Publicrestroomscan become a source of dilemma and anxiety for some parents. Many wonder what the appropriate thing to do is when you’re a mom taking your toddler son to the bathroom. And vice versa – what if you’rea dadand your two-year-old daughter needs to go potty?
This mom got in quite an altercation with another woman when she took her two-year-old son to the women’s bathroom. The woman thought it was inappropriate to bring a male into a ladies’ space. Yet the mom thought this was absurd andshared onlinehow she dealt with the screaming woman.
RELATED:
Image credits:Quinn Dombrowski / flickr (not the actual photo)
The mom then pettily waited for the woman to come out and confronted her outside
Image credits:Public-Proposal7378
Moms should take their toddlers to the women’s restroom, and dads – to the men’s
Image credits:Vika Glitter / pexels (not the actual photo)
Ultimately, experts say that parents should apply common sense here. Most people believe that the gender of the parent determines which restroom the parent and the child should use. Parenting and youth development expert Dr. Deborah Gilboa is of this opinion.
“Unless there’s a good reason to use the women’s room, stick to the men’s room,” GilboatoldToday about dads who aren’t sure whether they’re allowed to take theirdaughters into the men’s restroomwith them. “They’re not going to get cooties.”
Brisbane-based parenting expert Dr. Justin Coulson agrees. He says a father taking his daughter into the ladies’ room might make a lot of women uncomfortable. “I don’t think it’s ever appropriate for an adult male to be taking his daughter to the female toilets so that she’s comfortable,” hetoldABC Brisbane.
“Similarly it doesn’t seem appropriate that a woman would take her son into the male toilets,” he went on. “We have gendered toilets so that people feel safe, and that should be respected. I think that’s an appropriate social norm that we have.”
Gender-inclusive bathrooms would simplify the public restroom issue for many moms and dads
Image credits:Tim Mossholder / pexels (not the actual photo)
Some people say that all-gendered bathrooms would solve this problem. Anyone can usegender-neutral bathrooms:transgenderor cisgender, gender non-conforming or gender-conforming persons. Those with disabilities and the people accompanying them benefit from all-gender bathrooms as well.
All-gender bathrooms can be either single-occupancy or group restrooms. Single-occupancy restrooms usually have grab bars and wide turn radiuses for wheelchair users. They are private, so parents can change diapers and assist small children. However, they limit the user to a single choice and cause queues when there are lots of people around.
Non-gendered group restrooms are the most inclusive, according toNeumann Monson Architects. Each stall in such a restroom has floor-to-ceiling partitions and full-height doors to protect privacy. The architects say it reduces wait times: “A non-gendered restroom gives anyone access to the next available lavatory, creating a more equitable environment.”
Commenters sided with the mother, saying the woman was just looking for something to get mad about
Thanks! Check out the results:You May Like50 Women Share The Things Others Say To Them Without Realizing They’re OffensiveRugilė ŽemaitytėHere Are 33 Of The Most Bizarre Things Folks Heard That “Real Men” Don’t DoRūta Zumbrickaitė50 Times Women Had The Most Savage Comebacks To Creepy Men’s DMsJustinas Keturka
Rugilė Žemaitytė
Rūta Zumbrickaitė
Justinas Keturka
Social Issues
