Girls in the men's room.

[going/again]

But what happens if a guy accidently exposes himself in the mens' room - in front of a 6 year old girl, what if he needs to change his pants, etc, and in the middle of changing, a dad brings in his daughter?

You can't always change clothing in a bathroom stall - sometimes there's just not enough room to move around in there, or the floor is icky, etc.

what happens if he leaves the 6 year old outside and someone takes her, her safety trumps your modesty.

 

[robinb]

This is the comment I was addressing was about those parents consumed irrational fears at WDW. My point, was just b/c a parent doesn't allow a young child to use the restroom alone at WDW doesn't mean they are consumed with irrational fear.

And I was addressing the belief posted earlier that there are child molesters and pedophiles all over WDW just waiting for someone to leave their kids alone for an instant. The truth is that the vast majority of kids are molested by people they know and not strangers in a bathroom with mom or dad waiting outside the entrance.

 

[brandylouwho]

All of this back and forth makes me ponder a different, related question..why don't men's restrooms have stall or at least dividers between the urinals anyway? I always assumed it is because you don't really see that much of each other..and that you'd need to be right up next to the man to see anything anyway.

Anyway, I am not sure how old my daughters will be before they are allowed to go potty on their own...I know my 5 year old is not allowed to yet, so when she is with her dad he takes her in the men's room. Fear of molestation isn't even my main concern with her. She dawdles, she is afraid of "magic" flushers, rarely can she reach the soap & sinks to decently wash her hands, sometimes she still needs (or wants) helping wiping #2, some places have more than one exit to the bathrooms, etc.

I am happy that we live in a day and age where more dads are actively parenting their kids and taking them potty is certainly a part of that.

We are headed to WDW next month, there will be 2 dads, 2 moms and 4 little girls, you can bet your pants that those dads will be helping with potty duty.

And I would hardly notice a boy in the women's room, as long as he wasn't peeking at us while we were going to the bathroom.

 

[going/again]

A small female adult would unlikely be able to fight off an attacker too. Should they go in the men's room with a large male relative?

a small female adult would know how to attract the needed attention, a small child may be to terrified to shout up

 

[going/again]

In the 54-years since Disneyland opened, there has never been a child abducted inside any of the DLR or WDW theme parks. I've never heard of a child or an adult being molested inside one of the parks, either.

not read about the molester at the water park last week?

 

[stella27]

There are creeps all over the place. And MOST of them are people you know: your babysitter's boyfriend; your child's kindergarten teacher; your child's uncle; your son's 7th grade FEMALE teacher; the teen in the indoor play space at McDonald's; the old man in your neighborhood who has taken such a grandfatherly interest in your kids; the vagrant in the infrequently-used bathrooms at the playground; the youth group director from your church; the clerk at Target...these people are all around you and this is a sampling from our community in recent years.

It COULD happen in a restroom at WDW. It is just more likely to happen with someone you and your kids know and trust. This is a fact. Restrooms at WDW are bustling and crowded and full of other people. The pervert at WDW is far more likely to be watching your child from a pool lounge chair while he or she plays in the pool or fountains.

It is a fallacy that we can keep our kids safe. What we can do is teach them that most people are good, but some are not, and that we can't tell the difference by looking at them. They need to know to alert another mom or dad if someone is bothering them - that no one has the right to touch them or take pictures of them without clothing.

I will take my children under about 6 or so into an opposite sex restroom, but there DOES come a point where the child must learn to cope for himself - especially if the parent is right outside. All this fear about abductions at WDW really is irrational.

 

[inkkognito]

In the 54-years since Disneyland opened, there has never been a child abducted inside any of the DLR or WDW theme parks. I've never heard of a child or an adult being molested inside one of the parks, either.

Well, be prepared to hear! These are just over the past couple of months: http://bit.ly/15FFlR

 

[stevensn9317]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/orl-b...,3029772.story

Here is another story including a rape of a 14yr at Wet And Wild... Some will say its being over protective, but I will keep on doing it. Its my job to make sure my children are safe..

 

[jkstewart1800]

Bathrooms in Europe (and Disneyland Paris) are unisex, as we learned on our trip to Paris. No biggie.

I have no problem with moms and dads doing what they feel necessary to protect their children. I will not judge if/when I see a 10 year old boy in the ladies room...he may be autistic.

