An undated photo shows a father-and-baby room. (Photo/Jingshi Live)

Chongqing - For many fathers, taking their children out alone can be stressful, especially when it comes to simple yet necessary tasks like changing diapers or helping a toddler use the restroom. This situation is changing.

In the past, some public facilities in China posed difficulties—many baby-care rooms were marked with signs saying "No Men Allowed," barring fathers from entry. Even where men were not explicitly prohibited, the layout of these "mother-and-baby rooms" often catered mainly to mothers, leaving fathers with limited options.

Recently, a post on the country's social media about one of Beijing's shopping malls upgrading its "mother-and-baby room" into a gender-inclusive parenting room drew widespread attention. The space, which has been redesigned to strike a balance between privacy and practicality, can now be used by both mothers and fathers.

The upgraded space at the shopping mall includes automatic doors and curtains that divide the breastfeeding area from the diaper-changing zone. The renovation was completed this summer. The employee noted that while the changes have sparked debate, the mall will continue to monitor user feedback and adjust facilities as needed.

Huiduo Mall has introduced a father-and-baby room in response to customer demand. Mall staff explained that traditional mother-and-baby rooms were not always convenient for fathers with children. The mall continues to provide multiple mother-and-baby rooms for mothers and said it would carefully consider reasonable suggestions from visitors.

Similar facilities—sometimes called "father-and-baby rooms" or upgraded parenting rooms—have also been reported in malls in Shanghai and Shenzhen. They typically include changing tables, seating, and other necessary amenities, providing space for fathers to care for children while preserving private nursing areas for mothers.

The move has been widely praised online. In Chongqing, Zheng Chunhua, father of a four-year-old boy, recalled that family outings usually involved more than one adult when his child was younger. In those situations, a female companion could take the child to a mother-and-baby room for tasks such as diaper changes.

He added that since many facilities he had visited did not display "No Men Allowed" signs, he was also able to enter and assist. Still, he said the addition of father-and-baby rooms is a welcome improvement that enhances public services.

Father-and-baby rooms are essential for Huo, a father of a little daughter. He told media outlet CNR Voice of China that in the past, mall visits often became awkward when his child needed to change clothes or pants—neither the mother-and-baby room nor the men's restroom was suitable. Given the limits of public space, he said, it's important to find practical ways to make things easier for parents.

Luo Wei, deputy director and associate researcher of the Institute of Law and Sociology at the Chongqing Academy of Social Sciences, told Bridging News that co-parenting has increasingly become both a social consensus and a practical reality. "The shift from mother-and-baby rooms to father-and-baby or parenting rooms reflects how businesses are adapting to changes in family childcare practices and attitudes," he said.

According to Luo, such changes in public spaces help blur traditional gender divisions and set a positive example for shared parenting at home, supporting further adjustments in family roles.

"At the same time, it also represents a commercial strategy—successful practices naturally encourage imitation, so facilities and services will keep improving. The government can further support these efforts by raising public awareness and fostering an enabling environment," Luo noted.