only child in swimming changing rooms by themselves acceptable or not

[crazyashell]

He is 8 so not a really young one but I am very reluctant to let him go in by himself.
Unfortunately at his age they are expected to and I do think myself he is too old to go into the ladies so I do agree with the rule.
However I just think that an 8 year old on his own is a bit vulnerable.
What do others with one dc think about this.

Presumably he goes into the gents loos by himself when you're out by this age? I don't see that there is any more "risk" for an 8yo being alone in changing rooms. He's big enough to yell and make a fuss if someone acted inappropriately, which I assume is what you're worried about?

Have you seen the other thread that's running about this? It's fairly evenly split (I think) between those who think 8 year old boys are too old to go into the ladies' changing room and those who don't.

I would be very uneasy about my daughter going into the men's changing room if ever she went swimming with her dad. Not that I think she'd be at risk in any way - she'd have her dad with her and I don't believe that the gym changing rooms are full of psychopaths - just that she would find it weird and it might make some of the men self-conscious too.

So in the same way, I think boys of 8 are too old to go into the ladies'. My daughter is beginning to want privacy and would be horrified if one of her male classmates walked into the changing room.

good point Mabad, i had forgoten about teh prudery of 8/9 yr old girls. had to LOL but not OL when on a beach with my 7 & 9yr old neices, very uptight about changing under a towel.
having a fling it all off 3 r old I forgot.