Would you be happy letting your 7 year old go into the swimming changing rooms by themselves

[crazedupmom]

Hi
Was just wondering about this as I recently visited my local swimming pool and was told that 7 year old ds could not go into the changing rooms with me, but would have to go into the mens.
I just didn,t feel comfortable with this and my ds was funny about it as well.

There are a few cubicles at these baths in the changing rooms however alot of the people in the ladies do get changed outside the cubicles as well so I can appreciate why they wouldn,t want a 7 year old boy in there.

However it was at a fairly quiet time of day with not that many people in, and I had all of these thoughts such as what if there is some weirdo in there with my son etc.
I coudn,t wait to get changed myself and go to the mens and see if he was alright.
Do you think my thoughts are justified on this and that leisure centres should try and make changing facilities better for these reasons.

Message withdrawn

It's a common rule. PITA for us as 9 year old ds1 is severely autistic so cannot get changed alone. Which means I can only take him swimming at our disabled swimming club (which is fine, prefer going there anyway- but it's only on for 2 hours a week and he loves swimming).

To op
I would get a pencil and paper out, and ask the member of staff their name, and their personal guarantee of your child's safety.

My ds is perfectly capable of changing himself (he's 8) but I would feel funny if he went to a changeroom on his own, and HE would feel funny as well

I let my 7 year old go swimming himself.

I think a 7 yo should be allowed to get changed by themselves. I have a 9yo cousin who is very sexually aware and it would be totally inappropriate to take him into a room full of naked girls with his eyes out on stalks. He is mature (in this sense) for his age but not freakishly so.

I think it is better to educate our sons how to deal with any situation which might occur than keep them tied to our apron strings. I don't think the cut off should be over 8, its not fair on the girls.

My ds would really struggle to manage on his own, getting changed and well managing tbh.

He is only 6 but I cant imagine him being able to manage at 8 either

I would feel completely the same and wouldnt let my ds go into the changing rooms alone at 7 its just too young and you really dont know who is lurking in there. And who says there arent paedophiles round every corner they dont exactly wear signs!

I think people should be usuing the cubicles to get changed anyway so then no-one would be getting changed in front of anyone but their family, communal changing rooms are just weird, wheres the privacy?

I think that most modern pools have mixed sex changing in cubicles which is much more satisfactory. Where it is split into male and female with cubicles I can't see a problem with an 8 yr old having a cubicle in the ladies but in the old fashioned ones (like a small pool near me)the ladies changing is just one open room with no cubicles and I don't think it is appropriate to have 8 year old boys changing with lots of naked, or near naked, women.

Well I wouldn't mind at all. But I appear to be in a minority.

Many 7 year olds will be more than capable of changing/drying/dressing themselves and if the parent thinks they are responsible enough to go it alone then fine.

My eldest son is 6 and a half and can't dry himself - he's dyspraxic. I know exactly what would happen should he go into swimming pool changing rooms alone.

He wouldn't be able to work the locker, would drop his clothes in a puddle, and if he did manage to get them in the locker, would never find it after swimming again.

Sad, but true, and I dn't see it changing much by the time he is 7.

It's not always paedophiles that are the worry.

Its not compulsory to take a kid swimming at any pool. If you don't like the rules at that pool don't use it.

The problem comes when all the pools in the area have that rule. I would love to be able to take ds1 to more than the disabled sessions during the summer holidays but that rule makes it impossible. Probably just as well.,

UniS, I find that a rather odd comment you made. Not all areas have more than one pool. In my area, there is one pool that I can walk to. Any other pool would be out of area and I would need to get a bus or tube to (no car as in central London). My sons take lessons at the local pool and have done for years. Why on earth would I suddenly start taking them elsewhere to different lessons with different teachers because of a stupid rule about changing rooms?

Tartanknickers -and others. Presumably all these pools have loos for disabled people - why not ask if you can change your children in there? I'm sure that the pool staff would understand if you explained about the dyspraxia.

Why should my son and I have to change in a loo when there are perfectly good changing rooms we could use. Most of them have cubicles anyway and I can assure you that my son would not be interested in yours or anybody elses body whilst in them......oh, and I think my mum might struggle with the other 4 children in the changing room by herself

and incidently, 3 of them are boys too!

Sorry,cross purposes!. I was trying to find a way past the rule for you and your ds. What on earth made you think I was concerned about your 6 year old looking at me?!

Tartan knickers/ Ilanak- it wasn't aimed at you personally,I was responding to the OP.

I meant its not compulsary to take a kid swimming, any more than its complusory to take them to ballet or football lessons.
If you and DS currently can't get on with the rules of use at an activity don't do it. Wait till hes older and try again.

I'm on the 4th try of swimming lessons with DS- last 3 times ( over 2 years) we have done a trial lesson or two he has been throughly miserable most of the time and climbed out of the pool refusing to get back in. This time hes loving it and is coming on leaps and bounds each week.