To think there is no reason my 11 yo DS can't try on jeans in the fitting room in Women's Wear

[SoupDragon]

Given that the children's wear one is shut and it's all separate cubicles?

They tried to tell me we had to go down two floors to menswear.

They saw sense in the end.

Me neither - I want to see if stuff still fits him but I sort of give up!

I sort of resent the insinuation that there is anything threatening about pre-pubescent boys (especially ones who are behind a curtain, or a solid door), but I know it isn't meant that way ......

ForMash, there aren't any other occupants other than his mum - separate cubicles.

Well, he might catch a glimpse. And?

For the record I have two girls and a boy.

Would look askance of a 11 year old boy in the female changing room on his own, but a bit if he was with his mother, there is no way he'll let her do that in 3 years time!

For survey purposes I have both.

Informal analysis so far (because I can't be bothered to count) - mothers with boys, or boys and girls: uncomprehending of any sort of problem whatsoever

Mothers with girls (well, only Forsmash has answered so far, I think, so just the one!) -uncomfortable with it.

Not bothered - I have both.

No strong feelings either way (though DD is 10.9 and might freak a bit if there was a boy she knew in the changing rooms).

But at our local swimming pool (which has cubicles in the changing rooms) there is a rule that children over 8 have to use the changing room for their own gender - so if the OP went swimmimg with her DS they would have to get changed separately.

I know it's not the same thing but I just wondered if there was some kind of precedent underlying it.

I have DS's. They are much younger than the OP's, but my immediate response was that I probably wouldn't take an 11 year old boy in the women's changing rooms. But then, I remember the boys at school at that age being OBSESSED with us girls bits, and the few that had the misfortune to, um, "blossom" early got such a hard time. So that is influencing my opinion. I guess it depends on the individual boy though. SOme are very much little children at that age.

I overheard my DS and his friends a few years ago when he was 'only 11' and sadly they were not the little innocent children I had thought them to be. :(

Would I feel uncomfortable with an 11 yo boy in the changing rooms? Maybe

Would my 70 yo mother? Yes!!!!!

lol, my Daughter is only 9 but Im sure if DH said to her to come into the mens changing rooms/cubicles she would say no way!!! lol.

I dont see it as a huge problem, but I suppose I would be suprised to see an 11 year old boy in the femal changing rooms

your poor ds how to embarress an up and coming teen

I think YABU.

It wouldn't actually both me personally, but can see why it would bother some people. My dsd, for instance, is 11 (almost 12). She's had periods since she was 9, and is very well "developed". She'd be mortified and upset if she thought an 11 yr old boy was around.

I have two ds's (much older) and they are not innocent little boys at that age!!

How ridiculous!

Mind you, I got some funny glances (but NO comments) when I took DS (6) to a ladies toilet yesterday. There was no way on this earth I was letting him in the mens on his own, we were at an extremely busy event and he wasn't leaving my sight for one second!

YANBU

Well I've got two boys and would be very uncomfortable with an 11 year old boy in the ladies changing rooms. It's a reasonable expectation of privacy, surely?

6 is very different to 11 though.

But it's not a women's changing room, it just happens to be in womenswear. What if a man came along and wanted to try the clothes on? He is buying them from womenswear, so should be able to try them on there, no?

I don't see the problem - you don't parade around outside the cubicle in your kecks. And if you do, then stop!

exactly.

I have a problem with it - mainly because the curtains in the 'individual' cubicles seem to fit so poorly.

I wouldn't like any children (boys more though) peeking round the curtain and possibly gawping or sniggering at me. I like privacy when hauling my tits into bras or my ass into jeans.

I don't have an enormous problem with it but otoh I really can't see why the fuss about going to the mens or children's changing room on another floor. Its a bit lazy, isn't it?

I'm minded to say YABU, but I'm not so far from being on the fence.

I took 10yo DS to Men's changing rooms the other day because children's was closed (refurbishment at M&S). We had to run around the houses a few times to get there, too. DS would have been mortified to use the Women's changing rooms and I would have felt quite worried about offending sensitivities, especially if a 9-12yo girl had been in there. I stayed outside and he came out to show me how the clothes fit.

That said, at school Yr6 boys & girls still change in front of each other for PE, down to pants and all. But I don't approve of that either, I know that many of the children hate it by Yr3-4.

You do get that these were separate cubicles which just happened to be located in the women's wear department.

They are not labelled "women's changing" and are actually the next closest ones to the children's wear area (except the lingerie ones, which I deliberately avoided). They refused to open the rooms in the children's area.

"so he will never not once look at the other occupants of the changing room?"

Er, no, because they are cubicles. He is 11 and thus perfectly capable of not opening any of the curtains.

A fully clad boy may see a fully clad female! Just like outside! Gasp!

I sat outside the cubicle anyway, surely you know there's not enough room to get two people in there unless you want to get intimate :o He went in with his clothes, I waited whilst he tried them on, got dressed again and came out having made his decision.

What is there for him to be mortified about? It's a room with curtained cubicles in it, in the women's wear department which is next to the children's wear.

oh fgs soupy
he is ELEVEN! take him to the mens