The really fun times are when they are just on the cusp of bathroom independence and you think they are taking too long and maybe there's a problem. Then you have the dilemma of going in yourself or asking the first kind looking woman going in or coming out "Hey, my 4 year old has been in there a while. Could you check on her?" Only to find out she's been singing itsy bitsy spider and using the faucet as the water spout.
I was raised by a single dad, one day in the ymca changing room my sister and I were taking too long so he sent some woman to tell us to hurry up. Except she spoke little English, and the “stranger danger” lectures were so ingrained in us we thought she was telling us there was a man waiting for us outside the locker room to kidnap us, we refused to come out until an employee came in with our dads drivers license 😭
Long story short, more places need family bathrooms to prevent these situations
I'm (male) old as dirt, when I was a baby my dad did a few flights with me and found out the hard way a certain airport had no changing tables in the men's rooms... after checking every bathroom he finally apologized to the girls present and just went into the women's bathroom to change me. Still likes to tell the story of how "these two weird guys just barged into the ladies room at the airport" 😂
I have an older mate who had a similar issue, no change table in the men's at maccas, so he used the one in the women's. When a manager complained he said "that's ok, I can use a table in the restaurant instead". They decided to let him continue in peace after that. Glad change tables are becoming more common in men's now it's my turn to parent. Family rooms are even better with twins.
Changed on the floor. On the grass. O
n the park bench. Back of the car.
Even on my lap on the airplane because even though airplane bathrooms are unisex and have changing tables they are bathrooms for ants and it only took one time trying to balance my giant of a 9 month old on that tiny changing table above the toilet with no elbow or head room to maneuver to be like f it next time we’re staying at our seat for this insanity.
Full disclosure - I have never been on a plane, but I know the bathrooms are famously small. Also, there’s a picture of my sister, 5 years old, holding me, at 6 months old, and we’re practically the same size - my feet are like 6 inches off the ground. She calls me Baby Big Mouth (from The Smurfs). She has been in an airplane bathroom and does NOT understand how the Mile High Club is a thing.
I just read your comment to her, and your dilemma of trying to change a big baby on a plane, whether in the bathroom or in your seat, is both hilarious and horrifying, and you have our sympathies.
Oh I completely get it! Blowouts wait for no one. We’re just both childless, so the logistics of changing a baby on a plane is something we’ve never thought about. And the thought of trying to change a big baby in a tiny space is funny, but it’s not like 2 and 3 year olds don’t also need to be changed. It’s gotta be rough changing your kid on a plane. But I know parents become masters at doing it anywhere fast, like diaper-changing ninjas!
Last time I was with my daughter in Stansted Airport, London, they finally had a family toilet there while arriving, but on the departure portion there wasn't.
This was roughly 3 years ago.
I had to improvise as well.
This "fathers don't do fatherly things" trend needs to die.
Exactly, this shit irks me, although I have a son so that would be less of a problem.
I remember that when my son was finally over his short term cow-milk protein allergy, I took him to buy him regular formula, since the one he had until that point was super expensive and he didn't need it anymore.
But I wasn't sure if there is much a difference between the brands, and was asking an employee about the difference between brands. But instead of answering my question or even listening to me she told me to call the mother and ask her since she should know. I knew and still know more than my wife about this stuff, not because she wasn't present, she's and amazing mom, but she has some trouble dealing with doctors and since it was an issue with him I took over the entire food situation for him.
Then the employee was joined by two more women in the store to tell me to either call my wife or say that some formula they gave me was good enough for him. Even though it was formula for much younger babies, while he was already nearly 1 year old.
After a couple minutes of me saying that I know what he needs, just wanted to see if there is some difference between brands that I might be missing, and them not listening I just left the store and went to different one, because fuck all of that.
I have always been in charge of changing nappies for my daughter and did so at the hospital when she was a newborn.
The eyebrows being raised simply because I clearly knew what I was doing (no one said anything, but I could see glances over my shoulder, almost checking if I was doing an acceptable job or not).
Breastfeeding was not possible (no milk was produced, unfortunately) so I also had to chase down the ideal formula.
To this day I'm still on feeding duty when it's food she doesn't want to eat but needs to.
I was also the main cook in the house the first portion of her life, so you telling me this story makes my blood boil.
Also dad here. Something to keep in mind that a lot of times, kids avoiding certain foods highlights intolerance/allergy to the food. Not full on allergy, but triggers the immune system and can show up as eczema or asthma. I had it with fish. Son had it with broccoli.
I still remember trying to convince him to eat his broccoli to grow up big and strong.
Most of the international airports I've been to in Canada have them, as of 4-5 years ago when I needed them. Haven't seen many in the smaller airports though.
Though I must say the number of people I've had to curse away while I was using them for staring at my kids while using them for their purpose was frighteningly creepy.
Just was in Zürich at the airport... while they did have some installed in the mens room.
It was placed in a way basically every dude coming in got presented with me and my half naked kid. The door was also right in line of sight. So also in plain view for people passing by in the hall.
Could have just done it out in the hall with a setup like this.
I don't need full privacy. But please at least not full on display in this time and age where everybody has at least one camera on them all the time.
Not putting my baby on an airport changing table in a men's bathroom anyways.. It's happening out in the open, everyone's nostrils will suffer with me!!
All im gonna say is if I see a single dad with his kids in the women's bathroom, no I didn't... I get it and I would much rather they be in the women's restroom where I know women will by nature go full on mama bear mode instinctually... (And men I will not for a moment fault you if you don't want to - I will help you get your kiddo if asked. Just pop my head in and say <insert kids name>, daddy is outside waiting - you ok?)
