Little boys in the women's restroom

[quentina]

My oldest is 11, I just started letting him go alone. I try to scout out the "family restrooms" however, if I can't find them, he is going with me.

I just do not feel comfortable letting him go alone....you really never know who is in the other stalls (even at a mature 11, I am nervous).

There was a murder a few years ago while the Aunt waited outside for her nephew. SHe knew something was wrong when she saw the murderer leave the restroom (I think they were at a campsite). The young boy was 8 or 9. I don't remember how he was actually killed...I think he was stabbed.

Let's just say..since reading that story, I always worry, worry, worry.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[TheLittleRoo]

You know, in many parts of Europe, we found unisex bathrooms. All had a common room, some had stalls for men and stalls for women. The wash area of course was common too.

Our bathrooms at home are unisex. There are stalls in public restrooms. What on earth is the big deal? Especially in the US womens' bathrooms, what is a kid going to see really? Nothing. If they would make men's rooms with stalls, there wouldn't be a problem with a dad taking a daughter either.

I took my son in with me up until he was about 8 or so, usually after encouraging him to wait until we got home if possible. But I would not waver from looking anyone in the eye who was giving me stink eye, which I have to say was never. I have had to chase my son out of the mens' room though, at age 3! Little stinker pushed the door open and zipped through it before I could blink. I called out a warning first to him to come back, then to anyone in there I was coming in in 5 seconds. Lucky for me, he came out before I had to go in after him!

I can't imagine anyone making a big deal out of this... it's a shame anyone could be so prude and uncompromising.

 

[KAMLEM]

Just this week I was using the a public ladies' room and a women brought her two sons in with her. I would guess that they were about 6 and 8 and they were peeking into all the stalls while the mother was in another stall. If she hadn't left before me I definitely would have said something.

JMO, but I think that 10 or 11 is way too old to be in a ladies' room. Some boys have begun puberty by that age and I can't imagine that they want to be in there with their mother anyway. Where do you draw the line?

 

[Myhappythought5]

I also would take my 7 yr old with me. There are stalls and he won't be able to see anything or anyone. I would just not be comfortable with him at that age going or waiting by himself.

 

[LAH LAH]

I am a single mom to an 11 year old son, and a 9 year old daughter. We just returned from a week at Disney and my son went in with us everytime. He knows not to speak, peek, or do anything that is considered rude. And if he doesn't have to go, we find a nice corner for him to wait in. One that I can hear him if an emergency were to present itself. We have only been questioned once and it was in a Friendly's. No one looked at us twice at Disney.

If the state of NY says I shouldn't leave my son alone until the age of 13 then I am not sending him alone into the mens room at Disney or anywhere else. The chances that something might happen are so slim...but my sister was abducted and never found...I refuse to chance that!

(just a side note...my son has a highly functional autism...but I think my decision would be the same either way)

 

[nessz79]

7 years old is still very young and perfectly acceptable to come into the women's restroom as long as he is well-behaved and won't peek into restrooms, as another poster mentioned.

 

[fa_mulan]

I agree, I was a single parent and was terified of letting my son go to bathroom by himself because I heard so my scary stories. I think my son was probably 7 or 8 when I started letting him go by himself, but Disney is big, I would take him in with you, don't let people bother you, it's YOUR godson and his safety. Besides if you were like me I would wait what seemed like forever for my son to come out of the men's bathroom imagining all sorts of things. There were many times I almost stopped guys that walked out to ask if they saw a little boy in the bathroom. I was a little paranoid!

 

[Lstar311]

How sweet of you to bring him on such a wonderful vacation! Please bring him in the ladies room with you and do not think twice, safety is the most important thing!

 

[tam626]

Have'nt read all the responses but I would not let a 7 year old go into a bathroom alone. I guess I'm overprotective. I really don't think any woman who's a mom will have a problem with you taking a 7 year old in the womens' bathroom.

 

[abcboys]

The 7 year old will be fine coming to the bathroom with you and I don't think anyone will say anything. That is not too old. My 10 year old has not come into the bathroom with me in several years and it just depends on the situation whether my 6 year old goes in with me or not (if DH is not there he usually goes in with big brother) I am not overprotective like most and don't worry there is a boogyman waiting behind every bathroom door. But since it is his mother's wish that he come in with you it won't be a big deal.

 

[Kit'smommy]

My son has been allowed to use a restroom on his own since he was about 5 1/2. I find is disgusting when women take boys into the womens room after 5 or 6. I feel the same way about young girls in the men's room as well.

If your going to force this issue, then use a family restroom. I'm sorry, but I don't feel comfortable unzipping when little girls are standing there. I know my son does not feel comfortable at all in the ladies room and he is only 6 1/2.

I find it interesting that a man would object to a young boy going into a ladies' restroom. Funny that it doesn't seem to bother the women posting here. I hardly think this merits the lable of "disgusting" by any means. I agree that I little girl does not belong in the men's room, but there are stalls in the ladies' room so it is hardly the same thing.

