Little Girl in the Men's Room About This Page:

[ripkensnana]

(I also posted this in the Library, cuz I wasn't sure where I should put it...)

Has anyone else run into or heard of this? DH went into the men's room yesterday after seeing the new HP flick, and some man brought his 4-year-old (or thereabouts) daughter in with him....

According to DH, there were also some little boys in there, and they teased the daylights out of her...but my main concern is: Does this man really want his little girl to see all those adult men at the urinals with their...well, you get the picture (as did she, I'm sure!). I understand that he was probably alone at the theatre with her, and couldn't leave her by herself in the lobby, but I should think that under the circumstances he could have asked an employee to watch her while he did what he had to - or if she was the one in need, he could have asked a female employee to take her into the Women's room...

Am I overly concerned over this???

[vsonnier]

DH ran into the same thing at WDW. We were dining at CRT and this woman sent her daughter and two boys to the restroom with her husband. DH said when he walked in and saw that little girl he was VERY uncomfortable. I saw her and she had to be at least 4...probably closer to 5 or 6. No come on. Most places have companion bathrooms now - not to mention that the mother could have easily gotten up and taken the little girl. There is no way I would want a girl my little girl to see all of that. I was disgusted as was DH.

[DisneyM5]

<font color="#666666"> I agree I don't think it's appropriate, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say he was trying to do the right thing by not leaving her alone. </font>

[Teresa]

DH used to take our youngest into the men's room with him. He would cover her eyes and walk her to the stall. THey made a game of it.
Why is it so wrong for a man to take his daughter to a men's room but no-one thinks twice about a woman taking a boy into the ladies' room?

In a lot of areas of Europe, we ran into "asexual" restrooms. There were no distiction between women and men, and it was done very tastefully.

[LisaJ]

It's wrong because men and women approach sex very differently. There are many perverted men who "enjoy" little girls, it's usually not the other way around. Plus, woman don't stand up, basically in public view, to use the restroom, it's done behind closed doors. Sorry, but there's no equality here.

[DISNEYGOOF]

[ QUOTE ]
Plus, woman don't stand up, basically in public view, to use the restroom, it's done behind closed doors. Sorry, but there's no equality here.

[/ QUOTE ]That was my
thought.

[luvnwdwgal]

Taking a little boy into a Women's restroom is totally different than taking a little girl into a Men's room. You're not going to "see" anything in the women's room. I think in his case he should have found a nice lady to take her into the women's room or at least covered her eyes like in Teresa's reply. Maybe it was an emergency and there just wasn't enough time to do the right thing?

[Teresa]

I have been in a women's room with women changing in the middle of the room, totally naked. Frequently, women adjust themselves in the mirror. I still see no probem.
It just seems that you are all making this into a sexual thing and it isn't. It is a little girl needing to go to the bathroom, or her father needing to.
Would it have been better for her sensibilities for him to walk into the women's room? Then, she could have watched her daddy get arrested!
Asd for leaving her with an empolyee or having another take her into the restroom - 1. the theater doesn't pay them to do that, and the employees could be fired. 2. is there any guarantee that the female (employ or strange lady) would not run off with or molest the little girl. I took a course on how to protect my child. This father did the right thing! 10% of all molestors are women! Get over the sexual thought and just remember - there is a dad that is helping out with his kids, and being a good dad.

No man is going to go for a child that is being escorted in the restroom. He is going to target the little girl/boy left outside of the door because s/he being in the room made others uncomfortable, or the child that is in the bathroom by him/herself. My uncle was a sexual predator. He would never have thought twice about this child.

[LilMarcieMouse]

<font color="blue">If i were a guy i wouldn't want to find a girl in the Restroom. </font>

[goofy4goofy]

At least he didn't leave her standing alone in the movie theater. I would never leave my child with an employee either. A stranger is a stranger to a child, whether he/she works at the movie theater or not. I wouldn't send her alone into the women's bathroom either. Women can be child molestor's, rapists, kidnappers, etc too.

