Parents disagree after mother took 11-year-old son into girls’ locker room: ‘He is taller than me’

One mum has divided the internet when it comes to the dos and don’ts of public changing rooms.

It all started when a woman visited her local aquatics center and rushed into the locker room before class, only to be greeted by an unexpected sight – an 11-year-old boy.

“He’s taller than me,” the woman wrote in a post on Mumsnet, adding that he had apparently reached a growth spurt.

“He’s only 11 years old,” my mother said

“He watched me change, which made me uncomfortable,” the woman recalled, adding that there were only benches and no cubicles, so you had to change in a common area.

The boy’s mother didn’t seem to notice the awkward atmosphere, so the woman left as quickly as possible.

“I walked into the pool and my friend saw me and was a little upset and asked why,” she explained. “So my friend went over and talked to the mom and she got really angry and said he had the right to be in there, He’s only 11.”

The pair were not satisfied with her excuse that she was “still a child” and complained to staff as they left.

“They were a little scared. Apparently, the unofficial age limit is seven,” she said, but they didn’t tell the mother.

“So is it unreasonable to expect an 11-year-old to use his or her own transgender room?”

“This is ridiculous”

Be aware of the range of opinions in the court of public opinion.

Many agreed with the woman’s concerns, with one commenter writing: “There is no reason why men over the age of eight or nine need to be in the women’s locker rooms, especially when there are only public ones.”

Others agree that children should move to gender-congruent locker rooms at this age. “You’re right to complain. This is ridiculous. He should definitely be in the men’s locker room at that age,” someone claimed.

“Every pool I’ve been to has a sign stating that anyone over the age of eight must use the correct locker room for gender activities. I assume this is some kind of industry standard,” another shared. “Other women shouldn’t have to put up with this because women like her feel entitled to make other people uncomfortable by raising a son who is old enough to dress himself.”

Then a boy’s mom chimed in: “My son is 11 and he always uses the boys’ locker room by himself. He manages it very well. He actually likes to be independent, which is the right thing for everyone.”

“He’s going to be the most vulnerable guy in the men’s locker room.”

However, within this, there are those who believe it is not safe for boys to enter the men’s locker room alone at this age.

“I actually think he would be more vulnerable in the men’s locker room,” one user responded, before suggesting that the lack of private cubicles in the gym might be the real problem.

Another mother agreed: “While I understand the OP’s discomfort, I would not be willing to send my son into a men’s locker room, where I would assume there would be a similar setup with adult males in the same space as him. Naked inside. “

And then, finally, this person offers this balanced perspective, “Sure, I’d rather my nine-year-old son be in the locker room with me, but that’s not other women’s problem.”