Should I take my 10 yr old son in the ladies restroom?

[Quinn222]

Just a heads up that if you do have him go by himself make sure you know where the exit of the restroom is, it's not always the same door as the entrance and if there are two ways out make sure you and he know which one he should use.

 

[LaurenO]

If I had a 10 year old son with me at Disney I would not let him out of my sight. There are way too many risks involved in letting him go into a men's room by himself. Something could happen to him, and it could change your lives forever.

 

[HunnyPots]

My DS is now 15 but I tell you, at 10 he would have peed in his pants before he would have gone to the ladies room with me! We stopped that when he started school. I always stood right outside the door and waited and he new I would call out to him if I thought he was taking an unusually long time. Of course, that probably embarassed him almost as much as going to the ladies room would have!

 

[Sweedee]

Nope, when my ds was 10 he would go in the men's room. I have always stood RIGHT OUTSIDE the door of the mens room, and occasionally holler in for him...YOU DOING OK???? If he isn't prompt in answering, I holler again! I know...he's probably gonna need therapy when he is older cause his mother screamed at him in the mens room!

 

[jeannief]

Airport- with me. No question about it.
Disney- depends on the crowds at the time. At crowded places I bring my sons into the womens, even though they hate it. If fairly empty then I stand outside the door and wait. I've been known to open the door and yell in.

Yookeroo, at a local amusement park a few years ago a 9 year old was sexually assaulted in a washroom while his mom was outside. Better safe than sorry in my book.

 

[loriandmatt]

sort answer - no.

this is coming from a mom of an 11 year old boy. do him a favor and teach him to yell, kick, scream his head off if anyone does something that is inappropriate to him (and not just in the rest room when you are standing outside, either) Arm him for life as a young boy.

Either that or use the companion restrooms availavle at all the parks and resorts.

my 11 YO would be totally put off by being in a ladies rest room and i would be totally put off by having someone bring their 10 year old in with them.

(not saying your a bad mom if you do, just over protective in my opinion - and you did ask for opinions here.)

- lori

 

[cfrith]

I have girls, but not sure I'd let my son go by himself. It doesn't take long for something bad to happen to him. Even if it's something that happens in only a second or two...how traumatizing would that be? And what if he's afraid to tell you? There are SO many creepy people out there. You don't know if your son is being touched or what. It's sad but true.

 

[JRawkSteady]

I do agree that 10 is way too old to be in the ladies room. At that age, boys will stare at anything and everything.

I also agree with the previous poster who added to make sure they know which exit to leave from. 50% of lost parent cases are because either the child or parent left the building a different way than they came in. At 10, I wouldn't think that would be a problem at all though.

 

[Lorelai]

I have two sons. I remember when my oldest was 10 and I was debating the wait outside the men's room door, or take him with me option.

Right around the time that I was in this place in my life with my son, a news story broke about a ten year old boy who entered a men's room alone at a beach resort and was badly assaulted by a man already inside. Horrifyingly enough, he left the boy in very bad shape, so that when the man exited, he had ample time to get away before the boy's family went in looking for the boy.

I can't imagine anything worse as a parent than to have your child harmed so horifically. My heart still breaks for that family. I know that these tragedies are random, yet every time my younger son has to use the bathroom, I still take him with me. The "what if" is just too possible. You really don't know who is inside that bathroom.

 

[denanbob]

I'm really on the fence about this one. I see both sides. I think safety overshadows embarrassment in a heartbeat though. I would feel safer letting them (I have a 10 boy and an 8 boy) use the mens room alone in Disney vs. an airport. I would NOT let them in there alone in an airport, period. Luckily, my DH will go in with them everytime (whether he has to go or not), but if I was a single parent (or just there alone), I would most likely stand right outside the door so I could hear what was going on and periodically yell out "Jake, you doing ok?" if he was taking awhile. I would also want to make sure there was only one entrance and exit (that I was waiting by) and if there were different exits (out the other side or something), I would find another bathroom. I know it's unfortunate, but there are numerous "things" that could happen while your child is in a bathroom unattended with who knows who so I don't think these parents are being overprotective at all.

