I don't have kids so

[tw1nsmom]

I am not comfortable sending DS6 into the men's room alone. He has special needs and is way too trusting of strangers.

Having said that, those women were out of line. When the kids were younger I would bring them into the women's locker room with me. Our YMCA had a family room, but kept it locked during much of the day (I could never get anyone to fully explain that to me). Now that they're older I just wouldn't join a gym unless they had a family locker room.

If for any reason we were put in a position now that DS had to change and there wasn't a family locker room, I would take him into a regular bathroom and use a stall, have him change at home, find a private corner of the women's locker room and quickly change him and possibly even cover his eyes to give other's their privacy, or most likely just go home.

 

[illini]

Ok you guys can hate me but I take my 5 yr old son thru the women's dressing room at the pool. I haven't seen any naked women there it is usually just to go to swimming lessons so all the kids are young. How do I know what kind of crazy man could be waiting for him on the men's side?

 

[Allison]

Ok you guys can hate me but I take my 5 yr old son thru the women's dressing room at the pool. I haven't seen any naked women there it is usually just to go to swimming lessons so all the kids are young. How do I know what kind of crazy man could be waiting for him on the men's side?

There isn't a non-locker room entrance?

 

[Cool-Beans]

Ok you guys can hate me but I take my 5 yr old son thru the women's dressing room at the pool. I haven't seen any naked women there it is usually just to go to swimming lessons so all the kids are young. How do I know what kind of crazy man could be waiting for him on the men's side?

How can women never be changing into or out of swimsuits? I swim almost daily, and about half the time someone else is changing when I am.

I've got a great question: Why don't YOU go into the men's locker room with your son? Seriously. If you don't think there is anything wrong with mixing up the sexes in the locker rooms, just go in the other direction.

The guys will be a lot less upset about a woman in their locker room than women/girls are about men/boys in theirs.

You'd probably be the ONLY uncomfortable one!

Food for thought. (I don't hate you, but I do hate having to wait to change until some woman gets her son out of there.)

 

[illini]

How can women never be changing into or out of swimsuits? I swim almost daily, and about half the time someone else is changing when I am.

I've got a great question: Why don't YOU go into the men's locker room with your son? Seriously. If you don't think there is anything wrong with mixing up the sexes in the locker rooms, just go in the other direction.

The guys will be a lot less upset about a woman in their locker room than women/girls are about men/boys in theirs.

You'd probably be the ONLY uncomfortable one!

Well the pool closes to the public at 5 and swim lessons
are at 5:15 so maybe that is why I have never seen any adults changing.
I would love to go thru the mens room believe me ( but that is another story!) but I don't think they would let me!
I may start to sound defensive but he is 5! Actually just turned 5. I don't let him out of my site anywhere else why would I there?

 

[JimFitz]

I wish my mom brought me into the ladies locker room when I was 8!!!

Ok...Ok...I will leave this thread now.

 

[momx2]

IMHO there is a huge difference between 5 and 8. I have 2 DDs at that age right now. I will say there is a huge difference. But that being said, if I had a 5 yr. old DS I would take them immediately to a stall to change and probably carry him with his head toward me so he couldn't see. That's what my DH does with DD (5) if he has to take her to the bathroom while I'm not around. 5 seems to be the big age when they really notice the difference. I would be very offended and my DD 8 would probably sceam her head off if one of the boys her age entered the changing are or bathroom.

 

[Cool-Beans]

Well the pool closes to the public at 5 and swim lessons
are at 5:15 so maybe that is why I have never seen any adults changing.
I would love to go thru the mens room believe me ( but that is another story!) but I don't think they would let me!
I may start to sound defensive but he is 5! Actually just turned 5. I don't let him out of my site anywhere else why would I there?

If they'll let your son in the girls' room, why not let you in the boys' room? You won't see anything new, which is more than we can say for your son. I think! I'm sure he hasn't seen naked women! Please tell me that the women at your Y are like me: ticked off, but still waiting for the moms to get their boys outta there! If your boy is watching naked women, I don't wanna know!

If you don't feel your son is old enough to change on his own, maybe you should just not take him. It is just rude to the women and girls in the locker room to bring in members of the opposite sex...that's why we HAVE seperate facilities!

 

[illini]

If they'll let your son in the girls' room, why not let you in the boys' room? You won't see anything new, which is more than we can say for your son. I think! I'm sure he hasn't seen naked women! Please tell me that the women at your Y are like me: ticked off, but still waiting for the moms to get their boys outta there! If your boy is watching naked women, I don't wanna know!

If you don't feel your son is old enough to change on his own, maybe you should just not take him. It is just rude to the women and girls in the locker room to bring in members of the opposite sex...that's why we HAVE seperate facilities!

He is a little boy not some man googling naked women who once again I have never seen one in there since it is closed to the public for swim lessons.
I wonder how different this would be if I said I let my son go alone in the men chging room and he got molested by a stranger. How many would flame me for letting him go in alone?

 

[JimFitz]

I wonder how different this would be if I said I let my son go alone in the men chging room and he got molested by a stranger. How many would flame me for letting him go in alone?

Good Point!

 

[illini]

Thank you JimFitz that mean a lot coming from you-writer of the funniest post ever!!
Cool Beans has given me something to think about. I truly only thought of it from the -there might be a molester over there point of view rather than-my son might be making someone uncomfortable point of view.
I'm glad tomorrow is the last swimming lesson and his dad is taking him!!!

