We love IKEA for a day out with a newborn!
As much of their advertising suggests, they are hugely supportive of family life. They have everything you need to feel at-home on your first adventures out of the house with even the tiniest of tiny babies.
Ok so IKEA isn’t in Huddersfield or Halifax, BUT it’s just a quick run up the M62 and it’s absolutely worth a trip.
This was one of the first places I ventured out to myself in the early days of ‘solo parenting’ – when my partner had gone back to work, and there was yet another ‘record breaking’ heatwave, I went out hunting for places with air conditioning to ensure my teeny tiny baby didn’t overheat. IKEA felt like a safe bet, and combined with the breastfeeding friendly ethos and abundance of changing tables, I felt comfortable despite being a terrified new mum.
The parent and child parking was spacious and easy to find, and crucially it was at shop-level, which means you can breeze straight up to the front door and not need to go in the lift. In summer, it also has the benefit of being shaded (because it’s the middle floor of a multistorey car park) so the car doesn’t get too hot for little ones. Similarly its great for rain, as you’re almost entirely covered on your way into the store from the car park.
We love ikea because not only are there plenty of toilets but they all have a changing table in them – the ladies, mens and disabled toilet all has a changing table, but they also have a standalone baby changing room as well. In the toilets, we found nappy vending machines, stools and child toilet seats, so even with older children you’re covered.
The restaurant offers free tea and coffee to IKEA family members on weekdays, and it’s free to sign up. If you shop at ikea often, you quickly get enough points on your family card to earn various rewards at the restaurant, for example Daim cake for 10p, a 9-piece breakfast for 50p, or an 8-piece meal for 50p.
If you have bigger kids (3-10 years old), you can take advantage of Småland – IKEAs free creche. This is a supervised play area, so you can sign your child in and leave them for up to 60 minutes while you shop (or just go and enjoy a hot drink and a well-earned sit down in the cafe for an hour!).
