at what age do you let son enter men's public restroom alone?

[Anonymous]

I am the PP from above who makes my 8 yr old son go in public ladies rooms with me. That said, I would never take him in a ladies' changing room where other women would be undressed. That would be really weird for him and them. A women's public restroom is hardly comparable. That said, PP, you should understyand that men's public restrooms are dangerous. Numerous little boys have been abducted from them, or assaulted in them, in many countries over the years. Its a common hunting ground of pedophiles. Sometimes the perpetrators are even teenage boys or even pre-teens such as the horrible case in England many eyars ago where 11 and 12 year olds abducted and killed a 3 tear old. Why allow one's young son to go into a public restroom alone when there is sufficient privacy in a stall in a women's restroom with you? That is just stupid.

and yes, we LOVE the family restroom at National Airport.

[Anonymous]

My son is eight. He uses the mens room or the family room now. I wait right outside the door.

Perhaps PP can get her son into the ladies room. My son would go in there if only grown women showed up, but if just one little girl was in there, he'd run out screaming.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A six year old boy was abducted from a movie theater restroom near where I used to live a few years ago. That frightened me so much that I refused to let DS use a public restroom until he was 8, and even then I waited outside the door and called out to him every minute or two. I make DH take time off from work to go on field trips with DS if there's no other dad going -- I do not want him (or any of the other boys) using a public restroom unaccompanied by an adult.

I had never thought of this issue! My son's first grade class is going on a BIG field trip in two weeks and I will ask the teacher about this issue. The last field trip we took, I chaparoned, but it was just to a pumpkin patch type plce, with (nasty) portapotties. But this one is two two larger public places. Thanks for bringing it up!