little boys in the ladies room?

Question

WELL...I was out @ lunch, and I was in the womens restroom and this woman brought in her son that must have been eight....In my opinion this is waay to old for that. I found it strange.. i realize that moms do it when their sons are young, and cant wait outside by themselves, My sister in law does this with my nephew but hesonly a year old. but isnt it inappropriate to have an 8 or nine year old in the womans restroom?...I was just wondering.

Answer 1

OMG! Funny you ask this question. I, being the mother of an eight year old little boy, asked this same question of my friends the other day. I have always taken my son into the restroom with me. I try to avoid this as much as I can by trying to get the children to "hold" it until we get home. Sometimes we just cannot. My son has just started to act embarrassed when in this situation and that is why I was talking to my friends about it. How can I allow him to go into the men's restroom alone when everyday on the news you hear about someone getting molested, kidnapped, or even killed?! And same goes if I leave him outside of the women's restroom while I go inside with my daugther! The family restrooms are the most wonderful thing that they've ever came up with. I use those as much as I can but sometimes they are not available in every place you are. (ex. resteraunts). What would you do as a parent? Would you take the chance of your child being kidnapped, raped, or murdered just to releave the embarrassment of your child or the ladies in the restroom?! I can't wait to read what everyone else has put. I still am looking for the best way to handle this. I don't know what to do... I will ask you to try to be understanding to the mothers of sons that are to young to be alone but to old to be in the restroom with women!

Answer 2

It's a delicate question. No one would look askance at an infant or even a toddler in the restroom designated for the opposite sex, but most people would not approve of it past the age of say, five or six (when a child normally starts school).

By eight or nine, a child is well aware of the differences between boys and girls, and he or she is somewhat curious about seeing naked bodies.

Yet, a parent may be concerned about leaving a child alone in a store, shopping mall, restaurant, etc. while going to the restroom. The child may not be there when s/he returns. Similarly, a parent may hesitate to send a child into a restroom alone. Predators have been known to hide in wait in public restrooms.

While in Disney World, I saw a number of restrooms that were designed so that a parent could take a child of the opposite sex inside; they could even be used by two adults of the opposite sex (for instance, an elderly woman who wanted to help her wheelchair-bound husband). This is an idea that needs to be expanded.

Answer 3

I think it is much more inappropriate to subject a child to a kidnapper or child molester by leaving them outside.
In my state you can't legally leave a child under the age of 12 in a locked vehicle for more than 5 minutes, so why should you be able to leave an 8 year old outside a public restroom or allow them to go into the mens restroom unaccompanied by an adult male.
Besides all of this, it isn't like he is going to see anything in there, you should be undressing and dressing behind a closed stall door.
So why are you so much more worried about yourself instead of about the child's safety?

Answer 4

I have a 6, 5 and 20 month old boys. They come in to the bathroom with me. There are so many sick, sick men that molest, rape, kidnap and kill little boys, there is no way my children are going in to a crowded public bathroom by themselves while I am in the other. The only time they are allowed to go by themselves is if it is in a quiet restaurant, and there are not that many people or if it is a bathroom that only one person can use at a time. My children have no concept of sex or looking at a woman in the wrong way. We go in adn we get out. Better than the child being brutally raped and killed. I suggest you think of it that way, and consider the mother to be a good mother, not to be letting her son be unattended

Answer 5

Not in my opinion. I took my step son in until he was 8-9 too (if my husband wasn't with us). I take my son in now and he's 5. There's too many wack jobs that will jump at the opportunity to take or harm a child, and at 8, they are still pretty vulnerable. There was a story I heard a few years back about an 8 year old being killed in the men's bathroom, while his mother waited outside for him. The guy slashed his throat so he couldn't scream. That chills my blood. I take no chances where it comes to my child's safety. It's not like they are seeing anything anyway. Most women's restrooms aren't filled with naked women. To me the cut off is 9, but even if I saw a 12 year old in the bathroom, I may raise an eyebrow, but I would totally understand the reasoning behind it.

Answer 6

If she's on her own, what else can she do? Would you allow you're 8 year old son to wander around strange buildings on his own? What if there was a problem in the mens, you wouldn't be able to go in and get him.

This woman was just being a responsible parent IMHO.

You're in cubicles anyway so whats the issue?

Answer 7

I totally disagree with you. My nephew is 10, and he still comes in the ladys washroom with me when there is no guy to take him in the mens washroom. I would never let my child go in the mens washroom alone. There are sick people out there. Just so you know how people can be, a lady let her 9 year old son go in a public washroom and when he didn't come out, she went in, and there was a man with him, and well I will leave it at that. So yes its ok for mothers to bring their children into the washroom, they are protecting their children and theres nothing wrong with that. And I personally don't care what anyone thinks when I bring my nephew in with me, its a public washroom, woman are behind the stalls to go to the washroom, they come out dressed, and wash their hands and leave, nobody is naked, so whats the big deal anyways???? Its not a change room, its a washroom. So maybe when you have children you will understand what protecting your children is all about, if you do have children that are young, then obviously, you really don't care what happens to them.

Answer 8

no i don't think it's too old if he's with his mother. how do you know if this child can't be trusted not to talk to strangers while his mother is in restroom...obviousely in a public place. how would you feel if your son got taken and you came out of a bathroom and he's missing??? if the boy isn't looking under the stalls then don't worry about it.

Answer 9

If the child was in any way developmentally delayed then while it may seem inappropriate it may have been necessary. You can not always tell by simply looking if a child has developmental delays. I also agree with the lady above me. I have not had to deal with that yet as I only have girls right now.

Answer 10

No it is not inappropriate when there are so many wack jobs in this world just waiting to snatch a kid up.
I see you obviously aren't a parent because if you were you would understand.
I take my son in with me to the bathrooms in public places and he is 5 years old and not one single person has ever looked at me "like what are you doing with a little boy in here".

Do you think i would give a big care what people like you thought to see me bring my son in with me? NO

It is getting to were an older kid say 13-14 years old isn't safe to go into a public restroom by theirself.
Just recently in my homestate a 14 year old boy went to the restroom in a SHONEY'S and was raped by a sicko man.
THIS IS WHY MOTHERS BRING THEIR SONS IN WITH THEM AND WHY FATHERS GOES IN WITH THEIR SONS TO THE BATHROOM.