TYLER, Texas — It is common to walk into a women’s bathroom and see a diaper changing station, but what about the men’s restroom? A viral Instagram photo from a father in Florida is sparking a national call to action to add diaper stations to men’s restrooms.
“Just a few years ago that would have made life a lot easier cause there aren't many changing tables in men's rooms," David Dorn, a father of three in Tyler said. "So it has made it hard for me to take her out by myself when she was in diapers and it would help my wife a little bit if I could, so I wouldn't have to rely on her solely to then go and change her.”
Dads say having changing stations will also help give moms a break.
“I think it's so needed, you know more and more dads are staying at home while moms go to work and in order to get a break here and there, since I'm the opposite, I do stay at home, to take them out every now and then if I have my hands full," a local mother Bethany Jonson said. "But he almost doesn't have the opportunity to do that. There's not enough of them.”
Kaycie Lopez, the owner of the men’s spa Headquarters says her customers often come in with their children and could benefit from having a changing station on site.
“I think it's a great idea," Lopez said. “My brother was a single father for a long time and needed a place to change his son and didn't have one. So I would love to be able to implement that.”
A diaper company's recent survey found 90% of dads have gone into a public bathroom without a baby changing table. Now Pampers is working to create 5,000 public diaper changing stations across North America.