Few parenting stereotypes are as established as the father who can't change his baby's diaper. In fact, it has penetrated society so deeply that many don't think men are even capable of pulling this off. But contrary to popular belief, babies poop no matter who is watching them.
Recently, when Reddit user RocksAndHardPlaces1 brought his son to a store, the little guy did his dirty business, so the dad went to the men's restroom to take care of it, however, he found no facilities that would have allowed him to do so.
The man then learned from the staff that the women's restroom had a changing table. It was either that or the floor, so the decision was a no-brainer.
Only, some female shoppers weren't happy to see him there.
This dad had to go to the lady restroom to change his son's diaper
Image credits: Helena Lopes (not the actual photo)
And he got into a very heated argument with a woman there
Image credits: @babychangenola (not the actual photo)
This story is an excellent reminder that fatherhood in America is changing.
Dads who live with their children are taking a more active role in caring for them and helping around the house, and the number of single fathers has grown significantly in recent decades too.
According to the Pew Research Center, the percentage of men who are stay-at-home dads rose from 4% in 1989 to 7% in 2016. As a result, dads made up 17% of all stay-at-home parents in 2016, up from 10% in 1989.
Among millennials (those aged 20 to 35 in 2016), 6% of dads were at home with their kids. For comparison, just 3% of Gen X dads were at home with their kids when they were the same age.
After the story blew up, the man provided more information in the comment section
Moreover, dads are just as likely as moms to say that parenting is extremely important to their identity—some 57% of fathers believed this to be true in 2015, compared with 58% of mothers.
Like moms, many dads also seem to appreciate the benefits of parenthood: 54% reported that raising a child is rewarding all of the time, as did 52% of moms. Meanwhile, 46% of fathers and 41% of mothers said they find parenting enjoyable all of the time.
Furthermore, a sizable minority of childless men (44% of those 18 to 49) hope to become fathers at some point in their lives (and another 35% are still unsure if they want to become parents).
Dads are stepping up for their kids and we should respect that. Not yell at them if they break some trivial customs along the way.
People thought he had every right to take care of his child
