When a simple trip to the grocery store turns into a diaper emergency, who will stay at home / work at home dads turn to? This dad agrees that it's NOT Oprah or Martha!
As I was wandering through the produce section of the local Super Market, a misplaced odor wafted through the air. No, it was not the musk of rotting tomatoes, it was the distinct perfume which emanated from my infant son's diaper. Immediately, I sprung into action to assess the situation. I lifted my son from the car seat (placed precariously on the cart handle and the ig boy seat) and noticed immediately that my usual sniff & pat test would prove redundant. The evidence was in plain sight - we had a blow out.
After gently placing him back into the seat, I scurried off to the Men's room in effort to mitigate further damage and begin the clean up process. To my, and my son's, dismay there was no diaper changing station. Now I know what you may be thinking - this store simply does not cater to parents in general.
Perhaps they are equal opportunity offenders, giving neither moms nor dads recourse when nature calls a bit too aggressively for their children. In this case the answer is a resounding NO. As I was peeling the Onsie off my son (now perched on the tailgate of my truck) a similar, albeit much less messy incident came to mind that happened the previous week. I was with my wife at the time and she had the honor of changing him, a project that went without a hitch as the women's room came fully equipped with a well-stocked changing station.
They will surely receive a letter about this!
And to whom can a stay at home / work at home dad voice this injustice? Oprah? Martha? No, not this heterosexual, Caucasian man! That type of behavior is grounds for immediate revocation of my Man Card.
Such is the plight of the work at home / stay at home dad.
Just staying home isn't an option either; there is not much to stay home for. For decades, daytime television has been taken over by touchy-feely talk shows, soaps, and feminine product commercials. Where are thehunti ng and fishing shows? What about sports? A good football game would be a great way to break up the barrage of snotty noses and dirty diapers. Speaking of diapers, I would probably wear one too so I wouldn't miss any of the game! Sorry dads but aside from the occasional one o'clock baseball game I am afraid the only action we can look forward to is a cat fight on The View.
However all is not lost! The fight for parental equality has begun and I promise not to quit until every Men's room is equipped with a baby changing station (preferably with NASCAR logos on it) and Hugh Hefner hosts his own talk show every day at 3 PM. All my strength for this cause is drawn from the example set by many nameless, yet brave, women that blazed the trail of equality many decades ago. Women have successfully juggled career and family for ages, now is the time for us dads to be able to prove ourselves up to the same challenge!
About the Author:
Mathew Butka is a stay at home / work at home dad and entrepreneur. You can find more information at http://www.VinsDad.com
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