My DH had to take my girls in the men's room on occassion when he was out without me but that stopped after about age 6. Every child is different though.

Couldn't this whole issue be solved if ALL the toliets had stalls around them?
If everyone is in their own little stall doing their business, then no parts are showing and you only see people while you wash your hands.... Wouldn't that really solve the issue....?

 

[conandrob240]

Sorry, folks, safety trumps modesty every time. No, an 8 or 10 yr old girl in the men's room isn't ideal but if that's how her father feels she'll be safest rather than outside of his eyesight at a crowded themepark where he knows no one (and maybe even doesn't speak the language), then we will all have to live with a girl in the men's room.

 

[BostonRob]

Couldn't this whole issue be solved if ALL the toliets had stalls around them?
If everyone is in their own little stall doing their business, then no parts are showing and you only see people while you wash your hands.... Wouldn't that really solve the issue....?

Sure. And maybe someday they will. This has very little to do with the subject at hand except to say that perhaps there is progress being made in the 'privacy' area for men's rooms. I remember when I was a kid, probably up until my mid-teens (so until sometime in the late '80's probably), the mens rooms at Fenway Park used to have these trough style urinals. And ladies, if you've never seen one, pretty much what you're imagining is how it was - guys just lined up side by side in front of a trough - kind of like a long skinny bathtub and relieved themselves of their water or beer or whatever they'd been drinking. I was probably under 10 the first time I encountered it, and that is an intimidating experience for a kid. I'd be willing to bet no daddy's took their little girls into those restrooms; I certainly wouldn't. I'm pretty sure I'd rather let my daughter have an accident.

 

[flip.daddy]

Just saw a post about bathrooms at Disney and it brought to mind our last two trips there. There were girls in the men's room. I have seen this several times. They come in with an older male (their father I guess) and some are as old as I would say 10. Most are foreigners I think. I know ladies take small boys to the restroom with them, but the ladies room has closed stalls, unlike the mens room which have some closed stalls. It just makes me feel a little uncomfortable to see girls in the restroom while I'm standing there. Maybe I am just to old fashioned.
Has anyone else seen this?

I have and will continue to take my daughter into the men's room with me. She's 6 years old, and I refuse to let her go into the ladies room by herself at a theme park.

 

[Dznypal]

we were at a casual restraunant and there were guys all dressed in

womens clothes!!!

One of them went into the womens bathroom--I needed to go

but I waited until he/she was done--I didnt feel comfortable going in

there were there was a guy!!!!

we went to that restraunant alot and that was the first and last time

we saw those guys

 

[WillCAD]

Full out abductions are rare because the molesters know getting out of the park is problematic. Much more likely is the 'toucher' or picture taker. Taking simple, zero-effort precautions against these people is neither paranoid, nor is it counter-productive. How exactly does it distract my attention from other dangers?

While you're protecting your children, are you also teaching the children how to protect themselves? Are you preparing them for the dangers they will inevitably face in the real world when they finally do go out on their own? Are you building their confidence in their own abilities, or are you building their fears of the unknown into a debilitating paranoia?

Some precautions may be zero-effort, but they are not always zero-consequence. Increased safety is not the only consequence of paranoid hyper-vigilance; it's prudent to evaluate ALL consequences of any action before taking the action.

When I post questions like this, many parents say that I am being ridiculous or stupid, and they either get angry with me for my criticism, or laugh it off as they totally ignore me for being a "fool", or question my own experience with raising children as being inadequate. "You don't understand!" they often say in that angry, condescending manner. "It's not the same world any more! There are sickos everywhere! Everywhere is dangerous! Trust no-one! If it saves even ONE child, isn't it worth ANY effort? MY child's safety is more important than YOUR discomfort! You don't know what you're talking about!"

As I said before, I'm not saying that no parents should ever bring youngsters into opposite-sex public restrooms as a safety precaution. I just think it's important to keep the actual dangers in perspective, and not to over-react to a danger that's serious, but not nearly as prevalent as some people think.

Well, be prepared to hear! These are just over the past couple of months: http://bit.ly/15FFlR

not read about the molester at the water park last week?

Apples to rutabagas. I'm talking about theme parks, you're talking about water parks. Five incidents in the Orlando water parks this summer - any in a theme park bathroom in that time? Or any part of a theme park?

