What age to allow daughter to go to the bathroom by herself?

[coasternut22]

I’m a dad with DD5.5 and DS4. We are theme park veterans and I watch the kids by myself often. We’re going to the parks next month, and there will be a day where my wife will be attending a function, and I will take the kids to the park by myself. Now I have no problem taking all 3 of us into a men’s room stall and taking turns going potty. But my DD is getting pretty insistent that she can go into a public women’s restroom by herself. She’s pretty responsible for her age, and I’ve had no problem letting her go to a smaller public restroom with one or two stalls like McDonalds by herself. I’ve talked to my wife, and she is hesitant about letting her go to the women’s room in a large place like Disney unattended. One thing I do need to keep in mind is that there will be times I will have to take my son into the men’s room because he definitely still needs assistance, and I don’t want to leave my daughter out front alone, but I anticipate this will be a growing issue as they both get older. I also know there are family restrooms. Just seeing what the public has to say about this. Thanks

 

[Fosteringaprincess]

I would not let a child that age go in alone. I would advise that day to use the companion (family) bathrooms. You may have to wait a few minutes but it would only be your family in the bathroom. Just another thought. Hope you have a great trip

 

[scrapquitler]

At 4, in Disney World, no way, especially if I were a dad who would be taking another child into the men's room at the same time.

 

[kreckl]

Disney bathrooms are crazy. I would use the family restroom.

 

[22Tink]

Not at that age. I just let my DD go on her own on our last trip and she's 9. I would definitely use the family restroom.

 

[cjbcam]

I have three DDs and one DS. I would not let them go at that age by themselves

 

[HopperFan]

While there technically are no Family Restrooms in Disney, only Companion Restrooms for the disabled and those needing opposite sex assistance (husband/wife or like myself Mom/Adult Male) ............. in your situation I would take all of you into the Companion Restrooms. When alone with my DS I have him face the wall while I go to the bathroom, you could do the same.

Look for these signs (Opposite Sex adults and a W/C user) -

 

[niccikatie]

Companion restroom or take her in with you. With preference to the companion restroom since you have another one to help, too. They are just so much nicer to share space in. This is one area that I'm pretty protective about. It's such a vulnerable place for something bad to happen and there are SO many people going in/out. My DD is 13 and I still don't really LIKE sending her in alone, though I do let her, of course!

 

[Tattylou]

I definitely would not let her go in alone at 5. I'm a mom of 2 boys and our last trip they were 6 and 8 - we used the family/companion restrooms if my husband or my father wasn't around to take them to the men's bathroom. I am with you @niccikatie - I'm overly paranoid about them going in bathrooms alone.

 

[Ensusieasm]

I’m a dad with DD5.5 and DS4. We are theme park veterans and I watch the kids by myself often. We’re going to the parks next month, and there will be a day where my wife will be attending a function, and I will take the kids to the park by myself. Now I have no problem taking all 3 of us into a men’s room stall and taking turns going potty. But my DD is getting pretty insistent that she can go into a public women’s restroom by herself. She’s pretty responsible for her age, and I’ve had no problem letting her go to a smaller public restroom with one or two stalls like McDonalds by herself. I’ve talked to my wife, and she is hesitant about letting her go to the women’s room in a large place like Disney unattended. One thing I do need to keep in mind is that there will be times I will have to take my son into the men’s room because he definitely still needs assistance, and I don’t want to leave my daughter out front alone, but I anticipate this will be a growing issue as they both get older. I also know there are family restrooms. Just seeing what the public has to say about this. Thanks

Stick together.

 

[LBHouse]

We are the odd ones here. Right around age 4 we start letting them go alone.

 

[piccolopat]

I think it depends. If all of you have to use the restroom, stick together. If only your DD has to go, let her go by herself since you will be waiting right outside for her.

 

[Klayfish]

I'll be a vote against the grain here too. At age 5.5, I'd have no problem letting her go in alone. I'd wait right outside the entrance (well, not that close, but close enough), but I'd be fine letting her go in.

 

[TwinkleKS]

In some locations I'd let her go alone ... Like you mentioned in less crowded areas. Or if it is a less crowded day at a park and one of the smaller restrooms and I was standing outside, maybe. But sometimes the restrooms are pretty crowded and with a tiny kid it can be easy to be jostled around, not be able to wash your hands, get stuck in a flow of traffic and not see dad, etc. Plus there are a few restrooms that have two entrances - which can add to the confusion.

 

[sponica]

(rants in head: strangers are statistically the safest people to be around)

Speaks in outside voice: if she's the only one who needs to go to the bathroom, send her into the ladies room. If there's anything moms are good about it's picking up on the unattended kids in the restroom, she'll more than likely be ok. The worst thing that might happen is the stall not having TP and that's what stall neighbors are for. If you or her brother need to go, I'm also on the side of having her wait outside, but that depends on her and whether or not she's a wanderer. Her brother's also going to be getting to the age where HE will not want her in the stall while HE's peeing.

 

[jpeterson]

We started letting our oldest go alone at 5.5 or so. Even at Disneyworld. Only time it was ever an issue was outside Fantasmic, there is a restroom with 2 entrances/exits and he went out the other one. I about had a heart attack for 30 seconds until I found him!

 

[KenHutch]

I ran into this problem when my daughter was between 4-5. She absolutely refused to go into the men's room at our local AMC. At Disney we had this fight again, in a couple of cases women going into the ladies room with their girls helped me out. One mother laughed and said put her in the herd (she had 4) and watched out while I was outside. In another (really sad) case a mother walked in and yelled out a Man is coming in with his daughter and I walked into the ladies room with her. I got a lot of laughs from women as I stood there embarrassed. But you gotta do what ya gotta do for them.

 

[melanielll]

Well - years ago - we (me and my two young daughters) were in the bathroom that used to be in Fantasy Land (by Peter Pan). I was helping my youngest to wash her hands while her sister washed her own hands. A woman came out of the stall, shoved my older daughter aside and proceeded to start washing her hands. I means - she SHOVED HER. That led to what is called to this day in my family as - THE ALTERCATION.

Do not let a child that young go into a bathroom at a theme park alone.

Edited to add the daughter who was shoved was 7 at the time.

 

[westie55]

If she is confident and comfortable going in alone (and knows how to wait on line in case there is one) and you are standing right outside, I think she'd be ok. If she is hesitant at all, I would stick together. I wouldn't go in separate restrooms at the same time. The companion rest rooms are another good option but they aren't found everywhere there are regular restrooms (although there are several in each park).

 

[siestakeys04]

I would say no. My daughter is 22 now but anytime she went to the bathroom I went. I wouldn't trust it, i would look for some type of family/companion bathroom. With the poster who stated that her child was pushed and she was standing right there,,,everyone is not kind.