Pool Changing Room.

[Roobix04]

Ok not sure if I even have an issue just wanted to see what other people think.
So yesterday me and my 17 yo dsis were at the pool with 6mo dd and a woman came into the changing room with her 2 sons. One was about 6 and the other was 10/11. They got changed in a cubicle but with the curtain open. I was across from them wearing just a towel trying to dry my hair and not flash anyone and my dsis was supposed to be getting out of her bikini while making sure my dd didn't roll off the table. The thing is the older boy was obviously reaching the stage where he's getting curious about women's bodies which is fine but it meant he kept looking at us. We both felt a little uncomfortable about exposing ourselves to him. I'm definitely not implying he was a pervert or anything but I think he's too young to be exposed to my slightly saggy body. I think at that age he's old enough to go into the men's on his own. So were we being unreasonable or was that a little weird?

Why wasn't your curtain closed?

And also, he may have been a tall 7/8yo as was my Ds.

At our pool it's all unisex.

Just close door/curtain.

You'd be stuffed at my local pool as it's unisex changing rooms!
Most people get dressed before drying their hair and they make sure their cubicle doors are shut.

Just go into a cubicle.

Depends on the rules at your pool? Ours are that children over 8 must change in the appropriately gendered changing room. So if I was uncomfortable that an older boy was in the women's changing room I'd speak to staff.

I can't go into a cubicle because my dd was on the changing table. Also the hairdryer is not in a cubicle. I'm fine with being wrong I guess I just never noticed it before because before I had dd I would have been in a cubicle.

Of course YANBU.

Even if he was 10, I wouldn't send my son into the changing rooms alone. Just close the door/curtain. Moot point at our baths anyway as it's unisex.
There was a post here a couple of weeks ago about a man showering in the nude in the communal showers (unisex) which most people said was fine. I think I'd have a bit of a at that, but at yours....just close the door!

Couldn't you and your sister have taken turns to get changed while the other was with DD? And dried your hair after you were dressed?

Maybe he was younger. Or couldn't be left alone for some other reason.

But your sister was with you. One of you hold the baby whilst the other gets dressed quickly wrap your hair in a towel, take baby whilst the other dresses. Do your hair at home?

Sorry, x post. Our changing rooms have family sized ones with change table

Oh this is a difficult one. I see both sides. My son is over 8 and I don't think he should be in the communal ladies changing rooms with me but neither do I think he should be in the men's alone. Perhaps gyms etc need to address this and provide family facilities?

Over 8's go in the correct changing at one of my pools, the other is unisex and all cubicles. 11 is old enough to change on their own IMO.

Who dries their hair naked in communal changing room?

This post is very odd. Yes you are weird,.

With two of you there it would be a piece of cake to have one of you dress while the other looks after the baby.

My 8 yr old ds won't come in the female changing rooms now, and there aren't any family ones.

He manages fine in the male changing rooms fine actually, but a lot of his friends mums are shocked that I allow this.

Also, I suppose there may have been a good reason for the lad you saw needing to be with his mum.

if there aren't adequate mum and baby changing cubicles/ facilities you need to complain.

Men shower naked in the communal changing rooms at our local pool, my son and his friends all go in the school changing room to avoid them and don't shower because of it. Not sure whether to complain to be honest.

I don't understand why you couldn't get changed in a cubicle. Your Dsis was watching the baby (as per your OP), so you get changed then watch baby while Dsis changes. What's so complicated?

The problem is judging kids ages is hard.

I have a very tall, very articulate, 6 year old. Most strangers guess he's 8 or 9. He's too young to go into the gents on his own. What do I do?

blot I would definitely be complaining about men showering naked in the communal changing rooms. Why are they doing that?

After I'd had a little ogle of course

Yeah if he was there again and I was with my sis I would change in a cubicle. I wasn't drying my hair naked I was wearing a towel. It was just that he came in while we were mid change and we were unsure what to do. At that age I was changing by myself when I went with my step dad. They're actually building a new sports centre up the road which will have village changing but they'll also have family cubicles with changing facilities which the current one doesn't.

If the boy was actually that age with no special needs at all, YANBU. However, it is hard to decide whether a child is OK to change alone as you don't know them. I always worried about DS2 because he was prone to being a complete idiot - I would have felt happier with family changing in his case but still sent him into the male changing with his brother when necessary.

I wouldn't raise it with the people in the changing room but I would raise it with someone at reception on the way out to get them to clarify the rules.

Personally I think you are being a bit unreasonable. Your sister was minding baby. You could have quickly changed then taken over while she changed then both dried your hair fully clothed. Your sister was in a bikini - so presumably the same thing she'd been wearing in the pool? The boy would have seen just as much in the pool as in the changing room.

Also, I would recommend a dressing gown rather than a towel. I used to find that by the time I had dried and dressed my baby/young child I was pretty much dry. Also, they are less prone to accidental exposure!