Father Explains Why He Always Takes His Daughters To The Women’s Bathroom
Any parent knows the struggles of being out in public with young children when suddenly you need to change their diaper. While women usually have change tables in their bathrooms, men aren't so lucky.
Now one father and proud "girl dad" is explaining why when it comes to his daughters needing to use the bathroom, men's bathrooms are out of the question.
Nature Calls
With women as the traditional caregivers of children, changing tables are a staple in any public women's bathroom. But for men who are taking care of their children and suddenly nature calls, the options for which bathroom to bring their children to are limited.
There have recently been calls for the addition of change tables in men's bathrooms, but one father on Instagram illustrated the reality for dads.
The Instagram Post
Muhammed Nitoto, also known as @chroniclesofdaddy on Instagram, is a father and content creator who tells stories of being a dad to his two young daughters, Zendaya and Zuri. Recently, Nitoto received attention for a post in which he says that when out in public, he always takes his daughters to use the women's bathroom.
"As a dad being out with daughters I never thought the bathroom would become as big [an] issue as it is," he writes.
Problematic Bathrooms
In his post, Muhammed explains that his first choice when out in public is a family-friendly bathroom, but these types of facilities can sometimes be difficult to come by. If none were in sight, Muhammed would be left with a difficult decision.
"What I found was most places don't have them and Dads are left to decide between taking their daughters to the men's bathroom or the women's," he writes.
Men's Bathrooms
The first time he was confronted with this problem, Muhammed did what any other dad would do and took his young daughter to the men's bathroom. He's used a public men's washroom countless times, but when he walked in there holding his daughter, he explains that "you look at it completely different."
"Men's bathrooms are DISGUSTING," he writes. "They smell like pee and nothing is set up for a woman or a person with a child."
Never Again
Muhammed explains that the changing table was right next to the urinal which meant that his child, whose diaper he was changing, was beside men who were urinating. He was also uncomfortable with the fact that men were repeatedly coming in and out of the bathroom and he and his daughter had no privacy.
"After doing that 1 time I decided I'd never take my daughters to the men's bathroom again."
Women's Bathrooms
From there on out, he would only bring his daughters to women's bathrooms. As they are young and wear diapers or need help, Muhammed needs to join them. While this might catch some women off guard, he tries to "be as respectful to women as [he] can."
Before entering the women's bathroom, he announces that he's entering with his child and makes sure that any woman who's there is comfortable. If he's inside a stall and hears someone enter, he once again announces his presence.
A Better Option
Muhammed's reasoning is simple. He says women's bathrooms are much cleaner and they're equipped for children, including a changing table that's hidden in a stall and not out in the open.
In an interview with Today, he said that he's never had an issue. There was once a woman who asked him to wait outside until she was done but then offered to guard the bathroom while he and his daughters were inside.
A Father's Love
"As a girl dad I can't help but want to protect my daughters from all things that aren't for them and the men's bathroom is 100% one of those things," he writes.
Muhammed's post quickly went viral on Instagram, and soon hundreds of users were chiming in with their thoughts. Many people said that Muhammed's post only reinforced the importance of changing tables in all bathrooms.
Unacceptable
A few people, however, disagreed with Muhammed's viewpoint and said that men should never be allowed into women's bathrooms. They cited the feeling of having their privacy invaded and that women need their own space.
"Me being a dad I would just take her to the boys or the disabled [bathrooms]," one user commented. "Never would I go into a woman's [bathroom]."
A Proud Girl Dad
But the consensus among Instagram users is that Muhammed is simply doing right by his daughters, especially given a lack of appropriate facilities. Many users applauded his bravery and some fathers even said that Muhammed's post gave them the courage to do the same.
"I definitely wouldn't care. We all have stalls, nothing is out in the open. Take care of that baby girl!" one user commented.
