Moms with boys, bathroom question

[BensWife]

My sons are 6 and 3. Is the 6 year old too old to come into the ladies' room with me? Can I trust him in the men's room alone if I am right outside? He tells me he is ok to go by himself, but I don't know if "I" am ok with it. What do you do?

 

[crayon3448]

There is a whole thread about it here:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3081459

I don't think anyone would think twice about a 6 year old in the women's bathroom if you are not comfortable with him going into the men's room alone.

 

[MSSANDRA]

Assuming you mean at WDW. My 6 year old goes with me if we are alone. Always with the guys if they are along. This topic gets ugly fast so be prepared. We have been to the parks many times and we have seen guys older than 6 in the women's bathroom many times. A bigger issue is when you have to go and take the 3 year as well. Where will he be during that time? My suggestion at 6 is for you all to go together but be sure you son knows proper bathroom manners and stands where you tell him too and is not peeping through cracks in doors etc.

 

[diamondpixienc]

Assuming you mean at WDW. My 6 year old goes with me if we are alone. Always with the guys if they are along. This topic gets ugly fast so be prepared. We have been to the parks many times and we have seen guys older than 6 in the women's bathroom many times. A bigger issue is when you have to go and take the 3 year as well. Where will he be during that time? My suggestion at 6 is for you all to go together but be sure you son knows proper bathroom manners and stands where you tell him too and is not peeping through cracks in doors etc.

This and 6 is not too old!

 

[sweetcreams]

I don't let my 7 year old son go in the men's room alone. He comes in with me if his Dad's not around.

 

[esk]

I took DS with me until he was probably 8. Or, I let him go in the mens but yelled out "I'm standing right outside, son, so I'll be right here when you're done". He was pretty embarrassed but (he said) less embarrassed that having to go in the women's restroom. It kind of depended on where we were, how many people were around, my gut feeling, etc, whether I let him go by himself.

Then, when DD and I had to go, I made him stand right outside the women's, and I'd yell out to him, "are you still there" every few minutes. Probably wouldn't have deterred anyone from grabbing him, but at least it got him yelling back. If the women's room had an entryway with 2 doors, he stood inside that entryway where he couldn't see anything but also couldn't be seen from outside.

 

[WantToGoNow]

Is you husband not going? Your ticker says family vacation. If your husband is along then your son should be fine in the men's room. Otherwise take him into the women's restroom and take him into the stall with you. Most people have no problem with a boy of any age in the women's restroom as long at they are in the stall with their mother. However, my ds12 would not have wanted to go into the women's restroom at 6 and it would have been a big scene at every restroom - he used the men's room whether dh was going in or not.

 

[rosiegmendez]

I took DS with me until he was probably 8. Or, I let him go in the mens but yelled out "I'm standing right outside, son, so I'll be right here when you're done". He was pretty embarrassed but (he said) less embarrassed that having to go in the women's restroom. It kind of depended on where we were, how many people were around, my gut feeling, etc, whether I let him go by himself.

Then, when DD and I had to go, I made him stand right outside the women's, and I'd yell out to him, "are you still there" every few minutes. Probably wouldn't have deterred anyone from grabbing him, but at least it got him yelling back. If the women's room had an entryway with 2 doors, he stood inside that entryway where he couldn't see anything but also couldn't be seen from outside.

We do this because my 7 year old gets really embarrassed walking into the womens restroom with "girls" in there. I do all of the above plus I give him a pep talk and remind him about strangers, privacy, etc.

Well last time I stood outside the men's restroom door waiting for him and a couple of dads came out chuckling asking if that was my son. Apparently he'd say to the dad in the next stall, and the dad washing his hands next to him, "Excuse me sir. Please dont steal me."

 

[OceanAnnie]

Look for "Family Restrooms". They have them in the parks, and a lot of retail stores have them too.

If there are no family restrooms, you have to do what you and your child are comfortable doing. Don't do something you aren't comfortable with because of some other people's opinions.

 

[aprilchem]

I agree with the PP; do what's comfortable for you. My boys are 6 and 7 and I don't feel it's appropriate for them to go into a ladies room with me. They go into the men's room together and come out together and I stand outside. I understand why other mothers choose to take their older children in with them, it's just not my choice to do so.

