Around age 8, but is has still depended on the situation.

Family restaurant where people are coming in and out and I can easily stand outside the bathroom and hear what's going on, airport that has no doors to the entry exit and I can hear what's going on= yes.

Rest stop bathroom, gas station, anything with heavy doors, any place dark= hell no.

My oldest is 5 and if his dad isn't with us, he absolutely goes into the women's room with me, and will continue to do so for at least 2 more years, I imagine.

I couldn't care less if anyone gives me a dirty look about it.

I'm a grandfather and no way will I send my 4 YO grand daughter into a ladies' bathroom alone. Maybe at 6 or 7. At 5 or 6 I might look for a nice mom to help me out.

Ugh don’t get me started. This older woman yelled at me for bringing my 8 yo and his friend into the bathroom at the movies. I clapped back and everyone else supported me. I’m sorry I am not sending them into a men’s bathroom alone in Montgomery mall - especially someone else’s kid I am responsible for.

8/9 depending on the venue.

At a restaurant where I can see the door? Sure. When we go to a the Capital One Arena or Kennedy Center, no.

I took my 10 yo son to the bathroom with me at Union Station. There are way too many unstable homeless people there to allow a kid to go alone.

Anonymous wrote:Since women’s bathrooms have doors on the stalls, why would anyone care about a young boy in there with his mother.

This.

I don’t think twice about bringing my 8 year old son in with me.

This reminds me of the movie Witness. Do you know what that little Amish boy saw in the train station bathroom in Philadelphia! It was horrible! Just sayin.....

At least 6 or 7. My son wanted to go into the mens' at around that age, but I stood right there at the door and called out to him if he took too long.

I absolutely would not mind a pre-pubescent child in an opposite sex bathroom!!! I actually wouldn't mind unisex bathrooms, come to think of it...

At 7, DS goes into the men's bathroom by himself. But at a place like Penn Station? I'd be bringing him into the bathroom with me

... ok, maybe Newark Penn Station is sl. worse

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I stopped around age 8 if it was a place like a restaurant with multiple exits, Penn station, an airport etc. I really don't care about looks from other moms. No way I'd allow a 4 year old into a mens room alone.

I would never let my 8 year old into a bathroom a penn station alone! I have a 9 year old, and it’s case by case.

Penn Station might be the last place in the US I'd send my kid into a bathroom alone. I enjoy commuting through there; the food is good and who can complain about getting a large fancy beer can with your egg sandwich. But the bathrooms there are known to be frequented by homeless people, many of which have issues with mental health or opiate use or both.

There is only one distinct kind of person worried about this stuff (and we all know who the idiots are).

My boys used the ladies room with me until they were at least seven or eight - and then refused. I never got a questioning glance.

Then again, as a woman, I have never once given a thought to who was in the bathroom stall next to mine. And I am perfectly comfortable with anyone on earth watching me wash my hands.

That lady was nuts! I don' have a boy but my older DD is 7 and is comfortable going into a women's restroom by herself when she's with her dad ("men's bathrooms are disgusting, mama! I can go by myself!"). She's tall and looks a year or two older, so she can reach everything and she's not a quiet/shy kid so I now she'll yell if she needs help. DH stands right outside the door waiting for her. Once he had to ask someone to check on her because she was taking too long (turns out she was pooping).

I have no idea why anyone would have a problem with you bringing any child into the women's restroom.

I wish there were just unisex, single room restrooms with handwashing facilities outside the lavatory door. Go in with however many people of whatever gender you like, do your business, GET OUT so someone else can pee, wash your hands and go.

What pisses me off is women who bring their kids into the restroom and then basically set up camp. I waited once for 40 minutes for a woman and her two girls to get out of the only stall that was working in a 2-stall restaurant restroom. WTF were they doing in there? Bathing?

I hesitatingly let my nine year old go to men’s rooms by himself but I stand immediately outside and wait.