Now if you want to talk disgusting, I have taken my little boy a few empty men's restrooms (rooms with a single toilet, urinal and a sink) at restaurants, our hospital, and service stations and at unisex restrooms at other facilities. Honestly, as disgustingly dirty as some of thm have been, I wouldn't want my young son to go into them along without me supervising him.

Where is the age cutoff? I am not sure, but I don't think my son is going to go into any multi-person restroom by himself in the next year. I would rather make someone uncomfortable (including my child) than put him in danger.

 

[Lillabelle0]

OK...I still take my DS with me into the ladies bathroom and will continue to do so until I feel that it is safe for him to go on his own. He wants very badly to go in on his own. Call me whatever, but in the line of work I do, it only takes but a few minutes for a child predator to pull a child into a stall, color or cut his/her hair and change the clothes. Your child can walk right by you without you even knowing what happened. These are the types of opportunities these types of people count on. Call it paronoid, but I have worked with children who have been victims. That is tooooo big of a risk for me to take. So, OP, take him with you and if someone gives you a strange look, then oh well. They will get over it. He is still a child incapable of defending himself against the attack of a predator. Hopefully there are no people like this at Disney, but with all those children, it is a predators dream. The men I do feel sorry for. Can a single father let his daughter go into the ladies room alone at the age of 2? It does seem inappropriate for her to go into the men's bathroom with him and there aren't always enough family restrooms to accommodate families. But as OP said, there are ways around that. To each his own.

 

[3girls4me05]

My sister got yelled at one time for bringing her boys into a restroom with her. She was traveling alone and this was a highway rest stop. Her sons were 10 and 8 and there was no way she was letting them go alone. When my sister explained that she was traveling alone the woman told her she shouldn't be traveling without her husband! LOL! Some people seem to think they make all the rules.
As for the companion rest rooms, I always thought they were to be used by anyone who needed companion's help to go potty. My DH used them to take our 2 yr old daughter potty when we were at Disney.

 

[cdotla]

What goes on in the ladies rooms at WDW in plain view? Hmmm....all the times I have been there it has been some washing of hands, primping, applying of lipstick, ect. Perhaps a diaper change of a small baby.

Anything that should be behind closed doors such as using the facilities or changing clothes is taking place in the stalls. And if it isn't, it needs to be!

So seriously, what is the problem with a 7 yr old boy being there?

Now the men's washroom is another story. Goodness, I wish for parent's sake they would eliminate urinals....that would solve the dilemma the single dad with a small daughter faces. Either way, the poor dads don't have a great option in the event they can't get into a family washroom.

 

[jdcthree]

My son is 7 and he does NOT use a public men's room alone. No way. I don't care if anyone has something to say about him going in the ladies room with me. He is not their child and I love him way too much to put him at risk just because some lady doesn't want to see him in a restroom with me.

 

[kimgg]

Sounds like 53 or 54 out of 55 agree - don't let him go in to the men's room alone. You prudes seem to be outnumbered by us mother hens.

One way around it as your boys get older and you do start to let them go, is to call in to the men's room -"I'll be waiting right here" and make sure the men inside know you are "lurking" (may not work in a large WDW bathroom unless you can yell pretty loud) and then as men go in make sure they see you are waiting right there, give them your best "I'm watching you" look. If he takes too long, call in "Bobby, hurry up or I'm coming in after you." Train your kids what to do if anyones tries anything that makes them uncomfortable (Yell as loud as they can, maybe a code word and get away and out) including ANYONE touching them or invading their space. I would not do all this until he is around 8, (7 at the youngest) and take them w/ you until then. I have 6 and 9 year old boys, and still only let them go alone together when I can see the door and who goes in and out. You have to use your judgement but don't be too careful. I also work in a profession where I know there are PLENTY of perverts in the world, unfortunately. Don't be naive, parents.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

I've seen all ages of boys in the bathrooms at WDW. My DS is 10 and he always goes to the restroom with my husband so not an issue whileat WDW, but I wouldn't think twice of seeing any age boy, well younger then a teenager, in a womans restroom.

Last time we were visiting WDW , I had my DD (5) with me in the ladies room and there was a boy in there , probably about 8 or 9. My DD asked mommy whats that boy doing in here when its a ladies room? I said that maybe the daddy isn't with them and the mommy doesn't feel safe leaving him by himself. My DD said OK, and that was it. The mom of the boy smiled and nodded at me.

I've been there. My 10 yo just started in the last year being aloud to go to the mens restroom alone, so I get it, safety first.

 

[TxRabbit]

It hasn't been a problem for me. I still take DS8 into the ladies room if DH isn't around.

 

[Teresa Pitman]

The dads I've known who have had a young daughter with them and needed to use the washroom have covered her eyes as they walked into the room (just in case!) and moved her quickly into a stall. I don't see how anyone would be uncomfortable with that.

Teresa

 

[ilandrazdsw]

The dads I've known who have had a young daughter with them and needed to use the washroom have covered her eyes as they walked into the room (just in case!) and moved her quickly into a stall. I don't see how anyone would be uncomfortable with that.

Teresa

That is what DH does with our DD3!