Children with Parents in bathroom

[GinnyEmma]

YES - very disturbing! Good Lord, what a generation we are raising (or not raising?). My parents let me take the monorail to the MK by myself at the age of 9.

I bet that felt awesome. I was flying with my baby sister at 8 and 6. U freaked my grandma out when I walked right up to the checkin desk and took care of everything.

 

[mjkacmom]

Like a women's restroom, they have privacy stalls; both for changing and for the toilets. There have been no age restrictions at ANY of the Y's/clubs I have been too (and I've been to several)
.

The Y's here are also VERY strict about restricting locker rooms based on sex. There are stand-alone locker rooms for families, but kids older than 4 need to use the one appropriate for their gender (and the line for stand-alone family rooms is always very long).

There are a couple of reasons why I don't want older boys in the ladies room. I have a dd14, and a dd9, almost 10, who would probably be uncomfortable. However, another reason is the fact that, having 2 ds's, I now personally know why the ladies room is always much cleaner than then mens room (I've heard horror stories from my DH). Let the boys pee on their own seats.

 

[mjkacmom]

I bet that felt awesome. I was flying with my baby sister at 8 and 6. U freaked my grandma out when I walked right up to the checkin desk and took care of everything.

It is really one of my fondest memories (this was back in the day with the lettered tickets). On this same trip, we went to River Country (is that what is was called?). Anyway, my parents ended up with bad sunburn, so they let me take my 6 year old sister to a restaurant at the Contemporary (we stayed here every year, because of the arcade, and my parents gave us a roll of quarters, and they took off to the pool). My dd14 has been flying solo since the age of 10.

 

[cheshireqt]

I started letting DS go to the restroom by himself around 8 but would stand outside the door. If he took too long I would hollar in so I could get a response and know he was okay.
One time he did not answer, I called his name again. He did not answer again..I yelled his name again and this time added "if you do not answer me I am coming in" Two men promptly yelled out "answer your Mother" with a bit of panic in their voice. We had a good laugh as each man came out. DS explained his lack of response as that it was embarrassing to have Mom checking up on him.

 

[Hannathy]

Your 6 year old needs comforted from noisy toilets?

Pamela, call me Gin.

Is anyone else surprised there are 5 votes for "over 12?"

Yes!!! I don't think surprised is quite the right word tho more like appalled!

baring an emergency with a special needs child there is no reason for a person of the opposite sex to be in the bathroom at 12. NONE.

 

[MommyJack]

Here's why in some places DS-10 still goes with me:

My work brings me to different city halls all over the state. In the City of Providence a woman was using the restroom on the 5th floor. She looked up and there was a man looking over the stall at her. She ran out and called the police officer who is stationed in the building and he was caught coming out of the elevator. They put a lock on all the ladies rooms, but the men's are still open.

I was working in the City Hall when this happened and use that restroom all the time. Since this happened, I am always aware when I go into a public restroom. I often take my kids with me to work, and they come with me to the restroom in many of the places we go.

At Disney, I let DS go by himself, but to tell the truth, I'm still more comfortable when DH goes with him. I'm not paranoid or overprotective, but I am aware that wackos are out there.

 

[vinotinto]

I would have been in the camp that says that a 6-year old should go by himself to the restroom until last year. There was a well-publicized case of a 6-year old boy who was molested in the Piedmont Pool changing room, while his mom was just outside the bathroom with his baby sister. News are often sensationalist and play up our fears and this was an isolated incident. But it sucks if it were your child. So, I probably would not let my child attend a bathroom alone until he would be able to defend himself - age would vary depending on child's physical size, maturity and natural distrust of strangers (or lack thereof).

Also, I'm going to take a double-standard on this and say that I will be more likely to send my daughter to a woman's bathroom alone at a younger age than to send her with DH, but that I would be more likely to bring my DS to the bathroom with me at an older age. Part of it has to do with the "stalls" issue. Part of it has to do with statistics on who a typical sex-offender is (usually men).

The solution, of course, is more family bathrooms. I will gladly wait a little longer to use one, when they are available. All 4 of us have been known to cram into one (DH, DS, DD and me). It's really a wonderful, safe solution that reduces everyone's uncomfortability. But, I can tell you that I believe kids' safety is #1. Not only my kids, but others' as well and as long as a child is with his mom in the bathroom, I don't mind it at all.

 

[GinnyEmma]

Here's why in some places DS-10 still goes with me:

My work brings me to different city halls all over the state. In the City of Providence a woman was using the restroom on the 5th floor. She looked up and there was a man looking over the stall at her. She ran out and called the police officer who is stationed in the building and he was caught coming out of the elevator. They put a lock on all the ladies rooms, but the men's are still open.

I was working in the City Hall when this happened and use that restroom all the time. Since this happened, I am always aware when I go into a public restroom. I often take my kids with me to work, and they come with me to the restroom in many of the places we go.

At Disney, I let DS go by himself, but to tell the truth, I'm still more comfortable when DH goes with him. I'm not paranoid or overprotective, but I am aware that wackos are out there.

