OT: taking a 9yr old boy to a girls bathroom

[SplashMtnCrew]

I'd take him in the bathroom with me in a heartbeat. Call me what you want, but I will take my son in with me until I decide he is ok in the men's room alone. And I don't know when that will be. A few months ago a 17yr old mentally delayed boy was sexually assaulted in a dept. store bathroom. He came out and told his mother about it as they were leaving the store. So yeah, my kid will go in there with me until I decide he won't. If people don't like it, too bad.

Right On!

 

[dis-happy]

I'd take him with you without a second thought. A couple of summers ago two boys went into a reststop restroom here in NC and were assualted...the older child was 13 at the time. It happens so do what you need to do to keep your child safe, no need to apologize for it. Besides, what the heck goes on in a woman's restroom that would bother anyone anyway??? Doors and sinks, no big deal.

 

[hammie59]

TAKE HIM. His safety is more important than someone possibly feeling uncomfortable (which I really don't understand since he is only nine and it's not like the stalls don't have doors on them!) I never give it a second thought when I see older male CHILDREN in the womens room with their mothers.
There are some real weirdos out there, why take the chance. Have a great time at the concert and don't let it worry you.

 

[bzzymom]

DS is 10 and I let him use public restroom alone, but at a rock concert, I would have reservations about it. He is at the age now where he would probably refuse to use the woman's room. I would stand right outside that door. You can't be too careful.

 

[MSSANDRA]

I would never let a 9 year old go into a mens bathroom alone at a rock concert. Take him and do not worry what others think at all.

 

[Fintastic]

I would be standing outside the door with a stop watch on. You have 90 seconds to get in, pee and get out.

I think this is a good idea. I don't mind small boys in there with their moms, but if they're almost as tall as I am it would be kind of weird.

 

[Mkrop]

For the last 2 years I have been trying to let DS use the mens bathroom but I have told him and continue to tell him (in case he decides to balk) that I make this judgement on a case by case basis, if I dont feel the venue is safe he is coming in with me. A rock concert WOULD be one of those venues!!!!!! He would be coming into the ladies room with me. I also would teach him about respecting the fact that he is going into the ladies room so we will be going in and out no monkey business. I have heard too many stories of what goes on in mens rooms at concerts, sporting events etc, that my kid would not be going in there alone.

Good luck and have fun.

 

[momx2]

I would take him in the stall with you if you bring him. If he doesn't have to go I would let him wait outside for you, unless you bring him in the stall with you. I personally wouldn't have a problem, but my 9 yr. old DD would probably freak out and leave. It is embarrassing for the boys and the girls more so than the adults. Unfortunately, boys and girls are going to be attacked everyday. But we can't let them keep going into the other genders bathrooms until their 18. All public places should be required to have family bathrooms. I think fathers of daughters have it worse. My 9 yr. old DD would rather wet her pants than go into the mens room and I kinda agree. While her dad will protect her, she is going to see things sometimes she shouldn't. That is a much worse predictament to be in.

 

[Not so Dumbo]

I'd take him in with you. I'd rather be safe and possibly uncomfortable than sorry. Besides, if you take him right into the stall and then right back out I wouldn't think that too many women would even know that he was in there.

 

[Whosemom]

I take my fellow lots of places without dear old dad, even camping. DS is 6. And even he balks at going in the ladies room. Mostly, he sings he does at home the whole time he's in there anyway, so I tell him he has to in public, and that if he stops, I'm coming in. But this is not a strategy for a loud concert. I think the idea to ask a security guard might not work because he has to man his post, but at least you could try that tact when you need to go. "Hey, can he stand with you for a minute?"

Pee first, drink nothing.

 

[mickeylove2]

I don't think it would bother me, but my 4 & 6 yo dd's would throw a fit, so I don't think taking your 9 yo ds into a ladies room would be appropriate in that scenario...but my 4 & 6 yo dd's won't be at an ADULT rock concert so you should be all right taking him with you.

 

[kcromley]

It just seems incongruous to me that the child is mature enough to attend a concert with those bands and those types of lyrics (and predictable crowd behavior) but you doubt his maturity to handle a restroom situation alone? I might rethink the whole outing if that were the case.

 

[bookgirl]

I am taking my DS9 to his first concert this Saturday. We are going to see Styx, Foreigner, and Def Leppard. It will just be the two of us. I know sometime during it, he will need to go to the bathroom. I don't feel confortable letting him go to the boys alone, because he will be with strange men that have been drinking. He comes up to my shoulders and I am 5'5", so I don't know if he is too big to go to the girls bathroom with me.
Am I just being over protective? Should I let him go to the boys bathroom, and then if I need to go make him wait outside the girls bathroom for me? I didn't think about this when I purchased the tickets, but since we are going this Saturday, I am really starting to freak over it.
Thanks for any and all advice.

Call the venue and see if they have a family or handicapped private bathroom. Find out if any of the bathrooms have only a one door access. If they have any of these go to these bathrooms. If they don't then ask for management and explain your situation and ask what accomedations they can provide you with. Somewhere in any venue is a restroom that is safe even if you have to go to the first aid room and use theirs. Honestly I'd do any of these things before taking that old of a kid into the opposite sex restroom.

 

[DisneyPhD]

It just seems incongruous to me that the child is mature enough to attend a concert with those bands and those types of lyrics (and predictable crowd behavior) but you doubt his maturity to handle a restroom situation alone? I might rethink the whole outing if that were the case.

Good points.

 

[ampc3]

It just seems incongruous to me that the child is mature enough to attend a concert with those bands and those types of lyrics (and predictable crowd behavior) but you doubt his maturity to handle a restroom situation alone? I might rethink the whole outing if that were the case.

totally agree However, she already bought the tickets so in this situation she needs to bring him with her for sure!

 

[girlsx4]

I don't have to deal with these situations.....obviously I have 4 girls But it wouldn't bother me at all if I saw a 9 yr old in that situation in the women's restroom. I say take him w/you!

 

[mickeylove2]

It just seems incongruous to me that the child is mature enough to attend a concert with those bands and those types of lyrics (and predictable crowd behavior) but you doubt his maturity to handle a restroom situation alone? I might rethink the whole outing if that were the case.

I didn't want to say that, but I'm glad you did!

 

[K and K's Mommy]

Depending on the place, I still take my DS 8 in with me. I don't make him come in with me, (We pick a place for him to stand and NOT MOVE.) but if he has to go, he goes straight to a stall while I wait outside the stall. I don't see what the big deal is in a women's bathroom. They have private stalls.

On a side note, my DH and I went to a Bob Dylan concert this summer. The concert itself was fine for kids, and we actually did see quite a few, but the behavior and pot smoking around us was terrible!! I was disgusted. You might want to have thoughts on how to handle this.

 

[dis-happy]

It just seems incongruous to me that the child is mature enough to attend a concert with those bands and those types of lyrics (and predictable crowd behavior) but you doubt his maturity to handle a restroom situation alone? I might rethink the whole outing if that were the case.

It's not an issue of the maturity of the child, it's the lack of maturity among a bunch of adult drunken males along with the bad intentions of pedophiles who are physically and mentally able to take adavantage of a 9 year old.

 

[teresajoy]

It's not an issue of the maturity of the child, it's the lack of maturity among a bunch of adult drunken males along with the bad intentions of pedophiles who are physically and mentally able to take adavantage of a 9 year old.

EXACTLY what I was thinking!