 

[lbgraves]

Illini, I don't blame you. At our YMCA they do not have family changing rooms like the OP has. They do have member & non member locker rooms though. I take DS7 into the women's non member locker room to get to the pool or use the restroom. I check before having him come in the door & if anyone is changing, I cover his eyes & put him in a bathroom stall to do what he needs to do. I will NOT send him into the men's room to get to the pool. Last year they caught a sicko taking pictures of young boys changing in that locker room. Most members are aware of what happened and understand the concern of mothers of young boys. I don't let DS play outside of the house by himself. Why would I let him go anywhere else out of the site of an adult to protect him? He is my responsibility. If something happened to him in that men's locker room or a men's bathroom when we are dining out, I would NEVER be able to forgive myself.

 

[illini]

Thanks Lisa, I swear I thought a boy would be easier then a girl but the way the world is now-nope!!
If there was a family dressing room that is certainly where we would be going!
This public pool is old old old!

 

[Cool-Beans]

He is a little boy not some man googling naked women who once again I have never seen one in there since it is closed to the public for swim lessons.
I wonder how different this would be if I said I let my son go alone in the men chging room and he got molested by a stranger. How many would flame me for letting him go in alone?

I get that you fear that if your son goes into the men's locker room he will meet a fate worse than death.

So, maybe you could wait until you feel he is old enough to go in alone. That's all I'm saying.

Everyone has to raise their kids their own way. We all do our best. If you've seen fit to never let the kid out of your sight, good for you. He will most certainly be safe.

I just don't think it is fair to the rest of us to make us work your parenting style into our lives. And I don't mean you, illini, specifically. I mean those moms - and there are very few of them, but they exist - who bring their boys into the girls' locker room.

And what happens if someone like me quits swimming at 5, and comes in, takes a shower and dries her hair, then goes to change at 5:10 or 5:15 and you walk in with DS? I'm irritated, because you put me in a very awkward position, and even if you cover his eyes - you're locking the barn door after the horse is gone. He already got an eye-full.

I don't care if it is a grown man or a 5 year old checking me out. Don't wanna be oogled, thank you very much! And kind of feel worse if a child saw me...that is somehow more disgusting to me than a grown man. I can't explain why.

 

[minkydog]

I take DS11 to the YWCA for his aquatic therapy once a week. It's an old facility and there are no family dressing rooms. DS11 has special needs so he can't manage himself. There are no men available who woulld be willing to dress and diaper him. Therefore, he goes in the women's dressing room with me. He has to sit down to dress, so taking over a toilet is not an option(he landed in the toilet the one time we tried!) I knock and ask if the ladies mind if Christian comes in. Only once did someone object(and she pinned my ears back )

i suppose i could take him into the mens room, but that would make me very uncomfortable. The ladies of the Y seem to not mind--they understand the situation. Usually, they just take their stuff and find a dry shower to change in. But if anyone objects again, we'll just patiently wait until all's clear.

 

[Michie]

I belong to a fitness center that is for women only and no kidos!

I did recently visit the YMCA and I was suprised not just about boys being in the womens dressing room, but people just walking through for swim lessons, grandma, aunt whoever. One grandma actually walked through with her vidoe camera

 

[Cool-Beans]

I take DS11 to the YWCA for his aquatic therapy once a week. It's an old facility and there are no family dressing rooms. DS11 has special needs so he can't manage himself. There are no men available who woulld be willing to dress and diaper him. Therefore, he goes in the women's dressing room with me. He has to sit down to dress, so taking over a toilet is not an option(he landed in the toilet the one time we tried!) I knock and ask if the ladies mind if Christian comes in. Only once did someone object(and she pinned my ears back )

i suppose i could take him into the mens room, but that would make me very uncomfortable. The ladies of the Y seem to not mind--they understand the situation. Usually, they just take their stuff and find a dry shower to change in. But if anyone objects again, we'll just patiently wait until all's clear.

That's the way to go! If someone asked, and I was "indecent," I'd call out, "I'll be done in a minute!" And I would be, I change pretty quick.

Just try to remember, moms, that when you bring your boys into the women's locker room, you make everyone else as uncomfortable as you would be going into the men's room. Try to avoid making us that uncomfortable, huh?

 

[Cool-Beans]

I belong to a fitness center that is for women only and no kidos!

I did recently visit the YMCA and I was suprised not just about boys being in the womens dressing room, but people just walking through for swim lessons, grandma, aunt whoever. One grandma actually walked through with her vidoe camera

Some Ys are set up that you HAVE to go through a locker room to get to the pool. If you are going to swim, you have to get used to changing in front of women! No way around that! Boys, though, I don't like, which I kinda said.

But if someone filmed me, there'd be a fight for the film/disc...and I'd win!

 

[Ready to go in Ok]

What? You don't like having an audience while you change? Sheesh some people!

I am glad I have girls, I don't have to deal with the whole issue of how to get them changed. I would have been uncomfortable as well, and I am sure that I would have gotten dressed in record time.

 

[Michie]

Some Ys are set up that you HAVE to go through a locker room to get to the pool. If you are going to swim, you have to get used to changing in front of women! No way around that! Boys, though, I don't like, which I kinda said.

But if someone filmed me, there'd be a fight for the film/disc...and I'd win!

Yes, every fitness center I have been in, you do have to go through the locker room to get to the pool. Now this one did have a door off a hallway.

About every six months or so I post griping about men being in the dressing rooms at retails stores with their wives, girlfriends. And most people feel like that is okay. Most dressing rooms I have been in, you dont have a lot of privacy, so what is the difference between that and boys in womens locker rooms?