At What Age Should Children Use Public Restrooms Alone?
The challenge lies in balancing the youngster’s safety needs with the need for independence.
Moms Talk is a weekly feature on all Lehigh Valley Patches in which local parents, caregivers and other members of the community are invited to share opinions and advice on parenting issues.
This week’s Moms Talk topic relates to public restrooms:
Some experts say that the first step in allowing a child to use a public restroom alone is setting very clear guidelines for the trip to the bathroom: Go in, do your business, wash your hands and leave. Period. Others argue that being able to able to take care of bathroom needs alone is one thing while being able to protect oneself from harm could be another.
Now, we want to know what you think: Do you let your kids use a public restroom alone, or do you always accompany them?
Join the conversation. Each week our Moms Council members discuss these and other issues.
Our Moms Council members include:
- Lisa Amey of Upper Milford Township is a stay-at-home mom to an 8-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl. A past president of the MOMS Club of Emmaus and longtime member of MOPs (Mothers of Preschoolers), Lisa is an Independent Consultant for Arbonne International.
- Lisa Drew of Emmaus is a certified nutritionist and personal trainer, wellness and fitness coach with more than 17 years of experience. She is the mother of a 13-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy.
- Jennifer Elston of Emmaus has almost two decades of professional experience in child development and counseling. She is currently a stay-at-home mom to two beautiful girls. Together with her husband, Chris, she owns Christopher Elston Photography.
- Jeanne Lombardo of Nazareth is the mother of a 10-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl. She’s new to the Lehigh Valley, having moved to Nazareth from Bergen County, NJ in January.
- Lisa Merk of Lower Macungie is a stay-at-home mother of four boys – a 12-year-old and 6-year-old triplets. Lisa is a past president of the MOMS Club of Lower Macungie East. In her “spare” time, Lisa teaches piano to school-age children.
- Megan Patruno of Allentown is a mother of three – an 11-year-old boy, an 8-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy. Megan also works as an admission counselor at Muhlenberg College in Allentown.
- Zoila Bonilla Paul of Bethlehem is a stay-at-home mom to two girls – a 5-year-old and a 14-month-old. Zoila is a member of her local “moms’ club” and says she is “well-versed in the fun that children can bring.”
- Beth Sharpless of Emmaus works part time in a local emergency department as a nurse and part time from home as a customer support specialist. She has two children -- a boy who is almost 2 and a 5-year-old girl. She says they love spending time outdoors and dancing.
If you would like to become a part of the Moms Council and/or have ideas for future Moms Talk questions, please email jennifer.marangos@patch.com.
Jennifer Elston
4:12 pm on Sunday, October 30, 2011
I let my 7 year old use a restroom alone if I know there are no alternative exits nearby and I am close by--able to see the door. I let her do this only in restrooms I am familiar with. I will allow her to take my 4 year old in as well as long as the criteria is the same as I've mentioned.
Jeanne
7:29 am on Monday, October 31, 2011
I think the 7-9 range is a good time frame. I think i'm a nervous one, because i still watch out by the door when my 11 year old goes in. And if its really crowded i still bring him in with me. There are so many nuts that cop a feel just for the hell of it or flashes themselves for no reason. I worry so i'm overcautious.
Jenae Holtzhafer
10:50 am on Monday, October 31, 2011
Here was some interesting insight ... this summer as we were traveling out west, my 9-year-old son needed to use the restroom at the airport. We were waiting at the gate to board our plane and he wanted to go before boarding. I always remind him to be aware of who's around him when he goes into a public restroom and to scream if anyone would try to do anything to him.
His response was, "Mom, what do you think they could do?? We just went through security! Sheesh!" And he kind of chuckled at me for being concerned.
How innocent they are ... so sad that we have to explain that there are evil people in the world who are able to harm even without weapons.
JuliannaSmith
2:04 am on Wednesday, November 2, 2011
I hope the suspect will be captured right away so that he can no longer victimize other poeple. Having kids myself I find myself worrying about their safety from time to time. However, I stumbled upon this blog the other day which tells how a mother overcame a tragedy and found an amazing way to keep her kids safe. Check it out http://www.tsue-thatswhatshesaid.com/2011/08/your-childs-safety-your-piece-of-mind.html
Dana
8:02 pm on Friday, November 4, 2011
I have another angle. What about all of the diseases one can develop from just sitting on a public toilet seat? It's not just about teaching our kids about strangers. It's about teaching them to protect themselves against blood borne pathogens and other body fluids left in public facilities, EW! These can also be killers. So when you're debating about watching the bathroom door until your child comes back out, maybe you should educate them before they even walk in :-) Danger lurks everywhere.
Beth
12:00 am on Saturday, November 5, 2011
You are so right to be concerned about strangers in a public restroom. You might also be surprised to find out about the number of pathogens found on the common residential bathroom toilet, faucet, or kitchen faucet. It would be an effort to transmit a "blood borne pathogen" from a public toilet seat. Blood borne pathogens are just that...being transmitted by much more aggressive means than just utilizing a public restroom. Simple (thorough) hand washing should help with the transmission of these deadly diseases.
Pamela Porter
8:03 am on Saturday, November 5, 2011
http://www.snopes.com/medical/disease/cart.asp
I'd worry more about the bottom of my purse (think about it...where does that purse usually rest when you're out?) and shopping cart handles than I would about public toilets.
While I'm all for being aware of my surroundings, I'm not going to live my life as a germ-phobic, Clorox-bleach toting paranoiac. Keep a wipe packet of some sort in your purse for your kids and choose your battles.
Lisa Amey
4:45 pm on Saturday, November 5, 2011
I always bring my five year old girl in the bathroom with me, and my eight year old son only goes to the men's room alone unless I am very familiar with a location and it is not crowded, or if my husband goes in with him. I know some day they might complain about this, but for now I try to keep their potential exposure to danger to a minimum this way.