Monday, June 11, 2007

Do you shave their legs too?

Today I flew to Columbus for work. In the airport in Denver I was in line in the loo behind a woman. According to the embroidery on her tote, her name was Rebekah. Rebakah had her two sons in the ladies' room with her. They appeared to be about 9 and 6 years old. This started the cogs in my head a-turnin'. Isn't that just a bit too old to be taking your male child into the women's restroom? The eldest one, not necessarily the 6 year old. Isn't it reasonable for Rebekah to either send the elder son into the mens'room alone or to trust him to take his brother in with him? And does the fact that it's an airport make a difference?

I thought of my own nephew. Can't imagine he'd be OK with going into the ladies' room with his mom now at 8 years old.

Of course, my brain also used this anecdote to feed my theory that we are coddling our children far too much now. Not preparing them for adulthood. Not the most glaring example of the problem by far, but I do believe it to be true.

4 comments:

Tanya Espanya said...

So you might know that I loiter and browse some really dreadful parenty/mommy blogs, where everyone is extremely paranoid about every little thing and if you say anything against the company line they beat on you...(I never post, btw)...

Anyway, I'm a pretty relaxed person, not a worrier (more of a stoner) and I would totally let the kids go on their own.

I'm not saying that there aren't perverts out there, but I don't buy that there are freaks out there trying to grab kids all the time.

I don't know if living in a city has anything to do with it either; you know, no one looks at anyone else in the eyes anyway kind of thing?

And an airport is probably one of the safest places around.

No baby yet.

justacoolcat said...

I think kids should be able to use a public restroom on their own by 6. That is insane.

Hey Rebekah, grow up.

Slave to the dogs said...

Tanya, those blogs sound freaky deaky. Don't blame you for not posting.

Cat, sounds like growing up is what she doesn't want to let her boys do.

Anonymous said...

Yep, 9 is too old I think but what I find strange is when I am standing at the trough (male here) contemplating, and a lady cleaner is wiping down the urinal next to me as I try to seem nonchalant, and worse is when she engages me in conversation!