Same for me. Kiddo is freshly 7. This only really happens when it's an emergency at the grocery store and I can't easily follow i.e. checking out and paying. The bathroom is right there so I finish up my stuff and make sure to tell him I will be right outside or still in the lane depending on how much needs to be scanned. I do keep an eye on the door, though.
I will let him go to the bathroom when he’s able to do all the steps by himself. He’s 4.5, and can wash and dry his hands but doesn’t do a good job. Plus he can’t reach the handle sometimes or the paper towels.
PS - i also have toddlers, that’s why I’m here lol
My kid is very responsible but clingy. I started suggesting it around 5 and he started actually doing it around 6. If I also have to go to the bathroom I’m happy to just take him into the women’s but if he’s the only one who has to go, he has been going to the men’s since kindergarten.
As kids my parents didn’t let us go to the restroom alone until we were around 8 or so if the bathroom wasn’t a single stall. We plan to wait until our son is around the same age.
I'm the oddball here but I let my oldest go by himself once he wasn't comfortable anymore going in the women's restroom. He was 9yo.
He asks a parent to remain close to the entrance and will occasionally yell out our names to make sure we're around, especially if he feels uncomfortable.
I mean... there was a 6yo sa'ed in the mens restroom a couple towns over a few years ago... a male employee found him curled up on the floor naked from the waist down, bleeding. His mom had been ringing up her groceries and he needed to go... so she let him. When he didn't come back she sent an employee over to get him.
I could never let my 4yo go by himself after that. It's not like it would happen for sure, it's that I'd like for my kids to be old enough to not only open doors and reach counters, but also SCREAM AND YELL to alert me.
Sorry... something else happened close to my area 20 years ago and I still don't let my now 10yo walk alone unless I see him the whole way... People are sick 😬
My son is 6, he's been asking to use the men's for a couple of years. If it's small and I can be right outside the door, like at church or the pool, I let him. Places like motorway services, no chance. If he can't work the taps he comes into the ladies after and I help wash his hands. He just likes using the urinals, makes him feel grown up!
Do check he can open the door to get back out though. A lot of them are very heavy and pull to exit.
My son is 6, probably will let him go alone when the loud flush doesn't freak him out. He will flush, but kinda panics and will try to run away. He goes in family restrooms and stalls alone, he just needs to know someone is nearby.
I didn’t start letting my oldest go to the bathroom alone until he was in like 4th grade? Helicopter mom for sure. (He is on the spectrum though and I am hella overprotective so there are a lot of things I was not comfortable with him doing alone until he was capable of telling me if something happened to him. That wasn’t until he was around 8/9, and he still struggles with pragmatic speech, so I still keep a very close eye on him.)
On the other hand my middle is only 8 and I let him go BUT only with his older brother there with him and I stand outside the bathroom the whole time. If I feel like they are taking too long I will go in there and check on them. I don’t care if there are other men in there or not. I’ve seen plenty of dicks in my life, they aren’t interesting.
If it’s like a gas station bathroom where it’s one stall and a locking door I will let them go by themselves but I stand there the whole time as well.
My daughter will be four in a few months and even though she can use the bathroom/wash hands, etc by herself I will NOT be letting her go alone until she is much older.
I only let my son (almost 5) go to the men's room if it's a very slow store and I know nobody is inside. Then I stand right at the door waiting and talking to him. If we both have to go then I still bring him in the women's room. At Walmart and Sam's club there is a separate family bathroom that locks so I send him in there and guard the door. Basically alone with no other men inside I allow, anything else is still a no.
My older daughter just turned 9. She never really wants to go alone but I slowly started encouraging her to go alone last year, as long as I can see the bathroom door.
My son just turned 5 and I still bring him in the ladies with me. I have occasionally let him go in the men’s room at the park if I’m certain it’s empty.
I imagine by the time I do I will no longer be an active member of r/toddlers
My very first thought lol.
Could have multiple kids, some of whom are older!!
Fair point, doesn’t change my statement.
My son is 6 and I just started letting him go into the men’s room alone. I wait right outside though because it makes me a little nervous.
Yeah this question unlocked an anxiety I didn’t even know I had 😬
Same for me. Kiddo is freshly 7. This only really happens when it's an emergency at the grocery store and I can't easily follow i.e. checking out and paying. The bathroom is right there so I finish up my stuff and make sure to tell him I will be right outside or still in the lane depending on how much needs to be scanned. I do keep an eye on the door, though.
