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

[DisneyfeverTN]

I think you should do whatever you feel most comfortable. I have a 10 yr old son. I just started letting him use the men's restroom by himself. In a place near where we live, many years ago, a little boy went to use a men's restroom by himself while his mother waited outside. He was assaulted by several males.
It is so much better to be safe than sorry with our children. I think an adult male is much more likely than an adult female to molest a male child. A men's restroom is an extremely vulnerable place for young boy by himself. You might be able to tell your child to scream if he is in a bad situation, but you never know how he will react when he is scared. That's just MHO. I might be overprotective, but I do what I feel is best for my child to keep him safe. The women's restrooms have stalls for privacy. It doesn't bother me in the least when I see a young boy in the women's restroom.

 

[Fredd's Girl]

Just to share a different side to this story. I am the woman in the ladies room using the restroom without kids. Personally, it makes me very uncomfortable when boys that are obviously old enough to go into the men's restroom are in the ladies room. My mom and I experienced this alot on our trip in December.

In my experience, I've seen children that know they are somewhere they "aren't" supposed to be. Yes, there are doors, but have you ever been using the restroom and have a child peek at you through the cracks? I have. It's just a personal thing, I think 10 is entirely too old. Just wanted to share the side of some of the other ladies in the bathroom.

 

[Stitch65]

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.

Maybe I worded my thoughts wrong. My DS is 6 and he uses the men's restroom when I can stand outside the bathroom door. If it so happens his sister (5) has to go too then we all trek into either the family bathroom or the women's room. Now, my point was not to be blindly paranoid. There are always exceptions, but I think 10 is too old to be in the women's room. When my son goes alone, I stand outside the men's room door and hollar at him if I can't hear him. I've even propped open the door when he doesn't answer me right away. There is a time that you need to let your kids grow up and at 10 I think you can tell that about "bad" people and how to yell, scream & kick.

But I digress.... This is just my opinion. Please take it only at that. Parenting is such a big job, I wish I could find that darn owner's manual.

Strictly as a woman, walking into a women's room and seeing a 10 yr old boy, I would be fine with it as long as he was being respectful.

 

[Hannathy]

At the airport I would suggest sitting him next to the counter at the gate and tell the gate agents you are going to the restroom. I assume he knows to not go anywhere and to tell the agents if anyone is bugging him. This is what they do when a child is travelling alone. He is 10 not 4. If this isn't your choice I would have him stand right outside the door to the restroom with instructions to yell if problems(my kids already know to do this) so I could come right out and with all the people if he started screaming "your not my father" people would look and molesters don't want attention and I could be there by then. And yes at 10 we have done this,actually younger at airports when my DD flew with her father.

 

[DISaholic's]

I'm the mom of three. Two sons 18 and 16 and a daughter 12. I have to say my children were probably 7 or 8 when they went to a public restroom without me. My husband is a police officer who specializes in investigating child sex abuse, so if anyone is going to be 'extra cautious' it's him. To him everyone is a suspect.

Bad things happen sometimes, even to those people who are extra careful, and sometimes there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. Sometimes abuse takes place in familiar places like schools, neighborhood parks, friends homes, etc. Satistically, more abuse takes place by people the child knows than by a stranger.

You can't watch them 24/7. And even if you could it's important that we don't allow our fears as parents to stop our children from growing up to be independent smart adults. Educate him about the 'bad' people that are out there, make him aware and alert but not afraid. And be aware and alert of the people going in and out of the restroom. Teach him how to yell/scream/kick if he needs too, and then trust him to use the tools you taught. Talk to him about his ability to run away or yell for help.

10 is really kind of old to go into the ladies room, by 10 many boys are looking at the Sears catalog to see the ladies in their bras! Many 10 yr old boys have girlfriends at school. By that age, most boys/girls are mature enough, to
handle the situation. However every child is different, base your decision on the maturity of your child. In my experience, by the time all three of my children were 10, I could have a good discussion with them about strangers and about their comfort level regarding doing things on their own.

 

[dpayne1969]

I have a 13 year old son & he has went in the mens room by himself for a few years now.I do stand outside the door & he does have a cell phone so i do feel a little secure with that.It is awful though,you cant trust anyone anymore the world is getting very sick & cruel.I have been known to stand at the door & push it open & yell at him.Yes he gets embarassed but i dont care.
Im fine till i see another male walk in then i put on my guard & i will call him on his phone as soon as that male walks in.I say hurry up.I think it is a matter of opinion.I would not feel uncomfortable about a boy being in the restroom.My 10 year old girl said she would feel uncomfortable but she did understand where mom was coming from on the issue once i explained to her.
I will be traveling by myself w/3 kids in May,2 are teen boys.If they have to go to the bathroom i will be very nervous yes,this time he has the wireless deal where you talk hands free on your phone.I told them both they will go in together & dont talk to ANYONE!!Its very scary & most of us parents understand this.I think you should do what u feel comfortable with & hope the ladies in the restroom will be understanding.I think they will.You cant be tooooo careful with your kids these days!!!Good luck & dont worry what others think,hes your son & i think its great you are even concerned with his safety.So many parents dont even know where their kids are half the time.

 

[estnh]

Are you kidding me? A ten year old boy SHOULD NOT be in a womans bathroom. That is just wrong--both for the women in the bathroom and for the boy. If my mother had tried to take me into the women's bathroom at ten years old I would have run away from home!

 

[CinRell]

I think at Disney he'll be fine in the restroom alone if you wait outside the door... now.. for the airport? I'd probably keep him with me.

 

[LeCras]

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.