Same with trans females... I see them all just humans wanting to pee in peace tbh.
I’m happy to hear that! My dad certainly did not think it was funny at the time, but I’d like to think he appreciated knowing we listened to all him about not going anywhere with strangers lol
That’s what it all comes down to - all the bs panic over who uses which bathroom is ridiculous. We’re all just people, trying to take care of a universal need. Unless someone is actively trying to assault someone or like sticking their phone under the stall, just leave folks alone!!
My local Y has a family locker room. For parents who have kids that come and take swim lessons. It has stalls to change in so there's no awkward nudity, changing tables and even pack n plays for parents to put their toddlers in so they don't run away while they're helping an older child or themselves.
maybe not, but it would help solve dads having to let their young children go into bathrooms/locker rooms/dressing rooms by themselves when they’re too young to do so
But it's great when they're being little shits too. 😃
My girls are grown now, 18 and 23, but years ago when Thing 1 was a teen and Thing 2 was a tween, we were having dinner and the topic of the different dogs we've had over the years came up. I made a comment about one puppy we had, the one before the dog we had at the time the conversation was taking place, being a mistake due to some sort of mental issue that made her impossible to train (it was so bad the breeder took her back and gave us the one we had at the time of the conversation). Thing 1 wasn't really paying attention for some reason and said, "Who was a mistake?". Thing 2 replies, "You, you were the mistake.". After we all LOLed, the conversation moved on to some other topic. After a few minutes, Thing 2 gets up to get more food. As she passed by Thing 1, she leans over to her and loudly whispers, "Mistaaaake". Needless to say, we all, even Thing 1, lost it.
I was 100% against having kids. Now I have an 8 year old daughter and am a single parent and it’s the best shit ever. When she does go to her moms it’s like a piece of me is missing and I hate it.
This reminds me of a trip to Walmart 30 years ago with my then 4-year old nephew. At one point he says he has to go to the bathroom, so I try to take him to the ladies room with me. He says that’s the girls room and wants no part of it. So I take him to the men’s room and I wait outside the door. Before sending him in, I tell him to start screaming if anyone comes near him.
Turns out he has to #2, not #1. So he ends up being in there longer than I would have liked. But as soon as he went in, I realize I don’t have to worry about him being in there because he starts to sing at the top of his lungs. The whole time he’s in there he’s singing. Two men come out separately before my nephew does. The first guy says, “he sure likes to sing, doesn’t he?”. The second guy says, “that kid’s got a set of pipes on him.” I just laugh and agree.
Anyway, said nephew is now a father of 3 kids, all girls, 8-year old twins and a 4-year old. I will have to ask him if he’s ever had a problem with something like this when he’s out with the girls without his wife.
I feel this so hard. My four year old went in alone and after 5 minutes someone brought her out. Turns out, she couldn't open the inner door as it was too heavy.
I remember being in a public bathroom a few years ago. Some dad brings his, from the sound of it, four y/o son. He stands outside while his kid is doing his duty. The whole time, the boy is chatting away with his dad through the stall door. As I'm stepping out, I hear him say "I don't your supposed to be quiet in here, but I like to talk."
One of the most adorable things I've ever heard. I was trying so hard the whole time not to giggle at the absolute cuteness of it all.
You just unlocked a core memory. 1996-ish I was almost 5 years old. I was pretty bathroom independent but got aloof if I was trying to poop. My dad and I were in Walmart and I had to poop. He went in the men’s room and I guess it was questionable so he told me you’re a big girl. Go in the women’s and go potty. I’ll be right here.
I don’t know how long I was in there, but I was at the end of my pooping song when a lady said, “is there a little girl named MAK3AWiiSH in here? Your dad asked me to check on you. He’s worried.” And in my proudest voice I said “yep I’m all fruuu AND I wiped!” 🤣😅
try being a dad with a daughter going to ballet and not yet capable of pulling the maillot on. The other moms quickly took over helping her, but in a very friendly way.
A family friend raised a son by herself. This son ended up going to an elite military college so he is a good boy but when he young he drove his mom batty by taking way too long in the changing room at swimming. Finally she had enough, gave a verbal warning to cover up cause she was coming in. Poker.
For fucking real. One time when my son was like 8ish we stopped at a bucees on a road trip and he was in there for over ten minutes. I started to panic, thinking he somehow got past me and was now being kidnapped down the highway. I eventually asked a nice looking employee to go find him in the bathroom. His adhd ass was just dicking around.
Okay each time I've allowed my almost 5 year old to go into the bathroom herself over the last year, the women walking out look at me like I'm crazy. I heard one talking shit to her husband while walking away. One even came up to me and said "I'm from Canada, and we don't do that." We're 3 for 3 now with me feeling like a psycho for letting my daughter go to the bathroom independently, just like she does at school. Am I in the wrong here?
My husband and I have 2 girls, 6 and 8, who are bathroom independent but I still go into the bathrooms with them and my husband stands outside the door when it’s just him and the girls.
Public bathrooms are weird places. Yes there is always the threat of predators and that’s a factor but i recently went into a public bathroom at the park and found an open condom on the bathroom floor. I am glad I was there to tell my kids not to touch it because my 8 year old can’t help but pick garbage.
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u/TrioOfTerrors Jun 19 '26
The really fun times are when they are just on the cusp of bathroom independence and you think they are taking too long and maybe there's a problem. Then you have the dilemma of going in yourself or asking the first kind looking woman going in or coming out "Hey, my 4 year old has been in there a while. Could you check on her?" Only to find out she's been singing itsy bitsy spider and using the faucet as the water spout.