Is Edinburgh friendly to the under-5s?

In a city which prides itself on being cosmopolitan and welcoming to all and sundry, it has seemed at times that those who haven't yet made it past their fifth birthday have been bearing the brunt of some of the tough decision-making by those for whom childhood is but a distant memory.

Which is why the time has never been better for the re-emergence of the previously popular guidebook Edinburgh for Under Fives, compiled by a collective of volunteers which scours the city from end to end looking for places which are positively welcoming to parents with pushchairs and who turn a blind eye to tots who throw a tantrum.

The book was first printed as a pamphlet in 1987 when a group of mothers involved with the National Childbirth Trust in Edinburgh wanted to put together a guide for parents who still wanted to get out and about in the city - and know where it was possible to change a nappy.

It was such a success it was reprinted the same year, and since then was expanded and updated every two years.

However, the last edition was out in 2007 and with so many changes in the city, the latest tome now has 364 pages packed with advice about where to shop, to eat, to have fun and how to get there with a buggy. It's also packed with information about toddlers' groups, playgroups, nurseries, babysitters and health care.

As one of the original volunteers, Kathy McGlew, now a grandmother, says, the book is "an invaluable resource".

The 67-year-old, who is originally from Massachusetts but moved to Edinburgh in the 1970s, has seen the city change dramatically in that time in its attitude towards young children. She had all three of her children (Katie, now 36, John, 33, and Charles, 31) in Edinburgh.

"Certainly when I arrived in 1970 there was still an attitude in Edinburgh that children should be seen and not heard and so I think parents were put off even thinking about going out to restaurants or galleries with small children. If you travelled at all even then, you knew it was so different from places like Spain where you could take children anywhere and people would be all over them.

"Then there was the fact that you didn't have collapsible buggies like you do now, just these huge prams, so you would have to walk everywhere, and there was an assumption that you would stay in your own neighbourhood. There was, perhaps, less need to travel for shopping then as well as you would have local shops within walking distance. But all that has changed now too so parents do have to be mobile."

She adds: "And, of course, there wasn't the nursery provision there is now. Women were not going out to work in great numbers then so there weren't the childcare facilities there are today."

Kathy, a retired breastfeeding counsellor with the NCT, lives in Stockbridge with her husband Tom, a retired university lecturer and they have two granddaughters (their daughter Katie's children) Helen and Ruth King.

"Helen is on the front cover of the book, though she was only one when it was taken so I'm not sure she'll recognise herself as she's two-and-a-half now. It will certainly be nice for her when she is older, though.

"All of my three children benefited from the book when it first came out - it became part of our weekends - and Katie obviously uses it now for her own children. But as grandparents we use it too, and I think it's an invaluable resource, especially for those who don't have access to the internet and sites like Netmums. If you are new to the city, if you are a new parent, it makes you see Edinburgh in a totally different way.

"It's full of practical advice, such as "you'll never get a double buggy in there" and while we don't write negative things, if a place is definitely not child-friendly, either because it says so explicitly or through our research experience, then we just leave it out the book.

"I believe it is good to have it as an actual book - something you can throw in the car for a day out or read in bed. There is definitely room for a book like this in people's lives - it gives them great ideas and lets them know about things they wouldn't even want to know until they have a child."

Indeed, why else would you need to know that stores put their children's shoes in basements or on first floors so there's no easy access to the outside world when tots are asked to take a walk when trying on their new shoes; that many large department stores offer rooms for breastfeeding as well as nappy changing; that as well as high-chairs and kids' menus many cafes and restaurants will allow you to warm up milk and baby food; or that while Harvey Nichols has great window displays for kids, going inside is another matter altogether as it's a "toddler's dream of shiny, feathery, sleek (and expensive) things to grab at".

Kathy adds: "Edinburgh is certainly a better place for children nowadays than it was in the 1970s, there's much more out there for children and parents. All these music, language, and art classes catering for young children has helped the economy of the city to some extent. That shouldn't be forgotten when hard decisions are being made about cuts. It's all too easy for a room full of adults to cut children's services, especially if there's a lack of respect for parents of young children.

"All the to-do about getting pushchairs on buses was a case in point, though thankfully that's been resolved. It's such a great thing to be able to wheel a pram on a bus, it changes the lives of so many young mothers."

Of course the whole process is never-ending, and research for the 13th edition begins in January. "Putting the book together is a lot of work," adds Kathy, "but great fun. Without a doubt I would encourage people to get involved."

Edinburgh For Under Fives, priced 7.95, is available at Waterstone's and other good bookstores. It can also be purchased on Edinburgh For Under Fives website, visit www.efuf.co.uk. Funds raised by sales are used to finance future editions and to support the work of the local NCT.

GIVE US A HAND

ACCORDING to Edinburgh For Under Fives, it is only once you attempt to negotiate life with a pram that you realise how tricky it can be to get anywhere without assistance. Which is why it would like more businesses to improve access arrangements or even just have a member of staff happy to help open a door or lift a pram up stairs.

Similarly, when eating out, the group says parents would like highchairs that don't need cleaning before their child can be seated in them. A few stackable chairs, easily obtainable at little cost from budget furniture shops don't take up much space and will save parents having to outwit each other in the attempt to nab the only one.

The volunteers who compile the book have reached the conclusion that not everyone seems to appreciate that changing a nappy requires a clean flat area - and that doesn't mean the floor. A nappy bin and handy access to a sink with soap etc to clean up afterwards would be good too.

On the subject of feeding, it is now the law that mothers can breastfeed in public. However, many do appreciate it when businesses have created specific private areas for nursing mothers. Once babies start on proper food, it is a huge help if there are facilities for heating up baby food.

Parking can be an issue, so it's helpful to have parent and child spaces. And please don't park in them if you don't have a young child with you.

Even if you cannot offer some of the above, parents appreciate a friendly face and an enthusiasm for children and for families getting together and having fun.