Dads using female communal changing room

How long are children actually naked while changing? Wrapped in a towel to dry then clothes put on rapidly usually still half wrapped in a towel. They aren't or shouldn't be running around naked.

Or use the family/communal spaces. If these aren’t available then yes, they’ll have to.

I suggest you take this up with my local swimming pool. It's a total straw man and I think parents who do it are disrespectful twats and yes I would report them for safeguarding reasons.

Yes! Get out of the men’s that’s a room for them to use. If your son is small he goes into the ladies with you because he’s a young child.

You should not be in the mens.

It is strictly enforced at our swimming pool. Even for children's lessons.

I would report you if I saw you doing this. It's inappropriate. My son would not be comfortable with you in there.

No there isn't, it's that swimming group only. Op said.

My point is I thimk he should use the men's. That's fine. But the "men can't be around naked children" only works if you provide enough cubicles and make all Dad's use them or you ban Dad's from lessons or you provide women to dress their kids

So women can look at male children in the men's even if they are going through puberty but girls must be protected?

Is the guy discretely standing with his back turned or is he ogling the girls?

I don’t object to small children changing in a room with their father and other dads. That’s what happens when dad takes their kid swimming and is a risk decided upon by the parent. If dad is with them they’re not exactly in danger from the other men.

Ok the point about older children makes sense to me - in our situation it’s all very young children only. Do people feel this also applies to a woman in the men’s (which is what I do)? I feel much more comfortable not exposing girls to my son undressed, but wouldn’t want dads to feel uncomfortable that I’m in there whilst their children change.

Jesus wept.

A) it's about safety
B) it's also about privacy and dignity
C) not all girls in there will be accompanied by an adult
D) girls over 8 will be very bodily conscious of undressing in front of adults males for good reason - see B
E) Dad can fuck off with his child to either the men's or the unisex facilities and have some bloody respect for the girls
F) I seriously can't believe we have to explain this on a parenting forum. Have people lost their minds and their brains fallen out when it comes to safeguarding.

I took DS swimming. He was changing in the mens by himself from age 7. It was just kids in there. I didn't for one second expect to go into the men's nor did I think it appropriate for DS to be in the women's. This is not a difficult concept.

If there's a disability or something and an older child or adult needs an opposite sex carer to change them, then use the disabled changing.

So what happens when there numerous dads taking kids? They should use the men's but then there's little kids naked in a room with men so you object.

Should men not be allowed to do certain activities with young children?

The difference is that you are female and the risk is to you and your son in the men’s changing room, statistically.

I don’t agree that you should take your son in the men’s though. If he is under 8, bring him in the women’s. If he’s over 8 and can’t sort himself out, go in family changing.

I would report it. If your child is young enough to need help changing then you take them into YOUR sex changing rooms. If they can change alone then they go into THEIR sex changing rooms by themselves.

He has probably been thinking along the lines of "I'm a perfectly normal non dangerous person", not realising that his presence in a women's changing room is normalising to young girls that it's acceptable for unknown men to see you naked. The actual threat is psychological rather than physical, which I think alot of men fail to realise. Not to mention the fact that it's perfectly possible to be the dad of a daughter and still be a physical threat to other girls or get a kick out of being in that space. You as a parent have no way of knowing which type of person he is and as such, he should respect your desire to protect your daughter and use male or private changing rooms.

I would expect the management to understand this and put clear signage up saying that it is not allowed for men to take a child into the women's changing room, and to follow up by removing anyone who ignores the sign.

if you are an adult taking an opposite SEX child somewhere they need to get changed, you need to think about that before you go.

Not just go waltzing into the women's (as a man). Take a robe for you child (a woman would think of that automatically...)

it's not impossible. It is very very easy

Yes. This.

Because female children unrelated to the man don’t want a man in the room… they have a right to get changed in privacy too.

If your son is small then yes he goes into the ladies with you because he hasn’t been through puberty yet. If your son is 9-10+ he can get changed in the men’s on his own.

My DD is a child so does child swimming lessons but going through puberty. She can change by herself in the women’s so should not have her privacy and safety invaded by adult men.

He should take his child to the men’s changing room, he shouldn’t be in the women’s.

Straw man argument.

Grown men shouldn't be around naked girls - there will potentially be unaccompanied girls over 8 in that changing room who have not consented to the presence of a man. Some will be going through puberty.

If dad takes his under 8 girl into the male changing rooms a) he's accompanying her and making that decision b) she's under 8 and isn't at an age of being self conscious of an issue regarding privacy and dignity

Seriously I think posts are either disengeous bullshit or completely unaware of any form of safeguarding.

No that’s unacceptable. Small male children can accompany mum into the ladies. Small female children can accompany dad into the men’s. But adult men cannot enter the ladies.

In reply to those making the point that it’s only children getting changed: In my experience, swim lessons are based on ability, not age, so there are sometimes older children in a beginners group. Imagine being a girl who has started puberty and is trying to get changed in the ladies room and there’s a bloke in there. Not at all appropriate!

So daughters go in the ladies if with dad and boys go in the men's if they are with mum?