I can't believe I saw this.....

[Angel Ariel]

Now, using the same logic that it is safe to do this, is it safe to let your 10 year old son go into the men's room alone? He could yell if anyone did anything inappropriate, he would be surrounded by dads that would spring into action if anything happened.

Unequivocally, yes, I would send a 10 year old into the men's room if there were no family bathroom option. 10 y/o is too old, imo, to come into the women's room with me.

 

[Reyes0702]

My public library has baby seats that are attached to the wall. You would think a place like Disney, with so many infants visiting, would install these in at least some of the stalls.

I was going to say this too! I have seen them in some stores too, but its only in the handicap stall.

 

[Dawnlight]

So the consensus seems to be that its OK to leave a baby unattended while the adult is in a stall with the door closed. That really surprises me.

Now, using the same logic that it is safe to do this, is it safe to let your 10 year old son go into the men's room alone? He could yell if anyone did anything inappropriate, he would be surrounded by dads that would spring into action if anything happened.

To quote one of the responders to this thread, "By the time you go to a cast member and they notified security, every exit would be on massive lockdown. There are cameras *all over* Disney and they have plain-clothes security as well. That being said, who is going to go all the way into WDW, where you are fingerprinted to enter, to steal a kid?"

And yet we continue to see 10, 11, 12 year old boys in the ladies room.

Just wondering............

Yes, a 10 year old should be able to use the men' room by himself. My sons have been doing so since about 6 or 7; I don't feel the need to have them come into the women's room and they find it embarrassing.

 

[Twin Dad]

 

[SEA333]

So the consensus seems to be that its OK to leave a baby unattended while the adult is in a stall with the door closed. That really surprises me.

Now, using the same logic that it is safe to do this, is it safe to let your 10 year old son go into the men's room alone? He could yell if anyone did anything inappropriate, he would be surrounded by dads that would spring into action if anything happened.

To quote one of the responders to this thread, "By the time you go to a cast member and they notified security, every exit would be on massive lockdown. There are cameras *all over* Disney and they have plain-clothes security as well. That being said, who is going to go all the way into WDW, where you are fingerprinted to enter, to steal a kid?"

And yet we continue to see 10, 11, 12 year old boys in the ladies room.

Just wondering............

Haha...right!!!!??

My boys started going in the men's room alone at home in non-busy places at about age 5. Kindergarten. If they can do it at school, they can do it at Bob Evans. Busier places, about age 6-7or so. Little DS just always went with big bro, so really no set age for him, and if big bro wasn't there, prob age 5-ish if I stood near the men's room door.

WDW was no exception. Nothing about the men's room at Disney worries me.

 

[Minnesota!]

I think it's okay for a quick pee. Position the stroller accordingly and you can can see your baby/stroller out the crack of your door.

I guess I'm not sure what her other option should have been? Let the baby crawl on the floor while does her business?

If you were that concerned you could have offered to watch the stroller in the corner. I've done that before.

If you gotta go, you gotta go!

I don't see an issue with what the mom did. I can guarantee I did the same thing many times. Even when DH was with me. When you gotta go, you gotta go. I would just roll it up to my door, on the outside, and then hurry through. I did not (do not) fear strangers. 99% of people are good and are not going to...steal my baby, hurt my baby, steal my stuff, etc.

 

[Minnesota!]

So the consensus seems to be that its OK to leave a baby unattended while the adult is in a stall with the door closed. That really surprises me.

Now, using the same logic that it is safe to do this, is it safe to let your 10 year old son go into the men's room alone? He could yell if anyone did anything inappropriate, he would be surrounded by dads that would spring into action if anything happened.

To quote one of the responders to this thread, "By the time you go to a cast member and they notified security, every exit would be on massive lockdown. There are cameras *all over* Disney and they have plain-clothes security as well. That being said, who is going to go all the way into WDW, where you are fingerprinted to enter, to steal a kid?"

And yet we continue to see 10, 11, 12 year old boys in the ladies room.

Just wondering............

And, um, yes...10 year old boys are WAY past the age of needing mommy to take them to the bathroom. My boys started going into the men's rooms alone before Kindergarten. They were going to have to go alone at school, why not in public?

They would have been MORTIFIED to go into a woman's restroom with me at any point past school age.

 

[Angie_T]

I probably would have done the same thing as OP. I'd never wake a sleeping baby...that's asking for trouble. I learned that very early the hard way.

 

[NYEmomma]

Wow, I'm pleasantly surprised to see the general consensus of this thread! There's lots of scary people and events in this world but 999,999 times out of 1,000,000 those scary people aren't going to cross your path. No reason to live in fear of the exceptionally unlikely. I was much more cautious with my oldest but now with my twins there are certain situations where I just have no other choice but to lighten up and rely on the fact that almost every person in this world is a good one and not out to get me or my kids.

 

[Crystal824]

I haven't read all the responses, but I did this once at WDW. It was in the bathroom near Splash. My DH was riding Splash. The baby was asleep in the stroller. I was planning on wheeling her into the Handicapped stall, but the stroller wouldn't fit. I really had to pee so I just pushed the stroller in front of the door where I could see the wheels and the baby through the crack in the door and went as fast as I could.

This isn't something I would normally do, but I had no one to hold the baby. As I said, I really had to go. Desperate times, Desperate measure and all that.

