Yet another post about 5-6 year old boys in the women's changing/bathroom at the pool.

[Anonymous]

Our pool went through this. They used to say no boys 4 or over in the women's changing room. Four! I think that's a bit much. My friend's four year old (not motor delayed or special needs) reminds me of how little they still are at four. So I'm anti-that. Then they raised it to 5+, which still pissed some people off on both sides. So now the members are demanding a family room.

As for me, I simply do not change out in the open. My kid is still super young and isn't body aware yet at 2.5. When he's older, I'll change him in a screened off area. It's not a big deal, but we live in a society where open nudity can feel shocking to some. To be honest, when I walk into my pool and all I see is 70's bush, I am not exactly psyched myself. But that doesn't mean I'm going to tell someone else not to do it. However, that's not for me. I change in the stalls - either the changing stalls or the bathroom stalls. This works fine in our pool because there is never a line for the bathrooms, ever. I could see finding that annoying if the bathrooms were in higher demand and you were making someone else wait.

Anyway, family changing rooms seem to be a pretty good answer. But boy am I glad our pool at least does not have the stupid requirement to walk through locker rooms to get in. I've always disliked that even before I had kids, because to be honest, again, I'd rather spare myself the sight of naked bodies I dont' want to see naked. Not saying they shuldn't be able to do it, just voicing my own preference / comfort level.

[Anonymous]

I haven't read all the responses but this has been a problem for us at the public pool. DS is 7.5 and is scared to walk through the (big) men's locker room by himself because he's scared he'll get lost (he's a worrier by nature) and I worry about predators. Plus it's so slippery in there I worry he'll fall and I'll have no idea (though that is much less a concern).

I'll let him go to the men's bathroom by himself but I'll stand right outside and make sure whoever is in there can
here my voice when I call to DS and say "I'm right here". But the locker room is different, and it's the only way to get
from the pool area to the lobby. So we only go to that particular pool with DH. Our neighborhood pool has tiny locker rooms so DS is more comfortable walking through (and I don't worry about predators).

[Anonymous]

I was just at a resort where the locker rooms had big signs about using gender appropriate rooms for kids over 3...

Absurd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our pool went through this. They used to say no boys 4 or over in the women's changing room. Four! I think that's a bit much. My friend's four year old (not motor delayed or special needs) reminds me of how little they still are at four. So I'm anti-that. Then they raised it to 5+, which still pissed some people off on both sides. So now the members are demanding a family room.

As for me, I simply do not change out in the open. My kid is still super young and isn't body aware yet at 2.5. When he's older, I'll change him in a screened off area. It's not a big deal, but we live in a society where open nudity can feel shocking to some. To be honest, when I walk into my pool and all I see is 70's bush, I am not exactly psyched myself. But that doesn't mean I'm going to tell someone else not to do it. However, that's not for me. I change in the stalls - either the changing stalls or the bathroom stalls. This works fine in our pool because there is never a line for the bathrooms, ever. I could see finding that annoying if the bathrooms were in higher demand and you were making someone else wait.

Anyway, family changing rooms seem to be a pretty good answer. But boy am I glad our pool at least does not have the stupid requirement to walk through locker rooms to get in. I've always disliked that even before I had kids, because to be honest, again, I'd rather spare myself the sight of naked bodies I dont' want to see naked. Not saying they shuldn't be able to do it, just voicing my own preference / comfort level.

At most of the community center pools I go to, there are not enough screened off areas, and I don't use the bathrooms to change in because that is yucky to me. And besides, I like to leave the bathrooms for people to use them for that purpose. I still think everyone should be comfortable changing their clothes and taking a shower in the locker room, that's what it's there for. yes, cover up a bit and change quickly and all that. It's not like peoppe lounge around naked or anything, but it's ok to change your clothes in the locker room for heaven's sake.

[Anonymous]

When was this? Back when men and women had to swim on separate days? Or later when pools were segregated by race because whites built private pool clubs? Either way I wouldn't want to go back to the old days.

No it means no family rooms, just a male locker room and a female locker room. So if the adult had kids they went with the adult.

[Anonymous]

our pool at least does not have the stupid requirement to walk through locker rooms to get in.

