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Should Dads Be Let Off Diaper Duty?

by Rochelle Gillespie — 29 Jul 10 — Blog 1

Now, there’s question that’s bound to raise a few heckles.  I imagine most mothers would be emphatic about the need for dad to share in all the duties of parenthood – the good, the bad and the down right smelly.  But this issue has had a number of on-line parent forums buzzing this week.

It all started when British Prime Minister David Cameron was asked in a US television interview about the impending birth of his fourth child, and he was apparently already finding excuses to get out of nappy-changing duties. “I’ve always said it must be possible to be a good Prime Minister, a good father and a good husband, but the arrival of a new one is going to test out that theory,” he was quoted as saying.

Fair enough you might say.  He’s a busy man with enough poop of the political persuasion to be dealing with.   But it did get me pondering – president, power-broker or popstar – are work commitments ever an excuse to get out of the messy end of child-rearing?

Just before he left for work this morning, my husband walked out of the nursery, suited-up like the important executive he is – with one arm, held full length in front of him holding onto a very, very smelly deposit.   He’s always been a Dad who’s fully participated in poop-scooping.  Although, he has less of a fondness for the modern-cloth nappies, which I bought for baby number three.  He is right, they’re not as easy to deal with as disposables, so I’m happy for him to use the easier disposable option when he wants to, and I’ll do the cloth.   It’s all about compromise and co-operation.

As smelly and dirty as nappy-changing can be, it can also be quality bonding time for you and baby.  You can tickle, sing songs, pull funny faces – anything you need to do to distract baby from the task in your hand and keep them from wiggling their wastage all over themselves and you.

What I don’t understand though are fathers who think it’s possible to be a Dad without getting their hands dirty.  I heard once of a chap who was definitely not a hands-on dad in the poop regard.  When his wife was out having a coffee with a friend, baby did number-twos, so he put baby in the stroller and walked him to the café for mum to deal with.

I think it’d be good to give new dad’s like that a gift-box complete with goggles, dish-washing gloves and nose-clip to help ease the transition to fatherhood.

Still, for David Cameron, if his wife is happy to give him a green-pass on diaper duty, then who are we to judge?  He’ll be a Dad for longer than he’ll be a Prime Minister.  As someone once said – politicians are like diapers, they both need changing regularly and for the same reason.