I don't know what the "right" thing was, but I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt. I'm not sure anything he could have done in that situation would have been "perfect." I'm going to say that I think it's better to make another guy feel uncomfortable than to have my daughter kidnapped out in the hall.

Kelly

[graygables]

My Dad took me to the men's room once on an Army base. He told me to close my eyes and he led me into a stall where I stayed until he was done and the "coast was clear" (he asked others to wait for me to leave). I'm glad to say I never "saw" anything, but the smell just about wiped me out! (sorry, guys!)

It's such a difficult thing these days, but what gets me is when a woman brings her son into the restroom and lets him wander around and peek under the doors while she does her business! I just think a little common sense and courtesy does well to protect everyone's privacy and safety!

[Stitch]

Right on Theresa! Believe me, there is nothing to be seen in the men's room (Most guys just want to get in and get out!). Just the same; covering her eyes would be a good move - ya never know, but I've certainly never seen anything!! I would hope that mother's would cover the boy's eyes as well in the reverse situation! I personally wouldn't be bothered by this - you truly don't know the situation.

[redsback]

As a single mother to a very tall six year old boy, I can relate well to this post. I am starting to get some strange looks from women in the ladies' room when I bring my son in with me, but what else can I do? Even though my son is much taller than the average six year old, he's still way too young to go to the men's room by himself. When nature calls, you have to answer it, as I'm sure was the case of the father taking his daughter to the men's room. It's not the ideal situation, but what is the alternative? Staying home so as not to offend anyone? As far as him finding "a nice woman" to escort his daughter into the women's room, how could a person's character be determined in a brief chat outside a restroom door? Just because someone looks "nice" doesn't mean that they wouldn't hurt your child. That's just too big of a risk to take. The only solution would be for places such as theaters and malls to have a "family" restroom or, more simply in the father's case, for men's rooms to be equipped similarly to women's rooms with individual stalls with doors!

[AmyJune]

I agree with Teresa and Stitch. My dad used to take me in the men's room. We went in, I went in the stall, I'd holler when I was done and we'd leave. Did I like going to the men's room - NO but, it was just how it had to be if my mom wasn't there to take me. I was not interested in looking around or in being in there any longer than necessary - men's rooms smell funny!
Occasionally if the men's room was too gross my dad would make one of my brothers take me to the ladies room. My brothers weren't crazy about this but they'd do it. Sometimes we'd get hassled but usually if my brother would explain that mom wasn't with us, they'd back off.

That being said, by the time I was 5 or so and didn't need help in the bathroom I was allowed to go by myself to the ladies rooms but my dad waited for me outside the door. he got a lot of dirty looks from ladies coming out of the loos.

My brother did the same thing with his daughters. If he was the only one with them, they went to the men's room. You go in, keep your eyes to the floor, go straight to the stall and stay there until dad comes and gets you (if he doesn't stay in the stall with you). You leave the same way.

is this an ideal situation - no, but you have to do what you have to do to keep yout kids safe.

Now woman at CBR that was there but sent her daughter in with dad and the boys - I don't agree with that. Going into the opposite gender bathrooms should only be a last resort.

[2Princesses]

(I originally came across this thread in the library and decided to copy my post here, too. Just my .02.)

This has always been a difficult situation for my family since I have two young daughters. There have been numerous times when my DH has been alone in a public place with one or both of my girls. When they "have to go" and there are no "family restrooms" he's had no choice but to carry them into the mens' room - keeping them close to his chest and shielding their eyes until they are in a stall.

I'm sure there are many fathers in situations where their wives may be working, or they are divorced, or widowed yet they still want to take their daughters out to public places and events. Sending a 3 or 4 year old girl in the restroom with a stranger is not really a good option. The family restrooms found at malls and other family friendly places are such a wonderful solution to this awkward situation.