I got in a big fight w/ a lady last year because she brought her 5-6 year old into the locker room and I was in the middle of changing. and I didn't have a shirt on Instead of turning him around, she sat him down while she went to the restroom.
I politely told her he didn't belong in there and she got mad and started cussing etc. in front of him. So I told one of the employees and she stormed off. So we told the manager and he had a talk with her.
The healthclub I go to has 2 women's locker rooms, plus a family changing area and 2 men's locker rooms. There are also kids restrooms in the kids babysitting area. There is one near the pool and the one I use. There are almost never any kids in the one I use. I do bring my girls in there a few times a year so I have no problems with that. So there are several places for kids to take their kids if they need to use the bathroom and still allow others to have privacy.
There are actually rules about children over 5 in the opposite sex locker rooms but they got signs made a few months later making it clear that is not OK.
My husband stopped bringing my girls into the men's room by the time they were 5. I don't mind women bringing boys in public restrooms nearly as much as I do bringing them in the locker room. Too many people walk around with nothing or almost nothing on.
Yes, keeping children safe and protected is very important and obviously, no one would disagree with that. Parenting is one of the most important jobs a person can take on and it's important to do it well. I'm uncomfortable with boys over the age of 5 in women's locker rooms, if for no other reason, that I'm paying to dress/undress in a female only locker room. We all have to make choices all the time; if you want to bring your children into a locker room, you need to either join a gym with unisex or family locker rooms or you need to change at home. You do not get to hijack a locker room and change the rules just because you haven't made arrangements for your children. That's my two cents worth.
so flip the discussion on its head.
Daddy out w/ little daughter alone (mom elsewhere)
into men's locker room?
men's restroom?
The OP referenced this in her first post...I don't think anyone really responded to it.
I feel it is inappropriate for kids of the opposite sex to see the adult naked (after the baby stage, that is). Home is home, but *other* unknown adults, no. We teach them at a young age to not show strangers their private areas, but yet they are let into locker rooms with naked strangers?
A restroom is different. I don't see any issues with mom/sons or dads/daughters. Admitedly, a men's restroom is somewhat different, but a dad can cover daughter's eyes and get her into a stall with a door.
I almost had a heart attack when my husband told me the following. He was out shopping with our son and daughter. DD was about 6, so son was about 3. They were in Target, and son had to pee. So DH LEAVES OUR DD ALONE IN THE FOOD COURT B/C HE "COULDN'T TAKE HER INTO THE MEN'S ROOM". Um, HELLO?!?! He told me that it was all okay...he left her in front of the security camera. I told him "Great. Now they have something to play on the 6 o'clock news when they are trying to find her abductor. Next time bring her in with you." He is usually so bright, too.
so flip the discussion on its head.
Daddy out w/ little daughter alone (mom elsewhere)
into men's locker room?
men's restroom?
I don't have hang-ups about nudity so it wouldn't bother me at all, I don't have daughters but I don't see what there would be to object to. I breastfed all over without covering up and while I don't parade around naked when my boys are awake I'm not overly worried about them seeing something if I'm getting dressed and they walk in, etc. I don't have issues with them seeing body parts, they have female cousins that are little and have witnessed innocent nudity.
I can see being upset IF there is a family changing room, if there isn't than the parent has the responsibility to keep their child with them to make sure they're safe. I can also see objections to teenagers being in the changing rooms, once they've entered puberty it's too old. THose who say that parents should just go home sweaty and dirty you try it once, make sure you run into a store to pick up milk and a few other things on the way home.
My 9 year old has been getting upset with me over bathrooms, we live in a very rural area and I generally allow him to use the men's room in small stores locally. When I've traveled alone with the children and have been in bigger towns he's been VERY upset at being forced to use the ladies' room.
I should note here that my views on this stuff might be slightly different than the average American. We lived in Germany for a couple years when I was in grade school and clearly remember finding out about topless pools. They're far more relaxed about nudity and some of it rubbed off on my family.
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