Do you realize how much bacteria is growing in that pool. The reason you are supposed to pass through the LR first, and through a shower room to the pool is because ppl are supposed to
shower first. Chlorine by itself is not enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm an Asian immigrant, Korean. Being naked around kids doesn't bother me. Traditionally, we have bath houses where it's segregated by sex but kids, preadolescents, boys and girls, go with their mothers. Yeah, it's normal to see all your neighbors, moms and kids, naked. No big deal.

I would have loved that went I was that age.

[Anonymous]

I went to a pool that posted that children over 3 need to be in gender appropriate changing rooms. I brought my son to the front desk and told the manager that since my son was 4 and couldn't go with me into the changing area, they needed a staff member to accompany him. When she asked me why, I smiled and told her I was a lawyer, and I knew they would be mortified if a 4 year old who was forced to go through a locker room without a parent was harmed or injured in any way - especially since the locker rooms have saunas attached and lead directly to a pool area." Then I asked her "Unless of course you are okay with 4 year olds being unaccompanied in the pool area? In which case I'll assume your staff is taking care of him while I deal with my other children."

She flew out of her seat and went down and pulled the sign off of the locker rooms.

[Anonymous]

good for you, 1947!

[Anonymous]

Rather than fighting on this issue, shouldn't we e proactively advocating for family restrooms to resolve this dilemma? Both sides have a poiny. I don't want older boys ( as in preteen/teen) gawking at my teenage girls in the locker room and I don't want my younger son being forced to go to the men's locker before he's ready and it feels safe. We should be supporting a common solution.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rather than fighting on this issue, shouldn't we e proactively advocating for family restrooms to resolve this dilemma? Both sides have a poiny. I don't want older boys ( as in preteen/teen) gawking at my teenage girls in the locker room and I don't want my younger son being forced to go to the men's locker before he's ready and it feels safe. We should be supporting a common solution.

Does that mean you are ok with the reverse? with "older GIRLS ( as in preteen/teen)" in the mens locker with their dads or male relatives?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to a pool that posted that children over 3 need to be in gender appropriate changing rooms. I brought my son to the front desk and told the manager that since my son was 4 and couldn't go with me into the changing area, they needed a staff member to accompany him. When she asked me why, I smiled and told her I was a lawyer, and I knew they would be mortified if a 4 year old who was forced to go through a locker room without a parent was harmed or injured in any way - especially since the locker rooms have saunas attached and lead directly to a pool area." Then I asked her "Unless of course you are okay with 4 year olds being unaccompanied in the pool area? In which case I'll assume your staff is taking care of him while I deal with my other children."

She flew out of her seat and went down and pulled the sign off of the locker rooms.

For Christ's sake - throwing around your title . . .

ohhh - so impressive!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to a pool that posted that children over 3 need to be in gender appropriate changing rooms. I brought my son to the front desk and told the manager that since my son was 4 and couldn't go with me into the changing area, they needed a staff member to accompany him. When she asked me why, I smiled and told her I was a lawyer, and I knew they would be mortified if a 4 year old who was forced to go through a locker room without a parent was harmed or injured in any way - especially since the locker rooms have saunas attached and lead directly to a pool area." Then I asked her "Unless of course you are okay with 4 year olds being unaccompanied in the pool area? In which case I'll assume your staff is taking care of him while I deal with my other children."

She flew out of her seat and went down and pulled the sign off of the locker rooms.

For Christ's sake - throwing around your title . . .

ohhh - so impressive!

Hey, it worked!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was just at a resort where the locker rooms had big signs about using gender appropriate rooms for kids over 3...

Absurd.

Only in the U.S.A.!!!! This is not even a topic of discussion in Europe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to a pool that posted that children over 3 need to be in gender appropriate changing rooms. I brought my son to the front desk and told the manager that since my son was 4 and couldn't go with me into the changing area, they needed a staff member to accompany him. When she asked me why, I smiled and told her I was a lawyer, and I knew they would be mortified if a 4 year old who was forced to go through a locker room without a parent was harmed or injured in any way - especially since the locker rooms have saunas attached and lead directly to a pool area." Then I asked her "Unless of course you are okay with 4 year olds being unaccompanied in the pool area? In which case I'll assume your staff is taking care of him while I deal with my other children."

She flew out of her seat and went down and pulled the sign off of the locker rooms.

Good for you!