By A good brother - 04/04/2017 07:00 - United States - University
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I'm a mom and there is no way I'd let my 6 year old go to a public bathroom by himself! Good for you for being willing to take her!!
It's certainly not perverted if OP stands outside the bathroom stall (unless she asks for help just like she would of her father if need be) while just as importantly making his sister feel/ be safe. How would clueless Auntie respond if her niece went alone and was then molested or kidnapped? Of course, she'd blame OP for not going along! Sheesh! [facepalm]
For whatever reason, you're expected to take a small child to the restroom that you would use, regardless of the child's gender.
In some countries I've seen separate children's bathrooms. They have a separate entrance without an indication of gender much like handicap bathrooms, the toilets are smaller and there is more space so that their guardian or parent can help them. Places like shopping malls or amusement parks should definitely have these.
and family bathrooms
Here in the U.S., some places have family restrooms so moms can take their sons or fathers their daughters, or I guess someone take his four-year-old sister. Was your aunt with you on this particular outing? If so, maybe she should have taken her niece to the restroom instead of having you do it.
I have a 5 year old and would like to know how your aunt expected her to get up on the toilet seat by herself without touching the nasty thing. Public toilets are taller than ones at home.
Your aunt is a bit of a wacko, seriously she being a little girl is a difficult situation for most guy's, including dads. Best thing is to wait outside the toilet if practicable calling out reassurance to her so she knows your close if needed. If needed you can always ask another lady that's going in there to check on her. If she has problems with the toilet, using toilet paper etc best to try and get a female to help.
What if the lady you ask to watch your kid just molests them? Doing that lets a stranger know your kid is in there alone. I'm not so sure that's a great plan to ask strangers to go to your kid. Women do those things too and often don't get punished as much, if at all.
Why? If OP was a young woman looking after her baby brother, would you suggest her to find a man to help her brother? 99% of men have no sexual feelings towards little girls and your sexism is insulting to all fathers who have participated actively in childcare.
Forgot to add and couldn't edit: insulting not only to dads, but all men who have participated actively in childcare.
You assume that the random woman OP asks for help wouldn't be a sexual predator. If I were a properly trained 4 year old, I certainly wouldn't trust a random woman-stranger who came up to my bathroom stall and said "Your brother asked me to check on you while you use the bathroom. Do you need any help in there?" Seems legit, right? And I definitely wouldn't want to be the random <i>innocent</i> woman stranger who gets screamed at as a pervert by the 4 year old. Bad idea all around. Richard Pencil up there has the correct suggestion.
Was my comment sexist? Damn right it is. If OP is a women, no problem. Quite simply a lot of people do not trust men around little kids. As sad as it is. I make no apologies to any male that I have offended however as males we must be mindful of our actions, ( no matter how innocent they may be), around small children. We must not only protect said children but also ourselves against the perverted notions of others.
I don't think that was sexist. i wouldn't want a stranger around my child at all, male or female. I am a mother to 11 month old and i have to worry about tgis when he is older
everyone is so quick to judge the aunt.. but I read it as his sister wanted him in the ladies room with her. if they both went to the men's room maybe it would be right to say something about the aunt. but picture a man waiting for a little girl ouside the stall in the women's restroom.. and now you've got a perv.
When I read the comments in here, it sounds like most americans think that there is a good chance of being either molested or kidnapped if you are a 4 year old alone. Makes me really happy I live in Denmark - I don't think we would ever even consider kidnapping as a possibility.
I was in Sweden and nearly had a heart attack when I saw a kid no more than 6 riding the bus alone. Then I remembered where I was lol. Parents in the US have been charged for neglect for allowing their kids to go out like that.
If OP actually went into the women's restroom with his sister, I can see why she might think that. Maybe she was insinuating that he should have taken his sister with him to the men's restroom. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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She's the pervert for thinking something is wrong with that.
I'm a mom and there is no way I'd let my 6 year old go to a public bathroom by himself! Good for you for being willing to take her!!