Water parks are a completely different environment than theme parks, with hundreds of semi-nude strangers mixing in waist-deep (or deeper) water, often with waves or turbulence that make it impossible to see what's happening under the water. The water offers anonymity that even a theme park crowd can't match, and the close proximity and skimpy clothing offer more opportunities for "accidental" contact. And those "accidental" contacts are more likely to be dismissed as real accidents by those in the water.

The lowlife scumbags who have been caught fondling children in the water parks lately were caught because they were stupidly brazen. Fortunately, most of those pervs are also morons, and eventually get caught because they can't think clearly enough to get away with it.

 

[Planogirl]

I'm waiting for the first parent to get angry because some man exposed himself to his or her daughter in a men's restroom. It's inevitable that this will happen.

I wish that TPTB would just build huge unisex bathrooms alongside smaller gender specific facilites. They could then ban opposite sex people of most ages from entering the gender specific restrooms and maybe then everyone would be happy.

 

[texasteacher35]

Since we just never know what kind of sickos are out there lurking in the bushes waiting to abduct and molest children, I have decided to keep them with me at all times and attach them to me with bungee cords. That way they will grow up physically safe and psychologically unimpaired, right?

In seriousness, I think there is a difference in a child (even an older one) who needs assistance to have a parent with them and this out-of-control fear of child molesters that abounds in our society. Most pedophiles will offend in secret - on children they know. Not in a WDW restroom that is full of parents and decent human beings with witnesses.

I agree 100%!!

 

[texasteacher35]

People need to realize that some of us are traveling as single parents and there are no other options. Disney really does not have that many companion restrooms. This year my daughter was 7 and I tentatively let her use the girls room by her self (with me at the door) but before that she came to the men's room with me......I could care less if it makes someone uncomfortable or not. When I'm 1000's of miles from home and know nobody I'll keep her as close to me as possible. If people thing there are no perverts hanging out in Disney they are not being realistic. I have been working in a prison for 20 years and I will tell you that many of the child molesters look just like the rest of us.......you can no longer pick them out just by looking at them and there are so many that the average person would be in shock. If someone feels they should take there 10 year old opposite sex child into the restroom with them then that is what they should do. Do what you feel is safe, the offended people in the bathroom will get over it........or better yet let's add more companion restrooms because the reality is there are alot of single parents traveling with children.

I totally understand that situation! I would do the same if I were a dad!

 

[vcgirl925]

My husband avoids taking my daughter into the mens room at all costs. If i'm there i take her. If he has to bring her on the rare occasion he's with her (she's 3) he practically covers her eyes and bee lines for the stall. If a little girl is capable of going to the bathroom on her own maybe 6 or so, she should go to the bathroom by herself. I wouldn't let my 6 year old son go into the boys room alone though.....

 

[Shagley]

There really is no right or wrong here - I totally understand parents of the opposite sex taking their children with them into the restroom for safety reason, yet I also understand that it would be very uncomfortable for men to have an "older" child of the opposite sex coming into the restroom. (But I don't agree with grown women barging into the men's room - I saw a woman being escorted by security out of a sporting event for doing this - it is inappropriate in my opinion. It would be more appropriate to cut in front of the line for the women's room and just explain that your child is having a "potty emergency"). It would be so much easier if men's rooms had stalls like in women's rooms, then no one would have to compromise their privacy and the children would be safe with their parents.

 

[Lillabelle0]

So its not ok for a girl to "walk" by in a men's restroom for safety but men are quite comfortable urinating next to another man!! I know there is a no look policy..but there is no privacy and I am pretty sure that the girls are not looking!! Anyway, safety is always my top priority and I commend any male who takes his daughter into the restroom with him. Pedophiles operate on fear, threats and intimidation to gain compliance from their child victims. A child who is told "Don't make a sound or I will kill you or your parents," most likely isn't able to properly reason in that moment. In fact, look at how many adults freeze in those types of situations. If anyone believes that a 10 year is mature enough to properly deal with this then he/she should enter reality. Pedophiles are good at what they do and come prepared with wigs, hair dye, new clothes, scissors and whatever else they need to transform YOUR child into someone that you WILL NOT recognize whenever he/she passes right by you. This is the world we live in and as long as there are people like that..then my children will be with me in the restrooms or wherever else they need to be with me. Those who are uncomforable can wait outside!!