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A new dad left horrified after he was told he was a ‘dirty old man’ for taking his seven-week-old baby into the parents’ room.

Damien Leeson, 24, was with his wife and baby daughter, Harpah, when she needed a nappy change and a feed.

After he went into the parents’ room at a shopping centre in Mackay, Queensland, a mother walked in with her son.

‘She looked at me and started laying into me saying that it was “disgusting to see a fully-grown man in a parents’ room with a little girl”,’ Mr Leeson told Daily Mail Australia.

‘She kept saying I was a “dirty old man” he remembered.

Mr Leeson said he was ‘blown away’ by the woman and her expletives.

‘After it happened me and the Mrs [sic] were just in shock. How can someone say that to someone who is just looking after their kid?,’ he said.

When he got home, the new father posted on Facebook about what had happened. He said ‘I had tonnes of other dads write “that’s normal mate, get used to it”,’ he said.

He is still so outraged by the woman publicly shaming him: ‘I’m quite a hands-on father, whatever I can do to help my wife, I will,’ he said.

‘What’s a bloke supposed to do anyway if he’s a single dad? My point is it’s a parents’ room, not a mothers’ room. There are no change tables in the male bathroom.’

Has your partner ever been the victim of dad shaming?

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  • Absolutely disgusting! Dads are parents too. Bravo that he’s being such a hands on dad, shame to the mums in this case

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  • report to centre management. I love seeing the different parent come into the parent’s room, always ready for a chat while the kids have a play together.

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  • I feel sorry for the dad’s when this happens. Whenever I see dad’s out with their kids no mum in sight I think that they are great


    • I feel the same way – no judgement – why would there be – parents caring for their children is a blessing and not a terrible thing. Shame that some people view the world through unkind eyes.

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  • Sounds like the only dirty thing was the woman’s potty mouth!

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  • Shame on that woman, even her wording “dirty old man” is a disgrace. I feel ashamed that a woman (like we mostly are here on mouthsofmums) responded in this way to this dad.

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  • This is appalling! A parent – of any gender -should be allowed to change their child in a parent room – no brainer!

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  • Really quite an extraordinary thing for that wOman to say. My husband never had problems.

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  • First off I’d like to say I’m so sorry for this new young father. We’re not all like that lady whom in my opinion needs to wake up and get with the times. If she doesn’t want to face reality she needs to stay home because There’s nothing more natural these days to see men in parents rooms these days. It’s a natural. And I’d like to say how wonderful it is to see men taking responsibility and helping their partners Your wives partners etc are truly lucky people . Keep it up guys. ????

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  • i wonder if he could get footage from the shopping centre and identify her….just curious

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  • How ignorant is this woman. It does say parents’ room. Does his mean she thinks it’s okay for him to change his childs nappy at the table where everyone is eating. Don’t listen to her. I would have loved for my husband to be hands on like you are. Just ignore her.

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  • This is totally ridiculous. What an ignorant woman. Of course he should be allowed in the PARENTS room!

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  • I was horrified when I heard this story. It is a Parent’s Room and he is a Parent. What did the woman expect him to do? And yes, what about Single Parents that are Men. I thought we’d come along way, but stories like this make me think we haven’t.

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  • I feel this is absolutely disgusting of this woman she has no right to speak to anyone like that a Parents Room is for parents not men or women if she has that much of a problem why was she bringing her son in there. I am so disgusted by this it is every persons right to be treated respectfully no matter what the situation is. I hope this woman I will not call her a Lady as she is not one reads all these comments and the Father also reads them so he does not feel so alone.

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  • That woman is a disgusting creature- imagine the example that she is setting for her kids laying into someone like that in general, not to mention the fact that they actually changed the name from ‘mother’s room’ to ‘parents room’ as an encouragement to fathers in the modern age. It is normal today for dad’s to be helping out with baby care and there is nothing wrong about it. That’s why a lot of change rooms now include sectioned off areas where mother’s can breast feed discretely if they are worried about being seen by other parent room users.

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  • No way !! This woman who shamed you should feel ashamed herself !
    It’s a parents’ room indeed, not a mothers’ room !!

    Reply

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