Yesterday after our last birthing class which was supposed to last 2.5 hours but last barely 30 minutes J and I went to the commissary for some much needed groceries. While there I had to pee. Pregnant women aren't supposed to try to hold their pee for too long because it can cause a UTI. Well after what I dealt with in the ladies bathroom I ended up having to hold my pee.
Pet Peeve: if your child is old enough for school and can use the facilities on his own you don't need to be letting him use, on his own mind you, the ladies room! Yes a mother followed me into the ladies room. There were only two stalls and both were occupied or so I found out. The handicapped stall was locked. Fine okay no big deal I'm handicapped but quite capable of using the smaller stall. The smaller stall door was open enough to make me believe that it was empty. Guess what? It wasn't empty. Nasty Mom had left her old enough to use the men's room son alone in the ladies room for quite a while, long enough for him to make noxious stink but then followed me into the ladies room to check on him. She then yelled at me that her son was in there and that I would have to use the other empty stall. I said the other stall is in use and with that said a flush was heard from it. Her lovely boy who was no less than 8 years of age was taking a dump in the ladies room stall with the door not locked to his stall. First off what the heck was he doing in the ladies room unattended? Secondly why the heck couldn't he lock his stall door? So I left the ladies room saying loudly, "I guess I'll have to hold it until I get home!".
I'm so sick to death of this going on. Seriously parents if your child is old enough to go to school and use the public restrooms there that are gender appropriate you don't need to instruct your child to use the one meant for your gender if you are going to not even be in the same restroom with him but waiting outside of the door. At 4 I was using the gender appropriate restroom with my father waiting outside the door.
I won't even get started on non-handicapped folks using the handicapped restroom for their children. Especially when they see a handicapped person waiting behind them to use it. Hey the old and infirm have earned the right to use the bathroom too and more so since they can't hold it as easily you can.
I made sure my spouse knew about this pet peeve last night since he'll be doing some outings with our daughter on his own too.
Many is the time that mom's have let their much too old to be using the ladies room boy use it and let them go unattended while these children are peeking under the stalls at other women. Can you say pervert in training? I can and will. I say it because at the age of 7 I was molested by a boy only two years my senior. Yes, children can molest other children.
Here are some resources on thought about the subject from others:
http://www.drmarlo.com/?page_id=122
http://www.whattoexpect.com/forums/hot-topics-1/archives/opposite-sex-child-in-public-restrooms.html
http://www.preparewell.com/child-safety-public-restrooms
Second Pet Peeve: Back off on moms that decide to say "we are not pregnant" but instead say "we are expecting". I don't care if your partner helped you with all your infertility meds or not. I don't care how much he or she was a good partner to you during your pregnancy. They aren't the ones carrying the baby and we pregnant ones deserve the respect for carrying the kid for nine months.
Do you declare, women that is, that "we have prostate cancer"? I don't think so. That is only something that a man can have. Even if you are his caregiver You can't feel what he feels physically just like he can't feel what you feel physically while you are pregnant. You might feel mental pain but it is nothing akin to what he feels as his body is wasting away from a illness that could kill him. Oh and if you say that pregnancy can't kill think again. It still happens folks.
So that is my rant for today. Have at it!
I will say that I would be wary of having my son go by himself into the men's room due specifically to the molestation issue. As you have said in previous posts, it only takes a few minutes. That said, the Mom should have at least accompanied him to the ladies' room.
ReplyDeleteAlso, of the subject of using the handicap stall: I often, literally cannot fit with my 3 year old into a single stall AND close the door. A 3 year old can not hold her pee longer than I, who is also 32 weeks pregnant. In addition to the room factor, it is easier to keep her from touching every little thing in the stall if there is more room. Ick. So yes, in those situations I would, and do, use the handicap stall with her. And, as you will soon find out, that most often the changing stations are in the handicap stalls, leaving parents of infants no choice.
Suzanne
I already knew that the majority of the changing table/stations are in the handicapped stalls since I AM HANDICAPPED. I don't like them being there as more often than not the table doesn't stay in the upright position and makes it a royal pain to get into the stall and out of it when I use my cane. Bathrooms should be more user friendly for both the handicapped and those with children. Put the changing table out on the wall near the sinks so that you don't have to use the handicapped stall is what should be done.
DeleteWow first of all, I'm so sorry that happened to you when you were young. And yeah, that bathroom thing is pretty much ridiculous. If he's old enough to be in the bathroom alone he should be using the men's. End of story. And lock the stall-ALWAYS.
ReplyDelete