14 Aug

The push for Changing Stations with Donte Palmer

We sat down with Donte Palmer to talk changing stations and why dads need #SquatForChange.

Besides dealing with Dad Shaming dads also have to deal with navigating through a world that doesn’t fully get that dads are here to raise their kids.

A perfect example of this is having access to clean changing stations for your kids. This isn’t a new issue and even mothers have to deal with the lack of clean changing stations available.

Chances are you will find a clean, usable changing station at a women’s bathroom before finding one in the men’s bathroom. There’s also a huge chance that when you find one in the men’s room, it’s in such horrible shape that you prefer not to touch it.

Changing Stations Are A Big Deal

As a father of 3 boys, this is something that I had to learn how to deal with for the past 12 years. It might not sound like a big deal but when you have one of those real deal major blowups, the type that has you asking for help…

Well not having somewhere clean and private to clean your child makes everything worse! Having access to one is big deal, just ask a dad that needed one and couldn’t find one.

I remember one time we were at a restaurant and my youngest needed a diaper change. I told my wife I would handle it, it wasn’t a major blow-up so it would be a quick one.

fatherhood is lit changing station — **This is how it feels sometimes**

Off we went to the men’s bathroom! Once there, I couldn’t find a changing station as usual. Not thinking anything of it, I took my son back to the table and started to change him there.

All I can remember was a waitress coming by, giving me a face of disgust and then telling me I couldn’t do that there. She treated me like I was the worst thing that could happen to the world. I let her know that since they didn’t have a changing station and we paid so much money for food, I was changing him at my table.

She didn’t like that answer but I really didn’t care. I could tell she wasn’t a mother by the look of disgust she had on her face. I could also tell she could care less about our comfort so that tip never made it’s way to her pockets.

Little man needed a change and since they didn’t have a changing station I handled it. That’s what #RealDads do, we don’t just complain, we handle the situation. However; this is one of those situations we shouldn’t have to deal with.

Times are changing

That’s where Donte Palmer comes in! Donte Palmer is changing the game for dads. If you don’t know Donte, go to Instagram or even twitter and type in the hashtag #SquatForChange!

Donte, like many dads, had to change his son and couldn’t find a changing station. Like many of us, he had to figure out a way to change his son and got to squatting. His son caught him, took a photo and weeks later, Donte uploaded it to Instagram.

He didn’t expect what happened next. His picture, the one above, went viral as millions of other dads felt his pain. Having access might not be a big deal to the world, but Donte proved that there are dads out there like us who are affected by the lack of them.

He even got Pampers on board to help him build 5000+ CLEAN changing stations so dads like us don’t have to suffer.

The world is changing, dads are here to stay and we need people like Donte showing the world that WE TOO need to be treated as parents. Clap it up for another force in our #FatherhoodIsLit community and go show him some love. His story is incredible.

Listen below to find out how Donte is changing the world for dads, one changing station at a time.

To get in contact with Donte Palmer, follow him on IG @3boys_1goal