“[I] put you down on the changing table, knock over a pile of wash cloths, try to keep one hand on you on the changing table while I bend down to pick up the wash cloths, manage to poke you in the eye. You get angry. I hit my head on the underside of the changing table, reach around to turn on the tap, knock two perfume bottles into the sink, one of them breaks, knock your trousers onto the floor, attempt to keep one hand on you while I try to wet one of the wash cloths without cutting myself on the glass, all while trying to avoid knocking the rest of the contents of bathroom cabinet and attempt to pick up your trousers with my toes like a monkey. When I eventually manage that and you are wearing your trousers again, I realize I haven’t put a diaper on you. I pull off your trousers, put on your diaper, manage to knock over a huge basket of shampoo bottles or whatever the hell they are, try to pick up the smaller bottles one by one with my toes, manage to stick my finger in your nose. You get angry again. And once I’m finished, I’ve turned off the water, gathered up all the little pieces of glass and the bottles of whatever it is, picked you up, carried you back through the apartment to your bed, I realize I’ve put your diaper on the wrong way, and you are once again not wearing any trousers, and you lie there so still looking at me thoughtfully…” -Fredrik Backman, Things My Son Needs to Know about the World

The struggle is real.

Modern fathers you know how it is. We did for much of my second child’s time in diapers and part of our third’s use cloth wipes and it was a real science to getting them wet, keeping the child safe, and then getting them clean.

Nowadays, it is on the floor with “sensitive” wipes and he is compliant enough to sit there instead of fighting it and squirming, running off, or the like.

This is another amazing example of why you should read this new book by Fredrik Backman, “Things My Son Needs to Know about the World.”