Taking your kid into a public bathroom can be a real parenting nightmare. Especially if you're a dad. Because everyone knows that men's restrooms are grosser and less likely to have amenities like changing tables. Watch as Daddy Clay and Daddy Brad search some common public places and reveal which have a baby changing station. They'll also give some tips on how dads can deal with taking their kids into a public restroom. DadLabs Ep. 361 The Lab.

DADDY BRAD: Happens every time. You’re in a restaurant or store, as soon as the food hits the table, or you finally get the clerks attention, or you get to the front of the line...

DADDY CLAY: Daddy, I have to go.

DADDY BRAD: And now you have to face one of the biggest nightmares in parenting.

DADDY CLAY: The public bathroom...with kids! That’s right, this week in the Lab we’re going right into the public toilet.

DADDY BRAD: Okay, since this is a dad site, the first thing we have to deal with is the fundamental injustice, the gender discrimination that is men’s and women’s public restrooms in this country.

DADDY CLAY: Men’s rooms are grosser. Everybody knows that.

DADDY BRAD: I want a damn puffy chair in the john and I want it now.

DADDY CLAY: The real hardware we should be asking for is changing tables.

DADDY BRAD: Just how common are changing tables in public men’s rooms?

DADDY CLAY: We’ve come to a typical American strip mall to find out.

DADDY BRAD: So we went in a grocery store, a chain book store, casual dining and fast food chains -- ten locations in all and how many changing tables did we find?

DADDY CLAY: So in our random sample: Four. But the significant thing is when you compare that number to the ladies rooms which we can’t do because we can’t go in there.

DADDY CLAY: There is reason to be hopeful. Hard stats are difficult to come by, but the good folks at baby changing stations dot com estimate that 2/3 of current sales go to folks outfitting both men’s and women’s rest rooms with changing tables. Why not all?

DADDY BRAD: So those of you out there that offer public rest rooms, call baby changing stations dot com and order even numbers.

Putting a changing station in your men’s room is not only a nice convenience to your customers that needs them. It says to every guy that goes in there, we support dads doing their part.

DADDY CLAY: And don’t be shy about suggestion to your favorite spot -- hey, you’d make it easier on the dads if you threw up a changing table.

DADDY CLAY: But the really ugly situations come along after the kid graduates from the changing station.

DADDY BRAD: Like when you’ve got the two year old and the five year old by yourself and the five year old has to go, so you crowd everybody into the stall like a Japanese subway at rush hour. And your trying to help the older one, but the younger one decides it’s a good time to have a sensory moment, so she touching everything. Ew. Bleach.

DADDY CLAY: Or when they get a little older and they need an escort to the bathroom, but they want to you in the stall, so you’re just hanging out.

And then some random dude comes in to take a leak and you’re now creepy guy that hangs out in the can, so you have to give it the obligatory “how’s it going in there” so he knows you’re legit. Awkward.

You know, I imagine that some dads feel funny about even bringing their daughters in the men’s room.

DADDY BRAD
Really? I doubt it. Because what else are you going to do?

DADDY CLAY: If you have a tip or trick for managing kids in the public bathroom, drop us a comment or head over to DadLabs dot com, join the community and start a discussion.

DADDY BRAD: That’s all for us this week in the Lab.

DADDY CLAY: I have to confess, I was relieved when my girl turned five and could go to the ladies room by herself.

DADDY BRAD: But taking boys is tough too. You have to teach them stuff...