“Diapers Aren’t a Man’s Job,” He Said—So She Made One Call That Changed Everything
Even in a world that’s making strides toward gender equality, many traditional beliefs about parenting roles still linger. While progress has been made, expectations around who should do what at home—especially when it comes to raising children—can still fall along outdated lines.
One woman recently shared how she responded when her husband refused to help with their newborn’s diaper changes. Her simple but powerful response sparked a wave of praise online.
A Midnight Wake-Up Call
After their daughter Rosie was born, Jess noticed her husband Cole seemed to have quietly opted out of certain parenting tasks—especially diaper duty. One night around 2 a.m., Rosie had a messy blowout. Jess asked Cole to take care of the diaper while she grabbed fresh clothes. But instead of getting up, he groaned under the blankets and muttered, “You do it. I’ve got a meeting tomorrow.”
What made it worse was that Jess was also juggling a full-time job and managing nearly all the responsibilities at home. She was running on empty.
Still, she stayed calm and pleaded with him again: “Cole, it’s bad. Please.”
His response? “Changing diapers isn’t a man’s job, Jess. Just deal with it.”
Jess changed the diaper—but she wasn’t about to let that comment slide.
A Lesson From the Past
The next morning, Jess decided to call someone she hoped could set things straight—Cole’s father. If her husband didn’t understand the value of shared parenting, maybe his own dad could give him a much-needed wake-up call.
Jess explained the situation and asked her father-in-law to speak with Cole—not just about diapers, but about what it truly means to be a partner and a parent. That conversation made an impact.
Later that day, Cole came home with a different attitude. There were no more excuses. From that point on, he began taking on his fair share—not just with diaper changes, but with everything parenting involves.
More Than Just a Diaper
This wasn’t about one late-night mess. It was about recognizing that raising a child is a joint effort. True parenting means showing up—tired or not, workday or weekend—and supporting each other in every messy, exhausting, beautiful part of the journey.
Sometimes, it takes a reminder from someone who’s been there to change a perspective. And sometimes, a single phone call can help reshape a partnership for the better.