AIBU to wonder how kids 6 up manage in single sex changing rooms in Iceland?

[crunchymint]

In Iceland kids aged from 6 usually have to go in the changing room in swimming pools for their sex. So 6 year old boys in the men's changing rooms. In most places there are no family rooms.
So AIBU to wonder how boys of 6 manage in Iceland when most mothers I know in Britain would say their 6 year old boy should go into the women's changing room with their mum?

My gym in the UK has a policy that kids over the age of 7 have to change in the correct sex changing room. They have had to reinforce this message a few times as some parents of both sexes think it excludes them.

The main problem is that some 7+ year olds have difficulty using the lockers and are too scared to ask a random adult to help them.

I always thought the Skandis were a bit loco. Always doing things differently to the rest of us Homo sapiens.

10 year old boys in the girls swimming room makes me aghast.

SN aside, I’m sure most 10 year old boys would rather not be in there anyway. Don’t flatter yourself!

@Romanova we are the loco ones. Before loads of cars and a fear of paedos scho aged children were just chucked outside to play in the streets. Children slightly older also went on day "adventures" on their own.

Btw the Japanese expect their children that age to go to school on their own. Some have to use public transport to get there.

Mine were all physically capable by 6. One in particular is so slow and dozy and generally forgetful so I always have to send him back in for something he's forgotten, he's gone in the pool still wearing his pants, that sort of thing.
But I have no worries about them not knowing what to do or getting hurt or lost or molested. Just about them being silly and annoying other people.

Very different culture.
We swam in public swimming pools in Iceland and the changing rooms were all totally open/visible. Everyone was naked, and there were staff on duty.

I was told by our swimming pool (policy of 9 and under can change with parent) that the policy exists for safety. Children can access the pool from the change room and younger children have drowned.

What is so scary about 10 year old boys?

I'd love to go to Iceland, but the nude showering thing puts me off!

A pool near me used to have a sign up saying 'no boys over the age of 5' in the women's changing rooms and vice-versa. Then they redeveloped it about five years ago and went for cubicles, which I think is much better. I think my son would be quite capable of getting changed on his own at 7, but he might well take forever.

@Ghoststomonsoon you can go to Iceland without going swimming, it's not compulsory.

Yes but swimming in the hot pools would be fun! Wonder if they have cubicles for foreigners with bad memories of communal PE showers?

MaryShelley In most smaller leisure centres there is one member of staff on reception. So no there are not staff overseeing the changing rooms.

When I went to Iceland there were separate cubicles at the Blue Lagoon.

At a smaller, more rustic lagoon that we went to, they didn't have cubicles, but nobody was policing the naked showering, so I didn't do it.