I am a member of BRSC. This policy drives me nuts too - though, I have girls, so I don't have to deal with it. But I have heard moms of boys complain about it a lot.

I will tell you - I actually had an old lady yell at me once about bringing my daughter into a changing room. And I do mean YELL.

I like going there - and the service I have had has been terrific. But their general gym membership seems to skew older - and I really think it is those folks who impact this policy. I thought, years ago, that they allowed kids under a certain age, but blocking it altogether is really frustrating.

I wonder if parents banded together and wrote letters to complain, would they consider changing the policy? It drives me nuts that they have a dry locker room for women only (no kids whatsoever, even if they are girls) - couldn't they convert this? Or allow kids in during certain hours? It sure would make life easier. That dry locker room is often empty when I am there (admittedly, in off hours, though.)

FWIW - I've done swim classes at two nearby parks & rec centers - BRSC is far better.

Anonymous wrote:You people complaining about 7 and 8 yo boys in the women's room are NUTS.

Those boys do not have the SLIGHTEST prurient interest in your saggy old T&A.

So get over yourselves already.

My son is not going to get molested just so you can avoid stupid, childish feelings of discomfort.

You're the crazy one. My 8 year old should feel comfortable in her locker room and she won't with a 7 or 8 year old boy there.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:YMCA has a policy of no opposite sex children allowed after age 6. My child has fine and gross motor issues and we practiced for a whole year so he can go into the men's room by himself at age 7. He just couldn't do it before that. As it is, he doesn't have enough strength to open the doors to the locker room. I have to open it to allow him to get out.

That's just too old if you let him go through the girls' room up to 7. I know it is a huge pain, but I either don't have my son shower or change at the pool, or we change and not shower (and hold a towel up), or we wait in line forever for the family room. I cannot stand seeing boys who are over 5 in the girls' room...and I know what a huge pain it is to have a younger son. You could meet your son at the door and open it for him if you had to.

He would only change in girls locker room if it was cold and he could not ride home in a wet bathing suit. He never showers in the locker room and comes dressed in bathing suit from home. If he had to travel in the locker room, he was required to look a the floor all the way thru. There is one family changing room which is really just a bathroom. And the Y has probably 3-4 classes going on at one time, so you can see there is a need for more family changing rooms, just no where to put them.

7 is too old to be in the opposite sex locker room--period!

Way too old. You're being selfish.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At Wilson Pool (public) in DC, boys over six I think cannot be in the women's room. I bring my eight year old nephew there a lot and am always nervous about him being in the men's room alone. He seems to handle it well, but I've stuck my head in there, and yes, I've seen some asses and junk of grown men. I don't care. My nephew's safety is paramount.

Why are you nervous about him being on the men's locker room alone?

There was a man trying to lure boys into the locker room.

Then they need to patrol for and arrest gay pedophiles. But I guess that is considered "intolerant" today.

Pedophiles aren't gay. You don't understand your what you are talking about.

Not all of them are, but some of them can be. A man perpetrating sexual abuse against a young boy, or attempting to do so (which is what I took from "there was a man trying to lure boys into the locker room ") is an example of a gay pedophile. And it is an example of someone who likely needs to be arrested. Just like any other kind of pedophile, regardless of the gender of the perpetrator and the victim.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At Wilson Pool (public) in DC, boys over six I think cannot be in the women's room. I bring my eight year old nephew there a lot and am always nervous about him being in the men's room alone. He seems to handle it well, but I've stuck my head in there, and yes, I've seen some asses and junk of grown men. I don't care. My nephew's safety is paramount.

Why are you nervous about him being on the men's locker room alone?

There was a man trying to lure boys into the locker room.

Then they need to patrol for and arrest gay pedophiles. But I guess that is considered "intolerant" today.

Pedophiles aren't gay. You don't understand your what you are talking about.

No, apparently you don't. The PP just described a gay pedophile, i.e., a man who is trying to "lure" boys. What would you call that? "Urban diversity"?!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At Wilson Pool (public) in DC, boys over six I think cannot be in the women's room. I bring my eight year old nephew there a lot and am always nervous about him being in the men's room alone. He seems to handle it well, but I've stuck my head in there, and yes, I've seen some asses and junk of grown men. I don't care. My nephew's safety is paramount.

Why are you nervous about him being on the men's locker room alone?

There was a man trying to lure boys into the locker room.

Then they need to patrol for and arrest gay pedophiles. But I guess that is considered "intolerant" today.

Pedophiles aren't gay. You don't understand your what you are talking about.

When a man is "trying to lure boys into the locker room," one can reasonably assume that he is (a) a pedophile and (b) gay.

ust want to make clear that this person talking about "gay pedophiles" is NOT me (aunt of 8 year old). All I want to do is make sure my nephew is safe. That's my only motivation.

Then make him safe by taking him to the family changing room or bundle him up and take him home wet. You do not have the right to stick your head in the men's locker room. This is completely inappropriate and would not fly if it was an uncle sticking his head in the women's locker room. What is wrong with you?

There are gay pedophiles, ie men who are attracted to same sex children, and straight pedophiles who are attracted to opposite sex children.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:community pool policy is 5 yrs and up use locker room that goes with their gender.

