When should children start using public toilets on their own?

LJM

i have 2 girls 8 and 5 and do not let them use public loos without me or there dad being with them. i also am a TA in a school and yes teachers do stand in the loos whilst children are using them it is part of health and safety,if something happened to them whilst they were in there and no one was supervising there would be a lot of trouble

Oldernotwiser

mrscb wrote: »

Teachers go with them on school trips and I wouldnt let my kids go somewhere at that age without a responsible adult..

At 10?????

Anyway, teachers won't actually go into the toilets with them at that age.

Katie-Kat-Kins

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

At 10?????

Anyway, teachers won't actually go into the toilets with them at that age.

Not into the cubicle but into the area with the handbasins, if they are out in public they probably would. Obviously in school or at schools events it is a bit different.

glossgal

10 is a perfectly acceptable age for kids of either sex to go to toilets alone imho (as long as adult is in the vicinity) and I would not be happy to see a 10 yr old boy in the ladies-it's just unecessary! I've seen this kind of thing a few times-boy too old to be there stands gawping at everyone whilst his mum uses the loo-urrgh!

Katie-Kat-Kins

In a public toilet - what is there to gawp at in the handwash area of a public loo?

Changing rooms are a different matter where there are undressed people, but in a loo all you are doing is washing and drying your hands!

To be honest though at about 8 I think that is old enough to wait outside alone, if he doesn't need to go and it is a reasonably safe area so probably no need to be hanging about gawping.

glossgal

KatP wrote: »

In a public toilet - what is there to gawp at in the handwash area of a public loo?

Changing rooms are a different matter where there are undressed people, but in a loo all you are doing is washing and drying your hands!

To be honest though at about 8 I think that is old enough to wait outside alone, if he doesn't need to go and it is a reasonably safe area so probably no need to be hanging about gawping.

Nowt worth looking at I agree but it's not the point-dunno bout you but I don't like being stared at in any location thank you very much! it's kids being kids but I still think that's too old to take them in, especially boys.

mcspanna

stardoman wrote: »

I use the disabled toilets with my children - what am I supposed to do with the pushchair and toddler in the "normal" toilets. Especially when the toddler is asleep. Just as a wheelchair won't fit into a cubicle a pram won't either. And its very rare that anyone is using the disabled toilets.

In fact I've noticed recently that disabled toilets are being rebranded as accessible toilets. Perhaps this is because it is recognised that they are not just necessary for disabled people?

Mandy.

Accessible toilets are being 'rebranded' as such because for years they have incorrectly been called disabled toilets when in fact the toilet is not disabled at all. However, it would appear that this is likely to lead to people with impairments becoming even more disabled because it would appear that 'accessible toilets' will be abused even more than 'disabled toilets' by non-disabled people as a result...as a wheelchair user I despair...

In response to the various people who have asked what they are meant to do instead of using when they have several children and no parent and child toilet, it's very simple; stay at home or go somewhere else...that's what disabled people have to do when they can't get parking spaces or accessible toilet facilities. rant over.:mad:

mrcow

mcspanna wrote: »

In response to the various people who have asked what they are meant to do instead of using when they have several children and no parent and child toilet, it's very simple; stay at home or go somewhere else...that's what disabled people have to do when they can't get parking spaces or accessible toilet facilities. rant over.:mad:

Or they can just let common sense prevail and use the facility that is most appropriate given the situation.

Or is using your common sense just too politically incorrect these days for some people to cope with?

msgnomey

As a teacher who has supervised many school trips I always make sure I have a male staff member to supervise the boys in the loos (usually a CRB checked parent or grandparent) if there is no male member of staff with us I either press ganag a member of staff from the venue OR the boys use the ladies. There is no way I am going to put any child in my care at even the slightest risk (I teach up to age 9)

mumps

Unfortunately public toilets can be dangerous places. I used to work for Vice Squad in a large city so I do know what I am talking about. I remember a beat bobby at the station where I was based coming in one day with a guy he had arrested in local gents loo. He was off duty and had gone in there and discovered this guy naked from the waist down standing in the middle of the handwashing area doing what you are probably thinking. This was mid afternoon on a Sunday afternoon in a nice residential area. My sons went to public loos together or came to ladies with me. I don't actually care what disapproving people think, their safety came first.

Just to add I also know of much worse things happening but the indignation of that officer will always stick in my mind.