A mother started a debate when she said she wouldn’t let her seven-year-old son use men’s restrooms alone in public.
Parenting can be a thankless job because everyone has their own ideas about how to raise a child, even though most people just take each day as it comes.
All parents agree that the safety of their children is the most important thing, but how they do this in their daily lives varies from family to family.
One mom said that she doesn’t let her seven-year-old son use public restrooms alone in case “someone sketchy” comes up to him.
The British mother wrote the following on Mumsnet:
When we’re out and my boy needs the toilet, I make him come into the Ladies with me. Problem is, he’s starting to complain about it and wants to go in the Gents on his own.
I have let him do this in one particular place where there’s never anyone about, so I knew he wouldn’t encounter anyone at the urinals. I’m always honest with him but I don’t quite know how to explain why I’m not letting him do this anywhere else, like at the swimming pool/gym toilets.
He knows about the Pants rules and personal space and consent but I don’t exactly want to spell out what I’m worried about. What do you tell your kids?
The worried mother explained her position further by saying,
He has just turned 7. Obviously, he’s perfectly able to use a toilet himself, but the idea of him seeing grown men using urinals, or – even if it’s a small chance – someone dodgy approaching him, worries me.
She continued:
We all know there are flashers and worse about, I saw them when I was a kid and so did most women I know. At some point he just won’t agree to go in the ladies, hopefully by then he’ll be ready to handle any bad situations.
Viewers had different reactions to the post. Some could understand why the mother was worried. One person said:
I think 8 is probably the oldest I’d let mine in the Ladies but I do remember how scary it was to start letting him!
Some people thought the mom was crazy and that her son was too old to go into the women’s restrooms with her.
A viewer commented:
You’re going to have to get comfortable with it sooner than later. He won’t be able to go into the ladies for that much longer.
Another sarcastically responded:
At what point will you allow him to go to the gents? A special outing on his 18th birthday?
In the comments, there were some good ideas, like when someone said:
Let him go to the gents and you stand outside. Tell him to scream if somebody stops him from leaving. Otherwise, continue with your stranger danger teachings. He’s got to learn to go by himself at some point.
How do you feel about this? Should a seven-year-old boy be allowed to use public restrooms by himself? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