I don't think the policy is so much for the comfort of grown women, but also young girls as well. I can tell you that when I was 8 I would have been mortified if a boy from my class saw me naked. It is not appropriate for kids over 6 to be in the locker room of the opposite sex.

and every one freaking out over molestation... seriously? You kid is way more likely to be molested by a family friend or relative than some random person in the locker room. So get a grip!

If you had bothered to read the previous posts, you would see I have had a lot of exposure to various sex offender cases through family members in law enforcement. Yes, children are likely to be molested by family members but there are PLENTY of other cases. Other top areas are public bathrooms, swimming pools locker rooms, dressing rooms in department stores, slumber parties, and church camps. All attract pedophiles who pray on young kids.

Pray=prey. Sigh.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This gets discussed periodically and the outcome is always the same -- some mothers are going to take their sons into the woman's locker room regardless of the policy. People try to reason with them, but it is no use. They don't care about the comfort of your daughters.

What you mean is that you don't care about the safety of their sons?

Of course people care about safety. But that's not the choice. Safety wins over discomfort but discomfort wins over inconvenience to the parent of the 8 year old boy when that parent just doesn't want to have to wear wet clothes home. You can choose not to make young girls uncomfortable in the women's locker room or you can choose your own convenience.

Anonymous wrote:community pool policy is 5 yrs and up use locker room that goes with their gender.

I don't think the policy is so much for the comfort of grown women, but also young girls as well. I can tell you that when I was 8 I would have been mortified if a boy from my class saw me naked. It is not appropriate for kids over 6 to be in the locker room of the opposite sex.

and every one freaking out over molestation... seriously? You kid is way more likely to be molested by a family friend or relative than some random person in the locker room. So get a grip!

If you had bothered to read the previous posts, you would see I have had a lot of exposure to various sex offender cases through family members in law enforcement. Yes, children are likely to be molested by family members but there are PLENTY of other cases. Other top areas are public bathrooms, swimming pools locker rooms, dressing rooms in department stores, slumber parties, and church camps. All attract pedophiles who pray on young kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Age three or four seems fine for child of the opposite sex to be in a mens or women's locker room. Eight is definitely not. Younger girls using the women's locker room shouldn't have to worry about having an older boy come in while they are changing. The choice is not between using the women's locker room or the men's. It is between using the men's or not using the locker room at all. If you are concerned for the boy's safety, don't use the locker room. My son is 6 and my daughter is 8. If both parents go to the pool, we use the appropriate locker rooms. If only one parent goes, we skip the locker rooms. No one is in danger, no one is uncomfortable. It might be less convenient but then I am not one to think it is always all about me and mine.

I guess it just feels like we are sexualizing 5 year olds when we group them in with 8, 10, 15 year olds who, I agree, shouldn't use the opposite gender locker room. In my mind, a 5 year old is like a 2 or 3 year old (and the Burke Racquet and Swim Club doesn't even let those toddlers in!). I honestly don't care what my 3 year old or 5 year old sees, and I don't see why other families get to go home dry in the winter just because they have kids of a different gender, and we have to go home soaking wet and freezing, especially in winter. It is completely ridiculous, and they need to rethink their policy.

I agree that 3 and 5 seem OK for the other locker room and Burke should reconsider their policy. It is a private club so perhaps you could ask other members what they think? But, some people bring their older boys into the women's locker room way beyond an age when it is appropriate just because they don't want to be bothered to go home in a wet suit. I have kids of both genders and when I am the only person with them, we all go home in damp clothes regardless of the weather.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At Wilson Pool (public) in DC, boys over six I think cannot be in the women's room. I bring my eight year old nephew there a lot and am always nervous about him being in the men's room alone. He seems to handle it well, but I've stuck my head in there, and yes, I've seen some asses and junk of grown men. I don't care. My nephew's safety is paramount.

Why are you nervous about him being on the men's locker room alone?

There was a man trying to lure boys into the locker room.

Then they need to patrol for and arrest gay pedophiles. But I guess that is considered "intolerant" today.

Pedophiles aren't gay. You don't understand your what you are talking about.

Just want to make clear that this person talking about "gay pedophiles" is NOT me (aunt of 8 year old). All I want to do is make sure my nephew is safe. That's my only motivation.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At Wilson Pool (public) in DC, boys over six I think cannot be in the women's room. I bring my eight year old nephew there a lot and am always nervous about him being in the men's room alone. He seems to handle it well, but I've stuck my head in there, and yes, I've seen some asses and junk of grown men. I don't care. My nephew's safety is paramount.

Why are you nervous about him being on the men's locker room alone?

There was a man trying to lure boys into the locker room.

Then they need to patrol for and arrest gay pedophiles. But I guess that is considered "intolerant" today.

Pedophiles aren't gay. You don't understand your what you are talking about.

Anonymous wrote:community pool policy is 5 yrs and up use locker room that goes with their gender.

I don't think the policy is so much for the comfort of grown women, but also young girls as well. I can tell you that when I was 8 I would have been mortified if a boy from my class saw me naked. It is not appropriate for kids over 6 to be in the locker room of the opposite sex.

and every one freaking out over molestation... seriously? You kid is way more likely to be molested by a family friend or relative than some random person in the locker room. So get a grip!

DD is 7 and frequently had girlfriends sleep over. If my 4 yr old son walks in on them while they're changing, there's all sorts of screaming and hysterics. Girls don't want to be seen naked by boys.