A delicate question but I need to ask

[Scribble Kitty]

Just a question, what about the opposite. What about a 5 or 6 yo girl in the men's restroom?

I barely remember once or twice having to go to the bathroom with my dad. He'd check first for anyone using the urinal and if it was clear he'd stand outside the stall door, if not he had me close my eyes and walk me to the stall.

I don't know if he got any complaints about it, he's a bit of an opposing looking guy.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

my boy is nine and this may trip was the first trip he was allowed to go by him self and sit next to the door for the ladys room for me. When he was five if my hubby wasnt with me he would have came in with me. I dont see a problem with it i did have a problem with a mom who had what looked to be a 12year old with her

 

[mrswh]

I think there is a big difference between sending a boy into the men's room by himself and a girl into the ladies' room by herself. There is no way I'd send my 6 yo son into the men's room on his own - if he needs to go and Dad's not there, he goes into the ladies room with me. (I have no idea how long I will do this but for the foreseeable future for sure.) However, I don't have a problem with my 7 year old daughter going into the ladies room by herself and Dad waiting outside if I am not around. Statistically speaking, it's just not much of a risk for a little girl to go into the ladies room on her own (just make sure there isn't another exit you don't know about - I don't think there ever is at Disney), so I don't think there is much of a need for her to go into the men's room. (This works out well since it is more of a delicate situation for a girl to go in the men's room - and quite frankly, I'd be more concerned about what the little girl sees than the men who are in there.)

If Dad needs to go to the bathroom and he has DD by himself, well, he better just hold it.

To answer the OP - I think the vast majority of women would not mind a 5 year old boy in the women's bathroom. If they do, too bad. You do what you need to do to keep your kiddo safe!

 

[Mugglemama]

It's entirely OK for you to bring him into the women's restroom, IMO.

Over the past decade, there have been numerous well-publicized stories of young children being sexually assaulted, and 2 that I can think of who were even murdered, in a public restroom. One of the murder victims was a 9 year old boy, whose Aunt was standing right outside the men's bathroom that he had gone into. Due to the fact that most people are familiar with at least a few of these stories, it seems to me that nearly anyone you encounter will understand why there's a boy in the women's restroom.

My youngest son is 7, and I still take him into the women's restroom with me if DH isn't with us (and that's true at any public facility - not just DLR).

As to taking girls into a men's restroom....DH has had to do this a few times over the years with our 2 daughters, and if there were men in the urinal area, DH would actually cover our daughter's eyes and walk her to a stall - then stand outside the stall until she was done. They all laugh about it now! But hey, ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

Have a great time!

 

[PigletSeeker]

5 yo boys are a very common sight in the Ladies' Restrooms at Disney. No worries.

 

[joihan777]

Men's restrooms are hideously dirtier than women's.

I would NEVER ask my spouse (if I were not available) to send him in alone.

I'm a nurse and infection/ disease control is a main concern.
Once you see the filth in restrooms, lit up under a special lamp,
you can never "unsee" it.

I would have to make sure my son understands, and abides by,
what is 'safe' to touch, what is NOT safe, to stay away from
"strange" people, and to make sure he can actually reach the sink, soap
and towel dispenser. At least at Disneyland they use paper towel dispensers
that are easy to make work. The Dyson air blast ones @ airports are terrible
if you are not the correct height for them!

And, as others have mentioned, 99% of the ladies in the restrooms will understand.... be leery of that last 1%!

 

[jory29]

IMHO 5 isn't too old. I wouldn't feel comfortable with sending a 5-year-old into the restrooms alone, and I would think the majority of other moms would feel the same way and would assume that was why he was with you in the ladies room.

I didn't send my son by himself until he was around 7. I really wouldn't worry about it. People will understand.

+1. Very well put, and I feel the exact same way.

