Bathroom Question!! (bringing kids in)

[mkla2015]

It's not issue... DH still takes DD6 in the mens room when needed and I take DS4 with me all the time. Especially at Disney with so many families- this isn't strange at all.

 

[IrishNYC]

DH had zero concern taking DD to the men's room when she was 3. She's now 6, and we have a rule: once per restaurant when we are eating out. It's been the rule since she was 5 and would ask to go every time food was served, every course. DH still takes her in the men's room when he has to, there aren't always family bathrooms, and he wouldn't use a companion/handicapped bathroom over the men's room with her.

I can't see why a 3 year old in the opposite gender bathroom is any kind of debate. Sad.

 

[Boski]

yep apparently a very touchy subject.

My sincerest apologies for calling it a family bathroom. I'll never make that mistake again!

You just got it rolling, it will get better, keep watching!

.???
There have been a few threads recently about acronyms and I thought I was pretty well versed, but this one stumped me!

As others has said In Before The Lock. Not a DIS term BTW. I picked up on it in my soccer board I participate in (lots of younger people who teach me all of these terms early lol). Normally posted when a thread gets created that more than likely will go south quick.

 

[summerw]

Is this rule written somewhere?

Yes, it's on disney's site many times.

I have a hard time believing that every CM would admonish a parent for leaving their 7 year old outside the restroom while they ran in. I know (actually I don't) a 7 year old can't roam the park alone, or ride alone but I bet there are exceptions for them using the bathroom alone, and their parent using the bathroom while they wait outside.
You have to be 14 to enter the park alone, I'm not sure what kind of rules they have for kids once inside the park though. Can a 7 year old stand in line to get a Mickey bar while mom and dad watched from somewhere else? I don't see why not.

OP, your dd is 3 there shouldn't be any issue with her going into the men's room with dad.

7 is no problem. When he was 6.5 we were at Disneyland at the Cars bathroom that's out of the way and I left him to wash my hands, so less than 2 minutes, and a cm was there upon my return and chastised me. She didn't get rude or anything, just made it very clear that until he was 7 he could not be outside the bathroom main door. I asked if that meant he had to go into the stall with me if I was using the toilet and she said he could stand outside my stall. I've never seen a cm monitor inside a bathroom for this, so I wouldn't worry, but I would definitely not leave anyone under 7 outside the bathroom main door. I doubt they'd kick anyone out or anything, but I go a lot and wouldn't like to be approached by a cm again... First time I've been chastised for anything I can recall in hundreds of trips.

 

[summerw]

Hmmm... All I could find on Disney's site was 14 to enter the park and 7 to ride an attraction, but the cm who approached me worked for guest services and meant business so I guess ymmv?


https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/park-rules/

 

[Hikergirl]

Hmmm... All I could find on Disney's site was 14 to enter the park and 7 to ride an attraction, but the cm who approached me worked for guest services and meant business so I guess ymmv?


https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/park-rules/

That is why I said I can't imagine all CMs doing that. It sounds like maybe the one you encountered was a little over zealous about kids being alone. I mean seriously, outside of a bathroom I think anyone would assume that a child sitting there is waiting for one of his or parents to come out.
I wouldn't leave a 3 year old outside, but I would a 6.5 year old. My youngest wouldn't be dragged into the women's room after 5, if I had to go, he had to wait.

 

[frisbeego]

Yes, it's on disney's site many times.

Please show me the rule on Disney'e site so I can read it for myself. You previously claimed, "you are not allowed to leave a child under 7 for even a moment alone, which includes a 6 year old in front of the bathroom door." Another PP claimed, "Per Disney's rule of always accompanying kids 7 and under."

I cannot find anything on Disney's site to support either claim. The closest says, "Please supervise your children at all times. Guests under age 14 must be accompanied by a Guest age 14 or older to enter the Park. To board an attraction, children under age 7 must be accompanied by a person age 14 years or older."

*Insert bathroom as an attraction joke here.*

 

[summerw]

Please show me the rule on Disney'e site so I can read it for myself. You previously claimed, "you are not allowed to leave a child under 7 for even a moment alone, which includes a 6 year old in front of the bathroom door." Another PP claimed, "Per Disney's rule of always accompanying kids 7 and under."

I cannot find anything on Disney's site to support either claim. The closest says, "Please supervise your children at all times. Guests under age 14 must be accompanied by a Guest age 14 or older to enter the Park. To board an attraction, children under age 7 must be accompanied by a person age 14 years or older."

*Insert bathroom as an attraction joke here.*

I agree with you. If you look a few posts up, I say that. Honestly, the incident kinda bothered me so I called Disneyland and the phone cm agreed with the park cm. obviously if there was a legal issue, it's not in writing, but that didn't stop a cm from saying it to me.

 

[Lisa F]

I think 3 is fine. I'm pretty sure DH took DD in the men's bathroom with him when she was that age. And of course I still take 5yo DS into the bathrooms with me. I do avoid taking him into a more locker-room type place where people will be changing out in the open, even though at a lot of those facilities the age cut-off for opposite gender is 6 (so maybe that's a good unspoken rule for bathrooms?) But I don't think anyone would mind a young girl going in to use the potty with her dad.

I don't think that's a good unspoken rule at all for bathrooms. I'm a single mom so I have no man to take my kid into the men's room. He's 7 (soon to be 8) and kind of big for his age on top of it and on the spectrum and with attentional issues is absolutely not aware of his surroundings when there is a ton of stimulation. There is no way I am sending him into a bathroom alone that I can't comfortably fish him out of, especially at a place like WDW (at home in a small community in familiar surroundings I will let him go on his own sometimes).

