How old was your son when he went to the gents (alone!)

[scampadoodle]

DS1 is 5.5 & the past couple of times we've been out he's insisted on going to pee in the men's room, rather than my accompanying him in the ladies. The first time was a family party & the second was at a soft play centre. I mentioned it to DH last night & he thought DS1 too young. I'm going to make him use the ladies now, for a while longer, even if only to make sure he washes his hands , but what do other MNers think?

i don't have sons, butg I think that is a bit young
I'd raise my eyebrows a bit if I saw a boy about 10 or 11 in the womens toilets
i think anyways

i really can't remember when my ds(13) went into the gents alone! but i still take my ds(5) with me.

ds1 is nearly 8 and i let him go to the gents by himself otherwise we find a disabled toilet and use that(along as there isnt a queue) but i do worry bout him going in their by himself but he wont go in the ladies with me

I think 5.5 is a bit young too.
From membery, I think ds was about 7 when I (reluctantly) let him go to the gents on his own.
And that's with me hovering outside (not too near obv) ready to burst in if he took too long -

DS1 is 10 and he goes in by himself. I wait outside and give him the 'don't talk to anyone, blah blah' talk before he goes in. I don't like it though. Any weirdo could be in there If its in a really public place like a shopping centre, I make him come into the ladies with me.

DS is coming up 6 and we've started letting him go to the loo on his own when we're out (as long as we can see where he's going to) - when I'm on my own he goes in the ladies and when dh is with us he goes in the mens. He would much prefer to go in the mens all the time (novelty factor of peeing in the urinals ), but for the foreseeable future I prefer to be able to go in after him if necessary.

5 - but I lurk outside! (He's 6 now)

7 seems to be the usual watershed

I think he's too young too, but I just wanted to check I wasn't being over-cautious. Both of the times I did check the loos were empty before I let him go in. I'll have to put my foot down in future. I suppose he thinks, he goes to the boys' loos at school so why not in the big world?

my 4.5 year old is getting funny about the ladies and has dived into the mens before I could stop him once. I really don't like it at all though, and will be taking him in with me for a few years yet. In Spain though, I got really evil looks and one woman had a go at me for bringing him in, I don't know if it is different there.

We are having this debate currently with my Ds who is 6.

He wants to go alone, but I am refusing. He doesn't like being in he ladies though, so I know it's only a matter of time now before I give in.

I think I'll do the standing outside the door timimg him thing, once I relent.

Agree its too young and this is something I dread too.
Use the disabled where possible and hover outside that. I am sure that noone would be bothered over a little boy in the ladies either. Not me for one.

DS is nearly 6 and he generally comes in with us (ie DD and me) but dependent on the place I might let him go in the gents on his own. Also depends if he just needs a wee or if we all do.

DS is currently 5 and comes to ladies with me. And will do until he is about 18!

OK slight exageration there but he will come to ladies as long as possible. DH hates taking him to gents and he says they are often filthy.

Can't understand why anyone would object to an older boy in the ladies. It's not as if anyone can see you in the loo.

Gosh, that's interesting Kelly. Do you think in Spain they are more in denial about the possibilty of abuse (or even more realistic, as it's far less prevalent statistically than we think)?

Very much depends where we are. If it's somewhere like a family party or an indoor play area where there is cctv then 5.5 would be ok.
In a supermarket I'd say send him to the ladies till a bit older.
My 2 are 11 & 13 - I still make ds1 use the ladies if it's a public loo that could be dodgy - eg in a public park.

I wouldn't have trusted ds1 and 2 to wash their hands properly at age 5 in a quite possibly filthy men's room, quite apart from the other issues. At a soft play/party type setting which is child based I'd let a 6-7 go alone, otherwise they'd be with me. I let ds1 and 2 go together into motorway service station and similar loos at 8 and 10, provided they agreed to stay together & wait for each other.

I let ds (5) go on his own when he insists (he doesn't always but more and more often he won't go in with me and dd). I hover outside normally.

Mine were better at handwashing aged 5 than now aged 13

my almost 6 year old (in feb) has to come to the ladies with me if DH not with us

but we're in London ..

we're in London too but I'm picky about which loos we go to

If I remember rightly swimming pools generally have a rule any child over 7 must use the changing room of their own sex, so I would go by that for using the bathroom too.

My ds has just turned 7 and he's stood his ground for a couple of years now and insisted on going into the gents.

I didn't like it at first but am used to it now. I don't want him to come across people cottaging, but I guess it's very unlikely.

7 seems about right for a boy, but what to Dad's do when there out with their DD's aged 3-about 8 - do they take them in the mens? [shock}