When Should Children Use Public Loos?

[silliemillie]

Was out with my Daughter in law today when my grandson needed the loo.
WE were in McDonalds in the shopping centre so she just said 'go on then' & off he went into the mens by himself.

We could see the main door from where we were sitting so knew he couldnt wander off bt I was a bit uncomfortable about this but maybe I was being over protective but when he comes out with me on my own he comes into the ladies with me.

He is 6 so at what age do you think its ok to go to the mens or too old to go into the ladies?

I'm talking about shopping centres & places like that.

Many thanks for your opinions.

[vakayu]

No hard and fast rules,whatever you feel comfortable wth but I agree with you but then I am regarded as old-fashioned.

[jno]

tricky - I'd say a bit old for the ladies and a bit young for the men's, which is no help at all. McDonald's are gnerally pretty good and safe, so no problems on this occasion, but what you'd do with a genuine public loo that you couldn't check out for yourself I don't know.

[silliemillie]

Thanks for your replies, I always take him i with me when we are on our own, but I know I am old school & maybe being over protective. DIL didnt bat an eyelid so its obviously happened before.

[excelsior-1]

it can vary with the location, amount of people around and how you might feel

my god-daughter is 14, but she still likes me to escort her to the ladies loos and stand outside the door to wait fir her

[ummmm]

In McDonalds I would let them go on there own but would stand outside the door. In the bus station I would take them into the ladies. So it really depends where I am.

[vakayu]

I don't think you are being over-protective at all silliemilliemI would do the same as for age to stop,I expect it's when they would be embarrassed coming in with gran but isn't it better being safe than sorry! After all no-one came to grief for sake of embarrassment.

[ummmm]

No, but you can pass on irrational fears about strangers.

[silliemillie]

Yes it is a balancing act isnt it? He is always happy to come in with me so will do that as long as he is ok with it, I didnt say anything to DIL as she is his mother and also agree with Ummm, I didnt want him to think there was anything wrong with going to the mens because, of course, there isnt.

[Sammy48]

Definitely take him to the ladies at the age of 6, even in Maccy D.

[ummmm]

What do men do when they are out alone with their daughters? They certainly don't take them into the mens.

[sherrardk]

It depends upon where I am and which children are with me. But it is a bit of a tricky one. I'm lucky in that the older children will take the younger ones but it was a complete palaver when thing 1 & 2 were younger.

[vakayu]

Good question ummm.

[starone]

The ladies definitely, definitely, definitely. Poor little chap wouldn't stand a chance if there was someone in there who was not exactly nice.

[ummmm]

I find that the older generation moan about how kids nowadays are wrapped in cotton wool. Then they wrap their grandkids in cotton wool.

[ummmm]

Starbuck, seriously?? You think paedophiles are lurking in McDonalds toilets knowing the parents are outside? Goodness me...I was playing in the street at 6.

[silliemillie]

Yes that is a good question Ummm but maybe they feel more comfortable letting a little girl go in the ladies than a little boy going into the mens.

I know its sexist but you dont get many female pervs as you do men hanging around public loos. Of course I know 99.9999% of people are not pervs but I'm sure you know what I mean.

[DTCwordfan]

yes they do, ummmm and then I have found that a lot of women will also step in and supervise, particularly if you ask them - and then we get to hang around the Ladies like some rampant pervs - I always say in a wee Scots brogue, "Isn't this the Laddies?"

[ummmm]

Yes...but it's not a public toilet, it's a customer toilet.

[sherrardk]

I'm torn on this one. Want my kids to be independent but there have been reports of assaults in toilets in supermarkets. If I take the girls into the toilet, who's looking after the boys when they are waiting outside? My 12 year old son will supervise his brothers in the men's but it's not his responsibility to do so - it is a juggling act.