A locker room in your home town is different and my YMCA has a family locker room with many private changing rooms (and a rule against naked adults walking around) for that very reason... there are adult men, adult women and kids of all ages there.

IMO people need to get over caring about who is in the private stall next to them in public bathrooms. I've said that for years about kids. I don't mean kids who are misbehaving and violating other people's privacy (and honestly if they are - parent your damn kids people!) but I honestly can't imagine what would make anyone care about someone bringing their child into a restroom where there are private stalls (I understand with urinals there is more exposure).

 

[Lisa F]

Yes, it is annoying to have your hot meal placed in front of you then your toddler announces he/she has to go to the bathroom, but it is what it is. I try to take them in right after we order so they can go then.

yeah but, their timing is UNCANNY. like. even if you ask beforehand. UN. CANNY. and it's not just toddlers

 

[anniemae]

yeah but, their timing is UNCANNY. like. even if you ask beforehand. UN. CANNY. and it's not just toddlers

LOL! I feel your pain, I really do. My DH actually shakes his head and chuckles. It's like, we go to the bathroom before the meal comes to go potty and wash up. Everything is good, meal comes, nice and hot, I cut into my meal, take a bite and.............she has to go potty. It has almost become comical.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Makes no difference to me. Maybe the proper wording would matter to someone else. I could not care less. The toilet was no higher than the ones in my house.

with a girl the height does not make a difference but with shorter boys it can make a difference. oldest grandson was in a big hurry on a trip just after being potty trained and ended up in a handicapped stall with a higher toilet. and as you can guess he did not make it over the edge and it went down on his pants which had him crying. change of clothes later and my daughter learned that handicapped toilets are higher. so even though it might not apply to this thread it might help someone else reading

 

[Lothlórien]

I would take advantage of the family/companion bathroom. It is private and you can get in and right back out.

 

[Lisa F]

LOL! I feel your pain, I really do. My DH actually shakes his head and chuckles. It's like, we go to the bathroom before the meal comes to go potty and wash up. Everything is good, meal comes, nice and hot, I cut into my meal, take a bite and.............she has to go potty. It has almost become comical.

I actually realized lately I prefer my food less hot. I wonder if I have been conditioned. or maybe post hoc ergo propter hoc.

 

[HopperFan]

Disney doesn't have Family Restrooms. They have Companion Assisted Restrooms. The difference is important as the toilets in them are higher off of the ground then typical, and not lower as most Family Restrooms.

Makes no difference to me. Maybe the proper wording would matter to someone else. I could not care less. The toilet was no higher than the ones in my house.

Disney does have a large amount of more private family or need assistance bathrooms to get privacy if your child is not all the young but still needs someone with them age. In the parks, it's right there.. in a restaurant, ask where it is, some aren't near the others.

Well it makes a difference to me. The signs are very clear they are Companion Bathrooms not Family restrooms. They are the ONLY bathrooms I can use with my adult DS who is handicapped. Sometimes we have to travel a distance to get to one. Then we often have to wait unreasonable amounts of time to use it because someone wishes to have a private bathroom.

Do I mind if it is a SINGLE Dad with a daughter, no. Do I mind if it is a Dad with a daughter because Mom doesn't want to take her in, yes. Using the bathroom intended for those with handicaps that can not be met with the traditional bathrooms is rude. And no there are not a large amount of these restrooms. For those of us who HAVE to use them, I assure you it's a stressful part of our day getting to one.

The signs are two adults of opposite sex and those in wheelchairs. There are no children in this picture aka no family restroom.

 

[Steffiesunshine]

I took my DS in the ladies room until he was about 6. The first time he wanted to use the men's room alone, I stood right at the door and kept yelling to him, "You OK??!!" All the men walking out were chuckling, but in a very understanding way.

 

[xipotec]

All bathrooms should only be used by those who's birth sex matches the sign on the door. The potty police should be placed in front of every door checking your plumbing to be sure it matches the sign.

Anyone using the "wrong" bathroom should be paraded down Main St, flogged and perma banned from all Disney activities for all eternity.

 

[lovethattink]

I'm with @HopperFan as far as the companion restrooms go. There are very few companion restrooms in the parks and they always seem to be occupied. First aid has a list of them.

My son is 12, but needed assistance due to his disabilities until recently. Most restaurants don't have companion restrooms. The resort pools and lobbies don't have companion restrooms. So if dh wasn't with us, ds had to go with me or hold it until we got somewhere that had a companion restroom.

 

[P'colaBeachBum]

Okay, as most Mom's know....if you only have a daughter the bathroom duty USUALLY falls only on you. Well, for as long as we will be out every day in the parks I am wondering, do any of you Dads bring the kids in the bathroom? I mean my daughter is 3. I'm wondering what would happen if a man was a single Dad and had to bring her to the bathroom himself anyway. Just wondering if its weird/unacceptable. I'm tired of getting up 2 times during every meal bringing my daughter to the bathroom because no one else can haha

My DH was headed for the bathroom when he saw a man go in to the mens with his daughter. DH stayed outside because he would have been VERY uncomfortable. There are family bathrooms that would be more appropriate for your DH and DD to use.

*side note...Semper Fi. DH retired after 32 years active duty.

 

[mjkacmom]

My DH was headed for the bathroom when he saw a man go in to the mens with his daughter. DH stayed outside because he would have been VERY uncomfortable. There are family bathrooms that would be more appropriate for your DH and DD to use.

*side note...Semper Fi. DH retired after 32 years active duty.

Really?! Woman are in bathrooms with little boys in there all of the time!

DH would bring the girls into the men's room until they were 5 or so, if I wasn't available, or if the line for the ladies room was long. We would not use a companion restroom unless it was an emergency. There is a reason why they aren't on regular park maps.