Boys going to the gents by themselves what age?

Every word of this.

Ds3 is 7...no plans to start sending him into the gents alone at any time soon.

Of course he would. I would be seriously concerned about any year 6 without SEN/medical needs who thought it was normal to go in the ladies toilets with his mummy.

warning your son about dangerous people is sensible but at that age he should be walking to school etc and gaining some independence. Your stance is nonsensical unless you never let him out of your sight.

Unless your son has special needs he would be mortified to be going with his mummy into the ladies toilets at 11.
As a parent with 2 young girls I would also be horrified that a boy that age was in there too unless he looks absolutely tiny for his age.
Please get a sense of perspective on this issue.

8/9 and I always stay outside, (making sure he can hear me}

I’ve let my son go into certain men’s public toilets from around 5 or 6. The first time was at the theatre and he was thrilled when he realised there was zero queue for the men’s!

He’s 7.5 now and usually chooses to the use the men’s when we’re out. But if he needs a poo he’d always favour the ladies as he says it’s lots cleaner if you need to sit!

I think you also have to consider if it’s appropriate for a boy to be in a women’s toilet once they pass 9/10.

My 8yo goes in by himself at family focused venues but still come in with me at more generic public venues like supermarkets or service stations. To be honest he's borderline to old, but is very young for his age and just not ready yet (SEN). Were possible we go in accessible/disabled facilities, which he qualifies to use as he only needs accompanying because of SEN. We still go in ladies together
sometimes but will definitely need to stop doing that quite soon.

“Approaching” puberty, “near” secondary school age - these are primary aged children we are talking about, who have not gone through puberty.

Women’s toilets all have cubicles so there is limited to zero risk of a woman or girl being seen by never mind coming to any harm from a prepubescent boy accompanied by his mother.

Compare that with sending a prepubescent boy alone into male toilets where men (who let’s not forget make up 99+% of sex offenders) will be urinating in urinals.

It’s not really a hard decision for me. I have a 6yo and he will be coming into the ladies toilets with me for some years yet.

My DD would be very upset at this and wouldn't use the toilet if there was a 11/12 year old boy in there. DS is 11, year 6, and he would be embarrassed and feel uncomfortable going into the ladies. He also appreciates that women/girls value their privacy.

8 - but I confess he is now a small 14 and I still worry if he's in "too long"😕

Which bit?

About 9 but with me standing outside loudly asking if he's ok.

When my ds was about that age, he wanted to go to the gents on his own when we were shopping ...but the way the toilets are configured meant there was a long corridor to the facilities from the main door so I couldn't hover outside. I didn't let him go and made him come with me to the ladies much to his annoyance. A while later I read in the local paper about a teenage boy who was assaulted in the mens loo at the shopping centre.

I have an 8yo DS who is asking to use the men's. I don't like that I can't even pop my head in to make sure that its reasonably clean and see who else is in there. Sometimes he struggles with the weight of the doors and if he was using the men's I wouldn't be able to hold it for him. All the incidents I've read about have happened in supermarket toilets so that's a definite 'no' from me. I would only allow it in a small, quiet, familiar place, or somewhere with lots of kids popping in, otherwise he uses the accessible toilet.

We are just on with this now with my DS11 who has a learning disability, blue badge etc. I will often take him into the disabled toilet (his dad always takes him into the gents) but he has been into the gents on his own a few times when it's somewhere I feel is safe. He is very limited verbally and cognitively. I had my heart in my mouth a few times. But I would never take him into the ladies now- he is far too old.

Ds went on own to gents from seven.

Eldest is nearly 6 and I will let him at places like soft play, restaurants usually but not everywhere by any means. He is really tall for his age so am aware he looks easily 8/9 so am sure some think he is too old to go into the ladies but have just rolled with it so far

I suspect that lots of girls approaching puberty wouldn't be happy to share public toilets with boys of near secondary school age.

My eldest was 8

This is bonkers.

Agree to all of this

My son was about 6. I didn't really like it but he completely refused to go into the ladies again. I used to worry if he took a long time but it was either that or him refuse to go at all.

Completely depended where it was. Probably about 8-9 aside from a service station where it was about 11!

Won’t be letting my son until at secondary and will be warning him then that they can be dangerous places. As a woman, I wouldn’t care if a mother had her son with her using the female toilets at all and completely understand why the mother wouldn’t want them to use the male toilets alone. I’ll be doing the same too.

Children are at high risk in public male toilets, don’t put your son at risk.

This is reassuring. My 8 year old has ASD and struggles to go by himself (even at home!) but was feeling bad about having him with me. Do try to encourage him in places we know well/quiet etc. Youngest (6) will go on own in local leisure centre

I don't think some adults do that to be fair.