Mum's with boys and public toilets.

[Tylers-mum]

My son is 6 and always has gone into the ladies toilets with me. I'm a single parent and he is my only child so haven't got any older siblings as such!

Never been a problem before to have him come with me but now I'm getting stares and bad looks from other ladies in the toilets.

I can't trust him going in by himself to the gents and besides, at 6yrs of age, I 'don't' want him going alone as I can't see him and see who's in there!

 

How do you tackle this one?? I know the time will come when he has to go alone to the gents but it's frightening!!

Edited November 22, 2005 by Tylers-mum

[Guest flutter]

disabled looos?

[nellie]

Hi TM,

 

This might help.

 

National RADAR Key Scheme-Unisex Toilets, Access to public toilet for the disabled

http://www.asd-forum.org.uk/forum/index.ph...st=0entry4912

[mum22boys]

Look under the help and advice section for details of the National RADAR scheme. Maybe worth getting a key. I think i will for future use.

[Tylers-mum]

Wow!! Never heard of that!! Thanks nellie. Will certainly be getting one!! Thank You!!

[smiley]

I ordered mine a couple of weeks ago - it came through the post in two days. It has saved my life several times already! Well worth getting one xxx

[Suze]

We used disabled toilets or the parent/child ones.I never let my son go into a male toilet at 6, he was about 8 before he went on his own,and I always say...never talk to anyone and come straight back out to me .

[Kathryn]

Tylers - mum, I share your feelings - but I also think people who object to small boys in ladies' loos should grow up and get a life.

 

I still take my NT son into the ladies with me - obviously we would not be eligible for a RADAR key. He is 8 and quite small for his age and so far we haven't had an adverse reaction. If we do, tough, to be honest. It's a peculiarly British phenonmenon, this kind of squeamishness - in France I believe, all loos are unisex.

 

My son, I have to say doesn't share my views - as he always goes into the gents with his dad, he gets cross with me when I won't let him go in the gents on his own.

 

I don't know how long I'll be able to get away with this, but for the moment I'd prefer he didn't have to look at strange men's willies, thankyou very much. If only they didn't have those awful urinals.

 

K

[tinminer]

Looking at this from a blokey point of view, as you gals all have seperate WCs (as opposed to urinals), why would any other women object to your son being in the ladies loos (as long as he is accompanied by you, of course).

 

Surely people have got better things to moan about?

 

Reminds me of the lady breastfeeding in public story, where the Police sent a squad car around. Slightly different topic, I know, but there really are far more important things to worry about in this life....

 

From a parent point of view, I can fully understand your concerns too...Some blokes loos can be very dodgy, especially after dark , so you have every right to protect your son.

[minerva]

Its amazing what people waste their time complaining about....seriously...a squad car for breat feeding? Is it any wonder they never catch REAL criminals? I wasnt aware that feeding your child was an offence

 

My son was about 6 when he decided he was too old to be in the "girls" toilets, but i still dragged him with me until he was 8 yrs old. Even now he's 11 i panic every time!

 

I think i'm gonna go for one of those keys....i hadnt thought about that thanx

[virtualvisual]

Thats one of the reasons I love living in Scotland, it is now a criminal offence to stop a woman breatfeeding in public.

 

 

Anyway back on subject, I've finally ordered a new RADAR key (the old one was in my handbag when it was stolen last year). Now the boys are older I can't take them in the ladies with me (they are taller than I am and have a penchant for crawling round peeking under doors ) so I'm lucky that hubby is usually with me if I do take them out. I have in the past cornered a staff member in the shopping centre and asked her to unlock the door to the disabled toilet for me. Isn't it amazing how forceful we get by having to cope with things?

[mandyque]

I don't see the big issue about taking boys into ladies toilets, the cubicles are private, nobody can see you in there so what is the problem? You only wash your hands in view of everyone else!