Mom explains why there is a need for more public places that are accessible to children

Parents often encounter challenges when visiting public places that are not designed to be child-friendly. These spaces can pose difficulties for parents who strive to provide a comfortable and safe environment for their children. Author and therapist KC Davis—who goes by @domesticblisters on TikTok— pointed out in a viral video that the world doesn't often cater to kids. She posed a question as to why are they expected to behave and be "upright citizens" once they grow up.

She starts the video by narrating what happened in a public pool with her children which also has a specific toddler pool. “They met some other kids and they played for like two hours and I sat on the side with my feet in, and I engaged with them and talked to them, but mostly I just watched them play and I was there when they needed me,” she says in the video. They went to a restaurant nearby which has a playground and her children played with other kids, ate at the table and then later she came home with them. 

Davis explains, “This whole day, they were calm, regulated, happy kids. They were stimulated enough. They were in environments that were accessible to them. They were having social connections and they were happy and not being nuts and I was getting enough space to feel regulated and patient and engaged with them." 

She goes on to talk the stress that parents face while taking their children in public. “It really made me realize that so much of our struggles as parents, feeling like we're bad parents, feeling like we're irritated, irritable, like we're impatient, like, you know, we're touched out, we're over-simulated, like so much of that we are made to feel as though that is a failing on our part, that we're not good enough parents when really it's a failing on society's part.”

Davis states that there are not enough "third places" for children. “There are no spaces that are accessible to children, and when we talk about accessibility for children, it's always centered around really just accessibility for the parent,” she adds. She mentions that even "kid-friendly" spaces like toddler pools or libraries are also not accessible to children. She gives an example of her daughter. “My daughter walks into the bathroom and says, 'Why are there no small potties here? Why can't I reach the sink and wash my hands?’ And it's really unfortunate because children deserve accessibility," she adds.

Davis says that then when they grow up we wonder why they are not responsible and respectful. "Well, we never treated them like they were true citizens of our community, and then we expect them to just you know upon 18 start acting like upstanding citizens."

She concludes the video by making an important point, "Children deserve accessibility. Children deserve to be in public. Children deserve third spaces and we would be better parents if they had it and they'd be happier kids if they had it and we'd be a better society if we had that."

The video has about 113k views on TikTok and it is captioned, "Parents and children are not meant to have only each other to meet their needs." Many parents supported Davis's idea of having more child-friendly spaces. @lazybex commented, "Childfree person here. CF ppl complain about a lack of child-free spaces but we need more child-oriented spaces to make better citizens!" @patxilopez43 wrote, "That’s how life is set up in Spain. Playgrounds with cafes everywhere." @staceydelaney4 expressed, "So smart and introspective! I love your mind. Advocate for everyone!"