 

[Stitch65]

If I had a 10 year old son with me at Disney I would not let him out of my sight. There are way too many risks involved in letting him go into a men's room by himself. Something could happen to him, and it could change your lives forever.

This is a slippery slope. If that's the line of thinking you are using, you might as well never leave your house. It could change your life forever.

 

[Perdygirl]

I have an 8 year old son, and there is absolutely no way I could get him to go into the ladies restroom. He would be mortified at the thought. Give your nephew very clear instructions before either of you separate to go into a restroom, and tell him that if he misbehaves you'll take him back to the hotel for the day.

 

[lillygator]

I have girls and maybe I am just over protective but no way would I let my 10 year old alone to use the restroom. You never know what can happen even at the most magical place on earth.

 

[denanbob]

I have two sons. I remember when my oldest was 10 and I was debating the wait outside the men's room door, or take him with me option.

Right around the time that I was in this place in my life with my son, a news story broke about a ten year old boy who entered a men's room alone at a beach resort and was badly assaulted by a man already inside. Horrifyingly enough, he left the boy in very bad shape, so that when the man exited, he had ample time to get away before the boy's family went in looking for the boy.

I can't imagine anything worse as a parent than to have your child harmed so horifically. My heart still breaks for that family. I know that these tragedies are random, yet every time my younger son has to use the bathroom, I still take him with me. The "what if" is just too possible. You really don't know who is inside that bathroom.

I remember this story. This was a few years ago, right? I was thinking the child died? Maybe I'm remembering wrong. That's exactly why I would stand outside the door so I could hear what was happening (or what was being said even). If the door was closed, I would have no problem propping it open with my shoe or something so I could hear inside. I don't give a rat's behind who thinks I'm crazy, lunatic, overprotective, whatever..........doesn't matter a bit to me!

 

[lillygator]

This is a slippery slope. If that's the line of thinking you are using, you might as well never leave your house. It could change your life forever.

there will be plenty of opportunites in life for the child to be alone/away but if something as small as them using the same restroom as me could have prevented anything then damn straight I'll be doing it.

BTW - there are tons of companion restrooms around which we tend to use more often than the women's/men's.

 

[wendypooh]

Take him with you if YOU want too!!!! I have 3 boys, took them with me, WHEN I felt uncomfortable otherwise. Is 10 "too old", it depends............ my 6 year old feels "odd" going into the ladies room, but he goes if DH is not with us, there is NO WAY he'd go alone.


THIS IS WHY --

http://www.wpmi.com/news/state/story.aspx?content_id=A4DD986C-EF97-4A26-957C-C92BAF53DBF0


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

These are just 2 examples!!! I don't mean to scare anyone, but this does happen. I say, DO what makes you comfortable!! Better safe then sorry!

 

[XYSRUS]

I have 4 boys and at around 8 years old they can go to the men's restroom alone. I stand outside to monitor time and get them as soon as they come out. I have also carried on conversations with them from the door and have walked in the men's room if they take too long or have trouble with the handwashing. No big deal. Be vigilant , and allow your son(s) to mature. Good luck.

 

[minnieandmickeymouse]

Let me get this right, so all of you who wouldn't take your 7 or 8 or 9 year old sons in the ladies room, you would feel perfectly safe leaving them alone in JFK airport, while YOU went into the ladies room?

I'm sorry, but I have a HARD time believing that. Not in this world.

And THAT is what I am getting at. I let HIM use the mens room when he was 7 at WDW, but THAT is not what I am talking about here.

I meant if I need to use the ladies room at the airport, should I take him in with me, NOT up to the stales, not for HIM to use the ladies room.

 

[kimbac3]

I'd be more concerned leaving him outside the restroom while I went in. It's different if you let him go into the men's room and wait by the door, but to leave him standing outside all by himself - that would make me nervous. I have an 11yr old DS. He's very small for his age, I would probably make him wait just inside the ladies room door while I do my thing. Luckily I usually have my DH with me or my DD14.
Tough call, do what you are comfortable with, he's your son and nobody knows you anyway!
Have Fun!
Kimba

 

[lillygator]

take him with you!