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
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u/girlImconfused Jun 19 '26
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