by Should Dads Take Their ᴅᴀᴜɢʜᴛᴇʀs Into The woᴍᴇɴ’s Bathroom Made Everyone Respectful
One California father is making a strong ᴄᴀsᴇ for why we should consider opening the door. ɢɪʀʟ dad Muhammed Nitoto remembers Fᴇᴇʟɪɴɢ Fʟᴜsʜᴇᴅ the first time he took his two young ᴅᴀᴜɢʜᴛᴇʀs into the woᴍᴇɴ’s bathroom.
“I’m a 6-foot-2 Black manI had no idea what the ʀᴇᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴ would be.” Nitoto said
At the same time, the father of Zendaya, 5, and Zuri, 3, wasn’t comfortable with the other option. Zuri was still wearing diapers and the changing table in the ᴍᴇɴ’s room was out in the open by the sinks and ᴜʀɪɴᴀʟs.
“Protecting my children’s privacy is my main priority,” Nitoto, 37, said. He noted that a majority of ᴍᴇɴ’s restrooms are also often filthy and not set up for babies and kids.
Nitoto’s first choice is always a family or ɢᴇɴᴅᴇʀ-ɴᴇᴜᴛʀᴀʟ bathroom, but many places don’t have them. In that ᴄᴀsᴇ, he visits the woᴍᴇɴ’s bathroom with Zendaya and Zuri.
The California dad and parenting blogger said he always announces himself before entering. “I say, ‘Excuse me, ‘I’m a dad, and I have my ᴅᴀᴜɢʜᴛᴇʀs with me. Do you mind if I bring them in?’” Nitoto explained. “If I hear the door open when we’re in a stall, I ʀᴇ-ᴀɴɴᴏᴜɴᴄᴇ myself. I don’t want to surprise anyone. I know some woᴍᴇɴ have ᴇxᴘᴇʀɪᴇɴᴄᴇᴅ ᴛʀᴀᴜᴍᴀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍɪɢʜᴛ ʙᴇ ᴀFʀᴀɪd. I try to be as respectful as possible.”
While the question of which bathroom people use has recently become a heated issue, Nitoto said he’s never encountered a persᴏɴ who was offended by his presence. On one ᴏᴄᴄᴀsɪᴏɴ, ᴀ ᴡᴏᴍᴀɴ ᴀsᴋᴇᴅ ʜɪᴍ ᴛᴏ ᴡᴀɪᴛ ᴏᴜᴛsɪᴅᴇ ᴜɴᴛɪʟ sʜᴇ ᴡᴀs Fɪɴɪsʜᴇᴅ. Tʜᴇɴ, sʜᴇ ᴏFFᴇʀᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ sᴛᴀɴᴅ ɢᴜᴀʀᴅ ᴏᴜᴛsɪᴅᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴀᴛʜʀᴏᴏᴍ Fᴏʀ ʜɪᴍ ᴀɴᴅ ʜɪs ᴋɪᴅs.
“Being a dad with ᴅᴀᴜɢʜᴛᴇʀs, it’s just a completely different experience than being a mom with a sᴏɴ. And I think moms understand that.” he said
Nitoto was inundated with praise after he shared a post on Instagram about why he takes his ᴅᴀᴜɢʜᴛᴇʀs to woᴍᴇɴ’s public restrooms. I’m father to a little lady and ᴍᴇɴs toilets are no place for a little ɢɪʀʟ! ᴜʀɪɴᴀʟs are not the most private affair! This post has given me the courage to take her to the ladies ʀᴇsᴘᴇᴄᴛFᴜʟʟʏ ɪF ᴛʜᴇ ᴅɪsᴀʙʟᴇᴅ ʟᴏᴏ ɪs ᴜɴᴀᴠᴀɪʟᴀʙʟᴇ. Thanks again, you may have just changed daddy daughter days out,” one persᴏɴ wrote in the comᴍᴇɴts.
Added another, “I think this is a valid response to doing what is best for your baby and would absolutely have no issue with it what so ever. As parents we’re all in this together.
