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Bathroom safety

Dontfeedthetrolls's picture

SO, myself, the kids, and one other family member went out the other day and had to stop by his work. While there the youngest and the family member needed to go to the bathroom so they went. Since he’s a boy he went into the men’s and she went into the women’s. He’s entering first grade this year and he’s mature enough to go to the bathroom on his own.

Anyways we look over and this strange looking guy is speaking to the family member and later she tells us he was trying to get onto her for letting the kid go into the bathroom by himself. That he could have been kidnapped or something else happen. He goes on to say he talked to the boy in the bathroom and the family member told us she even heard the child tell him that she was waiting for him.

I’m glad she didn’t tell us till after we had left because SO and I both would have gone off on the guy. The kids not helpless and he’s being going to the bathroom by himself for years now. It started when it was just me and the kids alone because I have tried to push appropriate gender based boundaries because I wouldn’t put it past BM to call CPS and lie about something.

On top of this not only have we had the typical “stranger danger” talks but we’ve even trained the kids of how to act if anyone does something they shouldn’t such as trying to pick them up or touch them. They flat out know to raise hell and every once in a while we “test” them while playing. It’s not to scare them but SO or I will pick them up and ask them out do they get out so the idea that someone would randomly pick up the kid and just carry them out is insane. On top of it the location we were at while public is also SO’s place of employment. He knows every camera and every door and the ONLY exit that wouldn’t set off an alarm was right beside us.

Basically I’m a little upset that this guy who already looked creepy felt the need to talk to the boy while he was in the bathroom then decided to scold our family member for daring to let the child use restroom on his own.  If you’re really worried make sure you’re not doing creepy stuff yourself like speaking to small boys in bathrooms to ask where their parent is. Wait till you step outside and leave the child out of it.

Comments

sunshinex's picture

What a damn weirdo.

I've been letting SD go into the bathroom alone since 1st grade. I watch the doors to make sure she comes out so I obviously don't see how anything could go wrong. There are other people in the bathroom who would speak up if anything happened. 

Dontfeedthetrolls's picture

On the kid will speak up if something happens. You hear EVERYTHING that happens to the kids lol. They know screaming is priority number 1 if someone does something wrong.

ESMOD's picture

Apparently the boy did talk to creepy man though... does that make you think he might need reminding?

Dontfeedthetrolls's picture

He told a possible creep that a family member was waiting on him. I think that is the appropriate response and his dad agrees. It's no different than if we're at the park and my backs turned and someone runs up asking for him to help find a lost puppy. Make sure the person knows he's not alone and someone will go postal on them if they mess with him anymore.

tog redux's picture

Thank you for letting him go in the men's room. Nothing I hate more than finding a 9-year-old boy waiting outside my stall when I'm going to the bathroom because his mother is afraid of the .001% chance  that there is a creeper in the men's room.

bearcub25's picture

A 6 or 9 yo boy was accosted in a Walmart bathroom the next county over from me this week.  The boy screamed and when his mother went in, the guy beat her up.  He was arrested but no one thinks of young boys being accosted by men in the mens room.  I've always had that thought in my head.

Dontfeedthetrolls's picture

I wouldn’t say that people don’t think of it. It’s just there’s no promise that we’re safe anywhere but evidence does show that the likelihood of children being hurt by a complete stranger is low. The majority of harm to children is done by people they know be it family, family friends, teachers, preachers, coaches, whoever.  These are the people who are close to our children and can cause more harm because we don’t believe they would. They are also the least like to be found out compared to a complete stranger. I’m honestly not scared of him being hurt in a bathroom because he’ll scream his bloody head off but if a family member touches him? That scares me because they can get them to stay silent.

Again I’m not saying it doesn’t happen but someone insane enough to try something in a public bathroom doesn’t seem like someone who really cares about age. If it was a 9 year old I think a lot of people agree they are old enough to handle a bathroom on their own and shows that there is no age that is completely safe. If the bad guy couldn’t get a 6 year old he would have gone to 7, not 7 goes to 8, and it just keeps going.