 

[Crystal824]

I'm sure they were watching the stroller through the crack or under the door. However, what would they do if someone grabbed the stroller and took off? By the time you were able to get up, unlock the door and open it, that person could be gone! Plus the time it takes to pull up your pants - which you would have to do or you wouldn't be able to run after the person. I know the chances are slim, but is it worth the risk to save that time? I would wait for the handicap stall - just not worth even a small risk to me.

With the crowds in most Disney bathrooms, I would be able to get out of the stall and grab my stroller if someone tried to take it before they could get out of the bathroom. Believe me, I wouldn't worry about getting my pants up if someone tried to take my child.

 

[DisneyParkLover]

I don't see an issue with what the mom did. I can guarantee I did the same thing many times. Even when DH was with me. When you gotta go, you gotta go. I would just roll it up to my door, on the outside, and then hurry through. I did not (do not) fear strangers. 99% of people are good and are not going to...steal my baby, hurt my baby, steal my stuff, etc.

I agree with this. 99% of people are good. However, I do not consider a 1% risk an acceptable risk when we are talking about MY CHILD! I wouldn't even set my purse outside the stall and everything in it can be replaced. There is also a minimal risk of getting in a serious car accident if I am driving 1 mile down the street. I could just not put my son in the car seat. That would be easier and quicker. But just maybe the one time I do that is the one time something happens. To me, there is NO acceptable level of risk when it comes to my child.

 

[KatieDRN]

probably just a difference in parenting style. I personally would never do it, I'm kind of a cynic at heart and would be too paranoid lol.

 

[Gracie09]

I agree with this. 99% of people are good. However, I do not consider a 1% risk an acceptable risk when we are talking about MY CHILD! I wouldn't even set my purse outside the stall and everything in it can be replaced. There is also a minimal risk of getting in a serious car accident if I am driving 1 mile down the street. I could just not put my son in the car seat. That would be easier and quicker. But just maybe the one time I do that is the one time something happens. To me, there is NO acceptable level of risk when it comes to my child.

Then you must never do anything like bathe your child, or send them to school. Even your car seat example is not without risk. You could be in an accident where the car seat traps your child in while your car is on fire. Nothing in life is zero risk. As for the op I probably would have shrugged and moved one. I certainly wouldn't have posted about it on a message board to try and shame the anonymous mother or make myself feel like a better mom.

 

[DisneyParkLover]

Then you must never do anything like bathe your child, or send them to school. Even your car seat example is not without risk. You could be in an accident where the car seat traps your child in while your car is on fire. Nothing in life is zero risk. As for the op I probably would have shrugged and moved one. I certainly wouldn't have posted about it on a message board to try and shame the anonymous mother or make myself feel like a better mom.

You are right. Everything in life has a risk:reward ratio. In the situations you mentioned I feel reward outweighs risk. In the situations I mentioned I believe risk outweighs reward. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I will just agree to disagree. I certainly didn't mean to get everyone up in arms. I just feel that the reward in the OP (not having to wait as long for the larger stall to become available) is not worth even a very tiny risk of something happening with my child. It wouldn't even have to be someone stealing your child. Someone could trip and knock over your stroller in the crowded bathroom and your child could be injured. I may be in the minority, and I am not judging those who do this. I am simply explaining why I would not.

 

[Gracie09]

You are right. Everything in life has a risk:reward ratio. In the situations you mentioned I feel reward outweighs risk. In the situations I mentioned I believe risk outweighs reward. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I will just agree to disagree. I certainly didn't mean to get everyone up in arms. I just feel that the reward in the OP (not having to wait as long for the larger stall to become available) is not worth even a very tiny risk of something happening with my child. It wouldn't even have to be someone stealing your child. Someone could trip and knock over your stroller in the crowded bathroom and your child could be injured. I may be in the minority, and I am not judging those who do this. I am simply explaining why I would not.

I guess I don't spend my days worrying about the what ifs. Someone could just as easily trip over your stroller while it's on the side walk. And the crime of stealing a purse, which is more a crime of opportunity, and stealing a child are very very different. According to the center of missing and exploited children over 800000 kids are reported missing every year. 115 of them are stranger kidnapping. So to worry about a stranger kidnapping your baby while you are in the bathroom at Disney is like worrying that your child will be trapped in a burning car because it's in a car seat.

 

[Minnesota!]

Then you must never do anything like bathe your child, or send them to school. Even your car seat example is not without risk. You could be in an accident where the car seat traps your child in while your car is on fire. Nothing in life is zero risk. As for the op I probably would have shrugged and moved one. I certainly wouldn't have posted about it on a message board to try and shame the anonymous mother or make myself feel like a better mom.

I guess I don't spend my days worrying about the what ifs. Someone could just as easily trip over your stroller while it's on the side walk. And the crime of stealing a purse, which is more a crime of opportunity, and stealing a child are very very different. According to the center of missing and exploited children over 800000 kids are reported missing every year. 115 of them are stranger kidnapping. So to worry about a stranger kidnapping your baby while you are in the bathroom at Disney is like worrying that your child will be trapped in a burning car because it's in a car seat.

Considering the odds, I will take my chances. Life is not without risk....no matter the situation.

 

[slzer0]

Some bathrooms have those strap in stay put seats for bigger kids. How is this worse?