Why are little boys allowed to go into the women's restroom with their mothers?

Question

I'm a single father of three little girls and I've taught them to go into a public women's restroom, stay together, go into one stall, take care of business, wash up, and come out. I stand right by the door and I've taught them to scream if anyone were to touch them or talk to them inaproprately.
So my six year old daughter goes into a restroom and then she comes flying out like five seconds later because a little boy from her class was in there with his mom and he pointed and laughed at her.
It was awful for her.

Answer 1

I'm going to assume it's a safety issue, but I've got to say, it's REALLY annoying to be stared at by some boy in the bathroom. I don't know why mothers can't stand outside the mens room and wait, unless it's got a back door, no ones going to snatch a kid, and as for anything else happening, if the kid is in there too long, go in and get him. I think little boys need to learn they don't belong in a womens bathroom after the age of three.

Answer 2

I have a 6 year old and I would NEVER take him into the restroom with me at that age. After about the age of 4, sons need to start going into the bathroom alone if Dad or another male figure is not there. You are doing the right thing with your girls. Just let them know that if a boy is in the bathroom, they are in there because their Mom wants to keep a close eye on them. As far as the pointing and laughing, just let you daughter know that some kids can be mean at times and tactfully tell her that she was not doing anything wrong by being in the girl's bathroom. He would've been in the boy's room. Good luck!

Answer 3

Because there are sick people out there! Children are precious and we need to protect them from the idiots in this world. It's bad enough we have pedophiles kidnapping children from their own homes (Polly Klaas, Jon Benet and many, many others) or murdering children to even want to put them in danger in public restrooms.

Just because that little brat was in there making fun of your daughter is not really an issue, what he needs to learn is manners. Just think when they're older she'll be able to bust him when she saw him in the ladies room. No different when I was picked on as a child and I whacked the boy on the head with my lunchbox. I ran into him twenty years later and he brought it up amidst a group of friends but the laugh was on him when they found out I whooped him!

Answer 4

My only guess is that parents feel the men's room is more of a threat because of the possibility of a child molester. (And of course, women are molesters too, but in much smaller numbers.) Still, I think the risk is pretty low if you teach little boys the same way you taught your little girls, to scream if anyone touches them inappropriately. That's too bad about your daughter - I can remember that age and it would have been quite traumatic.

Answer 5

i'm sorry to hear that...now put yourself on the other end of the spectrum...if you only have one child...a young son...and you are at the mall and they must use the facilities....would you send them in the men's room alone? I never would because I was afraid of some perv talking to him, abducting him....whatever....you worry nowadays as a parent. So, the only solution being a single parent was to take the boy in with me. By the time he was about 8yrs old, I would stand outside the bathroom and wait for him. I think that its really nice that you have three that can kinda keep tabs on each other in that situation!

Answer 6

I have two young sons (both toddlers) and when they're potty trained, I'm still going to take them in the womens room with me until they're school age. First of all, mens toilets/restrooms are generally filthy. Secondly, if he goes with me into the womens toilet/restroom, I can keep an eye on him and make sure that some perv. isn't checking him out.

Your daughter is 6. She saw a little boy from her class. I doubt she'll be scarred for life and need years of therapy and Thorazine. You should tell her (even though she's only 6 and I doubt she'll grasp the true meaning) that if this is the worst thing that's happened to her all week, she's got it pretty d@mn good...

Answer 7

I took my boys into the restroom with me for a while until they were a certain age and I knew they could go in a public restroom by themselves. I did exactly what you have done with your daughters...taught them not talk to strangers and scream if something bad happened. I believe that it is ok up to a certain age to have your children go into the restroom with you if they are of the opposite sex but if you are a good parent, you should teach them to go by themselves into the correct one and stand at the door for them. How else are they going to learn to be independent if you have them up your skirt tails all the time? Tell your daughter to laugh at the boy next time it happens and maybe that will make his mother think twice about having him in the women's bathroom. If he is in school he should be old enough to use the men's restroom and mom wait outside by the door for him.

Answer 8

Since you have 3 girls who can stick together, that's one thing.

What about if YOU have to go? Are they to just stand outside and wait? And if someone grabs them, are you going to get your pants up from your ankles in enough time to grab them? With three- maybe. With one- probably not.

My son is 3. I am not going to go into the restroom without him or send him in without me if we are alone for a while yet. Just explain to her that his mom just wanted him with her to keep an eye on him, and that he is an idiot for laughing at her.

Edited to add I really like family restrooms- it's much easier.

Answer 9

i sympathize with you but you should do the same for those in the opposite situation. i have a 3 1/2 year old son and it's going to be at LEAST another year before i let him go in the mens room alone. he is just newly potty trained and first of all i am not even sure he knows to lock the door behind him for privacy, (and if he does then if he knows how to get out) there's lots of bad people out there and i'll be damned to send him in there not knowing for sure what he is doing. everyone's situation is diffent you know, he doesn't have siblings to team up with him to go with him. also, he doesn't have a father here to help him out. mothers aren't stupid, they'll start sending their sons on their own when they know they are ready.

Answer 10

I would say that mothers are just trying to protect their sons. Pedophiles are most likely to be men rather than women. Also, boys are most likely to misbehave in the restroom as opposed to girls---boys like to play in water and spread towels and toilet paper all over the place and squirt soap on the floor. Mothers are trying to avoid embarrassing situations in public.