First off, I want to be absolutely clear: I do not hate women. I don’t want women’s rights or equality taken away in any shape or form. This post is simply me venting about some very real and frustrating double standards that men — especially fathers — face. If a man acted the way some women do in certain situations, he’d be publicly ridiculed or judged harshly. That’s the issue I’m trying to highlight.

I’m a 38-year-old single father to my 12-year-old daughter. Almost every interaction I have with women in the school system or healthcare setting leaves me frustrated. It’s exhausting being treated like I’m clueless or incapable just because I’m a dad. When I take my daughter to the doctor or to school, I constantly get hit with comments like.

- “Where’s Mom?”
-“Why can’t Mom take care of this?”
-“Make sure you tell Mom!”
-"Just have a lady friend do this for you!"

It’s disheartening. My wife passed away in a tragic accident — not her fault, just one of those awful things that life throws at you. I’d trade places with her in a heartbeat. She was the love of my life, and I will never stop loving her. But I’m the one here now, raising our daughter and doing my best every single day.

And yet… when I buy feminine hygiene products for my daughter, I get stares or side comments. When I shop for her clothes, it’s the same thing — like I’m doing something wrong or weird just because I’m a man. It hurts. It’s shameful.

To the women out there reading this: please stop treating fathers like this. We’re not stand-ins. We’re not clueless. We’re not babysitters. We’re parents — and we deserve the same respect and support.

Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.