Oh I totally understand if you wouldn't feel comfortable leaving a child as young as ten on their own in an airport if you had to use the ladies' room.

However, your original post said:

I am going to be traveling to WDW with my 10 year old son. Should I let him use the mens restroom? Or take him in the ladies room with me? I am asking this questions about not just in disney, but also at the airport.

You were asking whether it was appropriate for him to use the men's room on his own, or if you should take him with you to the ladies'.

Personally I have no children, but I do have a younger brother who is ten. There is just no way he would go into the ladies' and to be honest I think he is too old to be there.

Charlotte

 

[hogwartsdropout]

Just to share a different side to this story. I am the woman in the ladies room using the restroom without kids. Personally, it makes me very uncomfortable when boys that are obviously old enough to go into the men's restroom are in the ladies room. My mom and I experienced this alot on our trip in December.

In my experience, I've seen children that know they are somewhere they "aren't" supposed to be. Yes, there are doors, but have you ever been using the restroom and have a child peek at you through the cracks? I have. It's just a personal thing, I think 10 is entirely too old. Just wanted to share the side of some of the other ladies in the bathroom.

Totally agree with you. It would make me very uncomfortable, ESPECIALLY because of those cracks in the doors at Disney. Why are they there anyway? You can see in! I make my mother stand in front of the cracks so no one can see in
I think at 10 years old, you should be using the restroom by yourself. Think of the other women using the bathroom. It really really makes me uncomfortable.

 

[mickeyfan2]

He is old enough to use the men's room. I don't want 10 year olds in the ladies room. You could also consider taking him to the companion bathroom.

 

[LOLA2]

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.

100% no!!! Different if you are waiting outside the bathroom for him because you can moniter that situation. You going into bathroom and leaving him in airport HELL NO. Nothing wrong with him taking a couple of steps ito the bathroom out of eyeshot for strangers and weirdos in airport seeing an unchaperoned kid is just inviting trouble. Please take him in and who cares what other people say. Have a great trip

 

[Poohgirl]

I have two sons 8 & 9 they will usually go into the bathrooms together with me waiting right outside. They do know to watch out for one another and about "stranger danger" and kicking, screaming etc. The 9 (almost 10) yo would not even think of coming with me to the bathroom. My 8yo, if he had to go alone, would consider going with me, and I have no problem with that. While I am standing outside waiting, it is difficult for me, I do worry. But I also realize am right outside and they use the buddy system. Its the trade off I need to give them to let them grow up one step at a time.

 

[Pixiedust34]

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

This is my concern.

I'll be traveling alone with my just-turned-10 y.o. ds and just-turned-8.yo. dd. I am OK with sending my ds into the men's room by himself as long as I can stand near the door. He's been going into men's bathrooms by himself for a few years now.

But, when I or dd have to "go," I am not OK with leaving ds on a bench by himself outside the restroom. He is a very "young" boy for his age maturity-wise. My plan is to try for the companion restrooms OR have him come right inside the ladies room door. He knows to not go past the sinks. He just stands right by the door while I quickly take care of business. That way, he is within eyeshot of dd and ear shot of me. He will go to the men's room to do his business when he needs to go.

I am not offended to see boys in the ladies room as long as they are well behaved (not wondering around the stall area) and respectful.

The BIGGEST problem is men traveling with girls alone. A man can't take a girl in the ladies room, and the men's room doesn't have stalls. Luckily, dh and dd have not have this circumstance often.

 

[Magickndm]

Too old.

 

[minnieandmickeymouse]

You were asking whether it was appropriate for him to use the men's room on his own, or if you should take him with you to the ladies'.

You are 100% right, as usual I didn't ask it the way I meant it. And I'm sorry for that.

But it doesn't matter. I don't care how uncomfortable the rest of you are about having boys in a public womens rest room, I will be bringing him in the ladies room at the airport.

In all the times I have been in the ladies rest room,, I never ever thought anything of seeing boys with their mothers in there. I guess I just don't pay attention to it.

 

[mickeyfan2]

If your are worried about him at the airport, then have him stand in the entrance and keep talking to him. There is a wall so he cannot see anything and he is not "in the airport".

 

[LOLA2]

Just to share a different side to this story. I am the woman in the ladies room using the restroom without kids. Personally, it makes me very uncomfortable when boys that are obviously old enough to go into the men's restroom are in the ladies room. My mom and I experienced this alot on our trip in December.

In my experience, I've seen children that know they are somewhere they "aren't" supposed to be. Yes, there are doors, but have you ever been using the restroom and have a child peek at you through the cracks? I have. It's just a personal thing, I think 10 is entirely too old. Just wanted to share the side of some of the other ladies in the bathroom.

Geez - I guess a mother should just let her child wait outside by himself to be kidnapped just so you are not uncomfortable, think about other people and the hundreds and hundreds of freaks out there waiting for a mom to make that choice where her kid is alone. What a dream for that freak. But I guess anything to make mature grown women to feel comfortable for 2 minutes in the bathroom is first prioroty.

 

[ruttie]

I have 2 boys 6 & 8 and i count. I stand outside the boys room and I say I am counting to... usually 60 if you are not out by then I am coming in PERIOD! I usually have dripping hands boys out by 57 or 58

 

[lisamomof3]

I haven't read all the other replies so I'm sure you've heard it all. I believe at 10 he is old enough to go to the men's restroom by himself. I don't have any boys, but I know my DD's ages 8-12 would be mortified if they had to go with their Dad. Sometimes they don't even want me to go in with them, so I just stand outside bathroom. I would think most people at Disney are either parents themselves or kids at heart and would not hurt your DS. Even in the airports I feel he should be fine.