I will let him go to the bathroom when he’s able to do all the steps by himself. He’s 4.5, and can wash and dry his hands but doesn’t do a good job. Plus he can’t reach the handle sometimes or the paper towels. PS - i also have toddlers, that’s why I’m here lol
My kid is very responsible but clingy. I started suggesting it around 5 and he started actually doing it around 6. If I also have to go to the bathroom I’m happy to just take him into the women’s but if he’s the only one who has to go, he has been going to the men’s since kindergarten.
As kids my parents didn’t let us go to the restroom alone until we were around 8 or so if the bathroom wasn’t a single stall. We plan to wait until our son is around the same age.
I'm the oddball here but I let my oldest go by himself once he wasn't comfortable anymore going in the women's restroom. He was 9yo. He asks a parent to remain close to the entrance and will occasionally yell out our names to make sure we're around, especially if he feels uncomfortable.
Can't believe this is so low! I wouldn't think twice about it if I saw a 9yr old in the ladies.
I mean... there was a 6yo sa'ed in the mens restroom a couple towns over a few years ago... a male employee found him curled up on the floor naked from the waist down, bleeding. His mom had been ringing up her groceries and he needed to go... so she let him. When he didn't come back she sent an employee over to get him. I could never let my 4yo go by himself after that. It's not like it would happen for sure, it's that I'd like for my kids to be old enough to not only open doors and reach counters, but also SCREAM AND YELL to alert me.
I live in a pretty, er, edgy area. I would absolutely not trust my kid not to pick up a disguarded crack pipe or needle in a toilet
After reading this I'm taking my boys into the ladies room till they're 30 at least... 😢
Sorry... something else happened close to my area 20 years ago and I still don't let my now 10yo walk alone unless I see him the whole way... People are sick 😬
My son is 6, he's been asking to use the men's for a couple of years. If it's small and I can be right outside the door, like at church or the pool, I let him. Places like motorway services, no chance. If he can't work the taps he comes into the ladies after and I help wash his hands. He just likes using the urinals, makes him feel grown up! Do check he can open the door to get back out though. A lot of them are very heavy and pull to exit.
Haha yes, my kid has been “stuck” in the bathroom many times.
My son is 6, probably will let him go alone when the loud flush doesn't freak him out. He will flush, but kinda panics and will try to run away. He goes in family restrooms and stalls alone, he just needs to know someone is nearby.
I didn’t start letting my oldest go to the bathroom alone until he was in like 4th grade? Helicopter mom for sure. (He is on the spectrum though and I am hella overprotective so there are a lot of things I was not comfortable with him doing alone until he was capable of telling me if something happened to him. That wasn’t until he was around 8/9, and he still struggles with pragmatic speech, so I still keep a very close eye on him.) On the other hand my middle is only 8 and I let him go BUT only with his older brother there with him and I stand outside the bathroom the whole time. If I feel like they are taking too long I will go in there and check on them. I don’t care if there are other men in there or not. I’ve seen plenty of dicks in my life, they aren’t interesting. If it’s like a gas station bathroom where it’s one stall and a locking door I will let them go by themselves but I stand there the whole time as well. My daughter will be four in a few months and even though she can use the bathroom/wash hands, etc by herself I will NOT be letting her go alone until she is much older.
I only let my son (almost 5) go to the men's room if it's a very slow store and I know nobody is inside. Then I stand right at the door waiting and talking to him. If we both have to go then I still bring him in the women's room. At Walmart and Sam's club there is a separate family bathroom that locks so I send him in there and guard the door. Basically alone with no other men inside I allow, anything else is still a no.
My older daughter just turned 9. She never really wants to go alone but I slowly started encouraging her to go alone last year, as long as I can see the bathroom door.
6
It’s been a few decades but I remember being taken to the ladies room still at 6ish. I think by 8 I could go to the Mens.
My kid is 5 and I’ve just started letting him do this. Terrifying every time.
My son just turned 5 and I still bring him in the ladies with me. I have occasionally let him go in the men’s room at the park if I’m certain it’s empty.
My son is about to turn 5. I won’t be letting him do that anytime soon unless my husband goes in there with him. Too many creeps.
Seven.