 

[deedeetoo]

My son went into the men's restroom by himself at WDW at age 6.

 

[4HppyCamprs]

My son is 8 and so I do like previous poster said and post myself at the men's room door and will shout in if I think it is taking to long. A little
Boy was recently molested in a McDonald's restroom by a 17 year old boy. I can't tie my apron strings around him but I can certainly let the world know that somebody is right there watching for him. My 4 year old comes with me. No issue if DH is present but he is a fireman so he is gone a lot.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[maxiesmom]

Look for "Family Restrooms". They have them in the parks, and a lot of retail stores have them too.

If there are no family restrooms, you have to do what you and your child are comfortable doing. Don't do something you aren't comfortable with because of some other people's opinions.

Disney does not have family restrooms. They have companion restrooms that are only shown on the park map for disabled guests. Which makes them hard to find if. You are in a hurry.

 

[OceanAnnie]

Disney does not have family restrooms. They have companion restrooms that are only shown on the park map for disabled guests. Which makes them hard to find if. You are in a hurry.

I could have sworn they were family restrooms. Anyway, we found them pretty easily. We weren't even looking for them but were glad they were there. The ones our family used were right next to the regular restrooms.

 

[maxiesmom]

I could have sworn they were family restrooms. Anyway, we found them pretty easily. We weren't even looking for them but were glad they were there. The ones our family used were right next to the regular restrooms.

They are officially called Companion Assisted Restrooms by Disney. However, anyone is free to use them, if you know where they are. Just try and keep in mind that they are few and far between, and the only restroom some guests CAN use, so only use them if you have to.

And please don't use them as a time out spot, or as a spot to change your child's clothing. Not meaning this as a scolding of the poster I quoted, just as a general comment.

 

[OceanAnnie]

They are officially called Companion Assisted Restrooms by Disney. However, anyone is free to use them, if you know where they are. Just try and keep in mind that they are few and far between, and the only restroom some guests CAN use, so only use them if you have to.

And please don't use them as a time out spot, or as a spot to change your child's clothing. Not meaning this as a scolding of the poster I quoted, just as a general comment.

Companion Assisted Restrooms it is then.

Didn't take it as scolding, but as for our family --- OBO or official business only.

 

[hardrocker1]

My 5 y.o. absolutely refuses to go in the womens, so I stand outside and wait for him. This is probably really off the wall, but this is DW and I'm not saying there aren't bad men out there, but if he is gone awhile, I look for other dads with boys going in and ask them to check on him, nobody has had a problem with this yet, fathers seem to understand and will hurry him along.

Blessings, Michelle

 

[BBG-BLT]

You really have to do what you feel is right. Every kid and situation is different. I let my son at that age but he was quite clear that he was not going to go into a woman's room and I honored that. He has no Dad so it complicated things a bit for us.

But follow your intuition - there have been places I made him go in with me because it just didn't feel right.

 

[rachael95]

This is a bit off topic, but related... I'm trying to figure out when to stop bringing my son with me into places like a changing room when I'm looking for clothes for me. He's only 15 months old right now, so I'm not worried about it for now, but when did you all stop bringing your no longer babies in with you to clothing changing rooms?

 

[MSSANDRA]

This is a bit off topic, but related... I'm trying to figure out when to stop bringing my son with me into places like a changing room when I'm looking for clothes for me. He's only 15 months old right now, so I'm not worried about it for now, but when did you all stop bringing your no longer babies in with you to clothing changing rooms?

That one would be totally up to you as how long you are comfortable changing in front of your son. Dressing rooms are larger and self contained and more open to the store area anyway, so can not image anyone having any issue with whatever age you wanted to take him with you. We have seen men walk right to the door where you go into the hall for the rooms and hand women clothes, some going right to the individual rooms and have even seen a few uni-sex changing rooms.

I have a friend that NEVER let her boys see her undressed, even as babies and no she did not nurse them. Also know someone where no modesty is in taken in their home. Most people fall somewhere in between.