When it comes to parenting, there’s a bit of an outdated stereotype that moms do everything—from feeding to bathing and of course changing diapers. And sometimes, sure, that may be true for moms. But what about dads? Are they just always the breadwinner, and not capable of changing their own child’s diaper?
Of course not! In some families, the dad might change just as many diapers as Mom does. And what about single dads? After all, there were 2.6 million households led by a single father in 2011, a huge increase from 1960 when that number was fewer than 300,000, according to data from Pew.
It turns out, we’re still thinking like the 1960s—especially when it comes to men’s restrooms. Women might not notice this since there’s a changing table in most female restrooms—but they’re often missing from men’s.
One 31-year-old father named Dante Palmer, who has three sons, became fed up with this faux pas when he went to change his youngest’s diaper in a men’s restroom and realized, once again, there was no changing table.
Dante was forced to think of some creative way to get his son’s diaper changed. After all, he couldn’t let his son sit in a dirty diaper! So he did all he could think of: He squatted down on his heels and laid his one-year-old over his legs.
Dante’s 12-year-old son was in the bathroom with him to assist him with handing him a new diaper and wipes as his dad squatted in this position. The son also snapped a photo of his dad in the position.
After realizing this was a common problem, and that other dads might be facing it too, Dante decided to post the photo and Instagram and vent about the issue. He wrote:
“This is a serious post!!! What’s the deal with not having changing tables in men’s bathroom as if we don’t exist!! #FLM #fatherslivesmatter clearly we do this often because look how comfortable my son is. It’s routine to him!!!! Let’s fix this problem! Let’s show the innovation of fathers! #squatforchange”
The photo received over 7,000 likes and hundreds of comments in support of his words. Other men have also shared their own photos of them in a squatted position in a public restroom changing their child’s diapers, using Palmer’s hashtag #squatforchange.
Even a woman posted a photo of herself squatting next to a changing table with her child, expressing her desire for change for men.
“This mother said ‘Fathers have been coming up with innovative ways for task that are made easy for us mothers. So I #SquatForChange even though I have the luxury of having a changing table to use” #squatforchange #fatherslivesmatter #equality I love the support from the Mothers!!!” she wrote.
As a dad, have you ever experienced the no-changing-room debacle? Have you ever squatted to change a diaper, or come up with another way to change your baby? Share your photo with the hashtag @squatforchange on social media to help support dads and make this necessary change (no pun intended)!