Thanks all for the interesting debate. The male and female changerooms at our learn-to-swim school are open - there are shower cubicles but there's barely enough room to swing a cat in them. You really have no choice but to change your child side-by-side other kids.

Must say, when I posted my thinking had nothing to do with sexual harrasment/inappropriate dealings with a child etc. It was really more about the comfort level of other girls getting changed when my four year old son is in their company, and at what point I should stop exposing my son to naked girls and women (at least until he's well and truly legal!!) I've not had any reason to worry - it hasn't been an issue at all - but seeing the mum dress her daughter from behind a towel just got me to thinking. However, it's a natural progression of the debate to consider child predators. I do think children are probably less at risk in a learn-to-swim environment but I guess it can happen anytime, anywhere unfortunately.

Re: taking my boys to the toilet ... I use either the women's loos, parent's toilets (when available), or when it's signed for disabled/baby change I'll use that toilet. Fortunately our major shopping centre has a parents room, so that's where we usually go and that's where I'll take my boys for a looong time to come.