You don't find it the tiniest bit ironic that your reaction to a guy in the women's room is to bring more in?

vin, I would guess that didn't happen in a crowded men's room at disney. It would suck if it were my own. It sucked when it happenned to me. That is all the more reason I have attempted to empower my kids and taught them to trust their gut. I walked in fear for a time period until my mom pushed me out of my fear zone, reminding me that most people are good and most situations are worried about for no reason. Just my thoughts.

 

[pacrosby]

You don't find it the tiniest bit ironic that your reaction to a guy in the women's room is to bring more in?

.

ok.....Gin....shame on you LOL

I'm guessing she's going to come back and point out that she's talking about bringing her little boys into the women's restroom...not her husband

 

[GinnyEmma]

ok.....Gin....shame on you LOL

I'm guessing she's going to come back and point out that she's talking about bringing her little boys into the women's restroom...not her husband

lol, I just thought it was funny.

 

[Hannathy]

The solution, of course, is more family bathrooms. I will gladly wait a little longer to use one, when they are available. All 4 of us have been known to cram into one (DH, DS, DD and me). It's really a wonderful, safe solution that reduces everyone's uncomfortability. But, I can tell you that I believe kids' safety is #1. Not only my kids, but others' as well and as long as a child is with his mom in the bathroom, I don't mind it at all.

I'm sorry but it would have to be a cold day in somewhere before my DH would ever go into the bathroom with me and all the kids!!!

I can not picture my DH EVER going along with this. I also can't figure out why you would if both parents are there why couldn't you use the correct bathrooms. Why not leave it open for someone who really needs it.

 

[disney*mom*82]

We just returned from WDW and this visit our kids were DD3, DD11, and DS13 Not just at Disney, but anywhere the latest age I remember making DS go to public bathrooms with me is maybe when he was 7 or 8. If DH is with DD11 or DS13 is with me all we do is just wait outside their restroom.

Now, DD3 wants to be very independant and does do all the proper potty business with no help. She doesnt want anyone to go in the stall with her anywhere. She was potty trained young. I do allow her to go into her own stall if I have to go to the bathroom too I will go next to her and she knows not to come out of her stall until I tell her she can. We did it that way many times at WDW and no problem.

 

[mamaLori05]

Your 6 year old needs comforted from noisy toilets?

Pamela, call me Gin.

Is anyone else surprised there are 5 votes for "over 12?"

Yup!! I find it pretty sad myself! Yes bad things can happen, but you can't live in fear. Let that poor 12 year old grow up, and for heavens sake, let him use the bathroom on his own!!

I can understand maybe a 2 or 3 year old being afraid of the noisy toilet since they are newer to using them, but by 6 they should be used to it. If not, I would wonder if something else was going on.

 

[disneyloveNY]

http://www.cnn.com/US/9811/16/boy.killed.02/

 

[pacrosby]

http://www.cnn.com/US/9811/16/boy.killed.02/

I have a 9 yr old boy....that brought tears to my eyes.

Like I've said, I do not bring him in the bathroom with me (rarely do I even bring his younger brothers in with me), BUT I do understand why others might decide they are more comfortable doing so. I have no right to tell another parent that their fears are irrational. Honestly people, we all just need to relax and find something more important to get our panties in a bunch about.

 

[GinnyEmma]

While that is a horrific story that is one incident 13 years ago. That should give some indication of the rarity.

 

[jodifla]

I have a 9 yr old boy....that brought tears to my eyes.

Like I've said, I do not bring him in the bathroom with me (rarely do I even bring his younger brothers in with me), BUT I do understand why others might decide they are more comfortable doing so. I have no right to tell another parent that their fears are irrational. Honestly people, we all just need to relax and find something more important to get our panties in a bunch about.

This is a terrible story, but note that it's from 1998, which is what, 13 years ago now? So these things are few and far between, thank goodness.

My son just turned 9 and makes it clear he doesn't want to use the women's restroom any more. (He has been using the boys room since about age 4, depending on where we are at. ) So I send him in, and tell him to be quick about it. I still worry about large places, like malls and airports. I think I'd be less concerned at WDW because of the intensive family atmosphere.

 

[Leajess99]

I somewhat agree with you but will point out something I just said in my PP -- at school, everything is accessible to little ones. At a lot of the bathrooms in WDW (and some stores/restaurants around us) the soap dispensers are high up on the wall above the sinks and my DS6 can't reach them (and he is in the 90% for height). At many places (airport too I remember) I had to squirt it and pass it over to his hand. Really annoying.

What happened to the small sinks that were lower?? My daughter (8 now) reminded me that there were small/lower sinks and that in all the bathrooms we went into. She has never had an issue reaching the soap or the towels and she can't use the blow dryers due to ear issues.

 

[Leajess99]

It is easy for someone who doesn't have a son to be cavalier about it. You make some good points.

I have a son who has been using the bathroom on his own in public places since he was 6. He is now 17 and has lived to tell about it.

 

[mjkacmom]

http://www.cnn.com/US/9811/16/boy.killed.02/

wow, it only took 74 posts for someone to bring up this article, which is mentioned on every single one of these threads (even though the incident happened over a decade ago). That boy would've been killed if he was 15, but you wouldn't think to let 15 year old boys into the ladies room. Heck, DH would've probably been killed, as well as ds8, if they had gone into that particular bathroom at that same time.