breakfast and tour of the family room before a talk was presented by author and parenting expert, Nikki Bush, who applauded Cresta for creating such a space for families.

Bush explained that a shopping centre could be a sensory overload for a family with young children and the family room provided a safe haven to ‘bring oneself towards oneself’.

She further shared that when she had small children it was difficult as a mother to want to constantly keep an eye on her children in the bathroom and she recalled leaving their prams outside the bathroom stall and leaving the door open, but now those were problems of the past.

A mother in attendance for the launch, Sjaneen Pretorius said, ” I love it. They have thought about everything, especially cleanliness.I normally have to balance on the toilet seat while I breastfeed because I’m a shy mom and I like my privacy.”