Sexist, or just plain unfair?

marisco_2

gem75 wrote: »

I don't have a problem with boys up to about the age of 7 in the ladies changing rooms (and similarly for girls in the male changing rooms) but after that they really should use the correct one for their sex.

I agree with this. At 7 years of age children are capable of getting showered, dried and dressed by themselves. They all manage it at the school where I work after going for their swimming lessons.

RichardD1970

gem75 wrote: »

I don't have a problem with boys up to about the age of 7 in the ladies changing rooms (and similarly for girls in the male changing rooms) but after that they really should use the correct one for their sex.
I am sick of having to try and get changed at my gym (which I pay quite a lot a month for) in full view of boys some of whom look to be getting on for 12 or 13.

Having a 12 year old lad, he would be absolutely mortified having to get changed in view of anyone of the opposite sex, or being anywhere near to a lady getting changed. :rotfl:

barbarawright

RichardD1970 wrote: »

Having a 12 year old lad, he would be absolutely mortified having to get changed in view of anyone of the opposite sex, or being anywhere near to a lady getting changed. :rotfl:

I rarely write letters of complaint but once, at a pool near me that that had open showers (no cubicles) and only about 3 changing cubicles, I encountered a class of boys who, it was obvious from their conversation, were secondary school age with a woman teacher supervising. Stonkingly inappropriate I thought, and complained, and others must have done too because next time I visited there was a 'no children over 8 in the other sex's changing room sign'.

And while I agree it was probably embarrassing for most of the boys, there were a couple just standing and staring at the showers.

Spendless

No children of opposite sex over 8 allowed was a common sign when my son was young. I would guess it either said that, or it was a joke.

michelle2008

Family changing rooms are definitely the way to go. Much easier for everyone.

abailey54

I have to say, I've seen boys of ages at least 8, if not older, 'waiting for their mother' in the ladies changing rooms, staring at women getting changed. I agree with the sign if there's an age limit to it - but agree that there should be a similar sign in the gents changing room.

Jinx

Could there only be a sign at the ladies changing room as its only the ladies that take the kids to that gym? Maybe dads go alone to the gym or leave the kids with mum? But still should be matching signs at either side.

I'm another who objects to boys who are too big being in ladies changing rooms - where has common sense gone?

Treevo

Person_one wrote: »

Because of the fact that girls develop much younger, mostly.

That doesn't tally with what you said. I'll remind you.

Subjecting older female children who are possibly in the early stages of puberty to a room full of naked men is far more problematic than the other way around...

The other way around would be older, pubescent boys.

It's sounds very much like you think all men are child abusers who will see a pubescent girl and immediately attack her, while women are all perfectly restrained and would never be child abusers. That's a dangerous way to think and quite offensive to both men no women.

No doubt you'll pretend you didn't mean exactly what you wrote.

Nicki

Treevo wrote: »

That doesn't tally with what you said. I'll remind you.



The other way around would be older, pubescent boys.

It's sounds very much like you think all men are child abusers who will see a pubescent girl and immediately attack her, while women are all perfectly restrained and would never be child abusers. That's a dangerous way to think and quite offensive to both men no women.

No doubt you'll pretend you didn't mean exactly what you wrote.

I did not read it in that way at all! I think you are perhaps reading it the way you want to read it, so you can take offence at the drop of a hat.

The concern which has been addressed on the thread is of children of either sex being in the wrong sex changing room at the point when they are in late pre-pubescence or older and therefore both becoming more interested in the seeing the naked bodies of the opposite sex (and therefore embarrassing the adults who are trying to change) and are also more noticeably to adults teens or almost teens whether they are staring or not. If you accept the argument that girls tend to look older than boys of the same age, the Person one's point is exactly the same as every other point on the thread.

I'm another who likes family changing rooms. My DD is 11 and has severe learning difficulties so won't ever be able to change by herself. If anything happened to me (or I just wasn't available on a set day), I'd still like her to be able to go swimming taken by her dad, but at this age he wouldn't dream of taking her into the men's changing rooms, or going into the ladies himself to supervise her.

Person_one

Nicki wrote: »

I did not read it in that way at all! I think you are perhaps reading it the way you want to read it, so you can take offence at the drop of a hat.

The concern which has been addressed on the thread is of children of either sex being in the wrong sex changing room at the point when they are in late pre-pubescence or older and therefore both becoming more interested in the seeing the naked bodies of the opposite sex (and therefore embarrassing the adults who are trying to change) and are also more noticeably to adults teens or almost teens whether they are staring or not. If you accept the argument that girls tend to look older than boys of the same age, the Person one's point is exactly the same as every other point on the thread.

I'm another who likes family changing rooms. My DD is 11 and has severe learning difficulties so won't ever be able to change by herself. If anything happened to me (or I just wasn't available on a set day), I'd still like her to be able to go swimming taken by her dad, but at this age he wouldn't dream of taking her into the men's changing rooms, or going into the ladies himself to supervise her.

Thanks Nicki, its nothing to do with thinking every man is a !!!!!phile, obviously, but to do with the fact that its much less appropriate for an 8 or 9 year old girl with breasts and pubic hair to be getting changed in the men's changing room than for an 8 or 9 year old boy who still has a child's body to get changed in the women's.

As you say, lockable cubicles solve all the potential issues.