 

[StephNJer]

I think this is totally fine. It would not bother me at all to see a 5 year old boy in the ladies room with his Grandma or Mom. I say that as a mom of two young kids though, but I think at a place like Disneyland, nobody will probably even bat an eye.
Like a previous poster said, there is no way I'd send a boy that young into the men's room alone.

 

[BlueBayou]

I think 5 is really fine for a little boy in the ladies room - as long as he behaves.

I think when my husband was out with the girls he probably stopped taking them into mens room before then. But IMHO men's rooms are different because of urinals.

We were lucky that we had two DDs who are now 9 and 11. If my husband was alone he could send them in together as buddies. He ran into more issues if he had to go - feeling safe leaving them outside of a restroom.

 

[All American]

I don't think you can get too people agreeing with you on the subject, so I'll throw my hat in and say, "I'd have no problem with it."

I think people, too, would be especially understanding if they knew he was with Grandma. Safety first!

ETA:

99% of the ladies in the restrooms will understand.... be leery of that last 1%!

If any of that 1% says anything, just let them know they're not his type. It'll throw them off long enough for you to make your getaway.

 

[Nintfamily]

When we went last year my boys were 9 & 10. I had my 10 year old with me while DH was off with DD and the 9 year old. He went with me in the bathroom. Used his own stall, washed and quietly waited for me by the paper towel dispenser. No one said anything. He even opened the door for a couple of ladies with strollers (with a paper towel over his hand of course!)

 

[heather_sue_98]

OP: I'd give your grandson a great big smile if I saw him in the restroom. No worries at all.

On a related note, when my six year old can't be in the stall right next to mine, I have her sing while we both go. At Disneyland, it's Disney songs of course! Then if she finishes first, she slides her feet under my stall so I can see her, and if I finish first, I do the same. Then we wash up together. Works great!

 

[nannyz]

Thank you so much for all your kind responses.
I feel much better about this now!

 

[Zbugz]

Our local swimming pool has a sign saying ages 7 and up must use their own locker room, so I used that as a guide when my son was little.

 

[martikus]

I took DS (5 1/2) in to women's without thinking twice.

 

[scrapshappen]

I don't really have anything profound to add other than I agree with everyone here. I have two boys, 7&9 now. The oldest is very tall for his age and has always been very verbal so people have always assumed he is 2+ years older than he really is. But even when he was 5 (so he looked closer to 7), no one batted an eye when I took him in the women's restroom at Disney.

Now, I always send the older one in with the younger one when we are in a public-restroom situation like that. With the older one as big as some of the 12-year olds we know and the younger one being fast and fiesty, I don't worry about them so much together.

It's sad that we live in a world where you have to be so careful, but there was a case at a Burger King in our previous neighborhood where a man assaulted a young boy in the men's room and it just confirmed to me that being vigilant is worth it.

 

[kmrein]

For what it's worth, from someone without any children of my own, I never think twice about it when I see moms/grandmas with young boys OR girls (or both) in a ladies' room. Especially at a place like Disney. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[c4riley]

Safety First....
I always take my boys into the restroom with me. I make them stand outside my door so I can see their feet at all time. If they also need to use the restroom then we switch off when each person is done.
I would not send him in alone...
Enjoy your trip!!

 

[MrsPinup]

Agree with the above. I think most women prefer safety of children. Women shouldn't feel insecure since they do their business behind a closed door. It's not like they are locker rooms. I started sending my sons in alone this past year now that they are 8 and 9. We've had many stranger talks and they behave themselves in public.

 

[Mousequake]

Unfortunately it is pretty difficult for daddys to take daughters potty because of the urinal situation and what they may see.


.

I'm a little puzzled by this statement. What is supposed to be difficult about it?I'm a SAHD of DD4, and I've never thought twice about taking her into a men's restroom, just as most people posting in this thread don't think twice about taking a young boy into a Women's restroom. It's not like guys are running wild in the bathroom with their pants around their ankles; they take care of their business at the urinal with nothing in sight at all. I've taken my daughter into literally hundreds of Men's bathrooms over the years and never had any problems at all.