Some mothers in Japan are discovering the perfect place to take their screaming babies - karaoke rooms.
For exhausted parents who find that the number of places they can take their hyperactive toddlers to play is extremely limited, the idea of the karaoke room now seems obvious. Why didn’t anyone think of this before?
Most public venues and their customers frown on a screaming child running around causing havoc. Inner-city parks are fine until the weather becomes too hot and humid and the mosquitoes come out.
And so three mothers decided to try out the new idea on a recent Friday night, and headed to a karaoke place on Dogenzaka in Shibuya.
The staff never batted an eye when we arrived with babies and buggies, even offering to store the buggies in the back while we made our way to a room.
We handed the babies tambourines, and one mother launched into a rendition of a Walt Disney track, much to the babies’ fascination.
Soon all three moms were singing Madonna songs and then Bjork - which was a big hit with the toddlers. One was shaking a tambourine, a second is frantically pressing the buttons on the track machine, and a third is standing on the red-leather bench with arms waving in the air.
The best part was that the children could get as loud or wild as they wanted, and no one cared.
Soon the staff informed us our hour was up, and we packed up babies and debris and left, judging the mission a success. It was great Friday night fun out with the babies. Image/
