public toilets

[New Dawn]

When do you stop going to the public toilet with your child?

I have a almost 8 yr old Boy and he want to go to the boys loo by himself but I wont let him I still make him come in with me to the ladys if there is a disapled or baby room with a loo then I will take him there but he still doesnt like this and want to go to "his" toilets..

What do you all do?

what age did you stop going with your child?

[butterfly*kisses]

Wow - this is a hard topic.

My 9 1/2 year old son goes to the toilet on his own in the gents. I stand outside and tell him to shout loudly if anything is wrong.

[New Dawn]

BK when did you start to let your DS go as now that my DS is nearing 8 he is really protesting about me been there but I am too scared to let him go alone, am I been to protective should I let him go by himself?

ATM we are in Cairns which is smallish but we are soon to be movoing to melb which is waaaaaaaaaaaaaay bigger so if I am too scared here only God know what I will be like when we move, just worried if I let him here then I might just freck out down there and wont let him again then he really will have the *****s.

I am also very awhere that this cant go on too much longer as I cant see a 10 yrs old letting me make him go to the ladys, plus other ladys would be happy about that either....

[butterfly*kisses]

We live in Darwin - which is kinda comparable to Cairns. I think DS has been going on his own for at least a year. It was a very nerve racking thing at first - but it gets easier. I remember the first time - I kept calling out to him "Is everything ok" - I think he was embarressed.

I think you might find that Melbourne has more "Parent rooms". We lived in Brisbane for a short time, and we were distressed by the lack of them in Darwin.....but being a smaller town - I suppose it makes sense.

Anyway your DS would be quite accustomed to using the toilets alone at school, so he would be confident at solo public toiletting. Its just the big boys out there that worry us.....right?

My advise to you would be to choose your location well, and test run.....ie.....trial him going alone in a safe location - before you let him go alone in a 'must go' situation.

Hope that is helpful

[AnyDream]

I had this problem when we used to look after my nephew, starting around age 10. He had no problems going alone, it was just more of a safety worry for me, given there had been a few nasty incidents reported in the media around that time involving boys of a similar age. So I would *always* stand outside making sure to announce that fact ("I'll just wait here then") and believe me I would have no qualms about barging in if I suspected something was wrong. Also helpful if you get them to tell you when it's going to be a longer toilet trip (so you know when to worry), usually they're just in an out quickly.

[New Dawn]

thanks again BK I too have lived in Darwin and your right not much choice there I guess if we where still there he would be going to the boys by now...

You know I never thought of the fact that he goes to the loo by himself at school LOL so of course thats got to be why he is starting to have a big issue with it when I take him to the ladys he is morerfied if he see's a girl of his age in there, so I know that the time is near when he just wont go with me... I just hope I can alway find a family room for him to go into atleast then I can check its empty...

MD thanks for the tip about the how long are yuo going to be I would hate to be stressing out and barge in when all he is really doing is sitting down... LOL