At or health club the cut off is 4. Locker room attendants are in and out frequently and will approach you if your child looks older than 4 and ask you to take them else where. The problem is else where consists of two unisex bathrooms. Which at peak swim class time can be problematic. I have no problems now sending my 8 yr old son to the locker room alone. He usually wears his suit under his clothes. By the time swim class is over usually my husband has met us or a friend's dad will assist in the locker room. On the women's side I see girls ages 8+ in there without a parent all the time after swim class. I also am comfortable with my kids using public restrooms alone. Not letting your son use the men's room alone until high school is extreme helicopter behavior

Happened to me recently. I stood in front of the stall while my older daughter changed and changed my younger daughter in the car. I was annoyed but also, what was the other lady going to do? She had 3 boys with her, I'm guessing 9, 7, 5ish. Honestly. I felt bad for her.

If you google, all sorts of news reports about bad things happening in locker rooms. You should not be fully naked and cover up regardless.

Arlington county pools rule is age 5. My pool club’s rule is age 6. I change my 2yr old in the women’s locker room, but I change my 5yr old at home, in the family locker room or send him in with my husband if he’s with us.

While technically I would be within the rules, he’a old enough now that he might see girls he knows from kindergarten. My kid wouldn’t notice or care, but I think the girls would.

Anonymous wrote:5 years old. Most public places I've been have notices that 6&older not allowed. If they don't have a family room, then just pull on sweatpants over their wet suit and wait to shower and change at home. Personally, I think that's just easier anyway. And yes, you send you kid to walk through the correct gender locker room and just meet them on the other side.

For the summer, spring and fall, we just go home in a suit but in the middle of the winter its a problem. Never seen anywhere banning it.

Another European here. This thread makes me so sad. I didn't swim in anything but bikini bottoms until I was 13, and all infant girl swimsuits come with tops. Makes me really sad we can't all just get the focus OFF bodies generally but I will follow the guidance / social norms described in this thread.

I’d say about 6. I personally wouldn’t mind a kid up to about 8 or 9 if they were just doing there thing, but I’d start to get uncomfortable about a staring kid around 7... so I’d say 6 is a reasonable cut off to stop bringing them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:8 or so. Not a chance I'd let my little one in a locker room alone. I rarely let my older elementary school child in one alone. They are selfish parents to send their kids in a public restroom alone.

Other people are selfish for respecting everyone’s privacy? An 8 year old is NOT a little one and have no business being in an opposite gender locker room.

Mom's call, not yours.

It absolutely is my call of I’m naked in a locker room and getting leered at by your 8 year old son.

My son has no interest in your body and why are you naked in public around any child - boy or girl? Cover up.

It’s a locker room. Specifically set up to change clothes. Which by definition means becoming naked at some point. Have your snowflake stand outside the entrance, psycho helicopter mom.

Nah, he’ll be with me.

Because the rules don’t apply to you, right?

Anonymous wrote:

All pools have family locker rooms. 

Not true.

+2

I wish they did.

Pedophiles are a problem, people.
Please keep that in mind.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:8 or so. Not a chance I'd let my little one in a locker room alone. I rarely let my older elementary school child in one alone. They are selfish parents to send their kids in a public restroom alone.

Other people are selfish for respecting everyone’s privacy? An 8 year old is NOT a little one and have no business being in an opposite gender locker room.

Mom's call, not yours.

It absolutely is my call of I’m naked in a locker room and getting leered at by your 8 year old son.

My son has no interest in your body and why are you naked in public around any child - boy or girl? Cover up.

I know, right? The old ladies in there are the worst! Walking around with their floppy t*ts out and a full bush. No one wants to see it! Gross.

No. They’re the best. They’ve gotten over all this prudish bullshit you’re still carrying around. They don't give two shits what you think about their tits or bush.

Our gym/pool has it posted everywhere that the cutoff is 5. I take my 5 yo ds to the family locker room.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:8 or so. Not a chance I'd let my little one in a locker room alone. I rarely let my older elementary school child in one alone. They are selfish parents to send their kids in a public restroom alone.

Other people are selfish for respecting everyone’s privacy? An 8 year old is NOT a little one and have no business being in an opposite gender locker room.

Mom's call, not yours.

It absolutely is my call of I’m naked in a locker room and getting leered at by your 8 year old son.

My son has no interest in your body and why are you naked in public around any child - boy or girl? Cover up.

I know, right? The old ladies in there are the worst! Walking around with their floppy t*ts out and a full bush. No one wants to see it! Gross.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:8 or so. Not a chance I'd let my little one in a locker room alone. I rarely let my older elementary school child in one alone. They are selfish parents to send their kids in a public restroom alone.

Other people are selfish for respecting everyone’s privacy? An 8 year old is NOT a little one and have no business being in an opposite gender locker room.

Mom's call, not yours.

It absolutely is my call of I’m naked in a locker room and getting leered at by your 8 year old son.

My son has no interest in your body and why are you naked in public around any child - boy or girl? Cover up.

A locker room isn’t public and you can be naked in there. It’s the blessing and curse of a locker room.

I still say 8 or so. Americans are so prudish. When I taught FIFTH GRADE in England, all the kids changed for swim class in the same room. They just stripped down and put on their suits. No one cared.

I went to school in England through 6th grade, and I call bullshit.

This was in Waterlooville.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:8 or so. Not a chance I'd let my little one in a locker room alone. I rarely let my older elementary school child in one alone. They are selfish parents to send their kids in a public restroom alone.

Other people are selfish for respecting everyone’s privacy? An 8 year old is NOT a little one and have no business being in an opposite gender locker room.

Mom's call, not yours.

It absolutely is my call of I’m naked in a locker room and getting leered at by your 8 year old son.

My son has no interest in your body and why are you naked in public around any child - boy or girl? Cover up.

A locker room isn’t public and you can be naked in there. It’s the blessing and curse of a locker room.

I still say 8 or so. Americans are so prudish. When I taught FIFTH GRADE in England, all the kids changed for swim class in the same room. They just stripped down and put on their suits. No one cared.

I went to school in England through 6th grade, and I call bullshit.