Questionable parenting at the local Barnes & Noble

[Amerigo Vespucci]

I see this guy leading his daughter...maybe two or three years old, I'm no good at guessing kids' ages...across the floor at Barnes & Noble, and he's kind of dragging her, and she's upset, but he's not hurting her and she's not really freaking out, so I figure "none of my business" and forget it.

Then I decide that before I head off to my next destination, I'm going to use the men's room.

And this guy is in the stall with his daughter.

Now, I understand that as an adult male, he can't take her in the women's room. And she's too young to go in by herself. So they're in the stall, they can't see me, I can't see them, no harm, no foul.

So he starts asking her "Are you finished? Are you finished?" And I'm wishing I could be finished and get the hell out of there.

So finally she says "yes" and then I hear SPLOOOOOSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHH and realize this guy's taking HIS turn in the stall with his daughter right there.

And that's why I named the thread "Questionable parenting at the local Barnes & Noble." He COULD have taken his daughter outside and asked a store employee to watch her while he went to see that man about the dog.

That is all.

:rant:

[idiotgardener]

1. It's interesting how different people see things differently.

I think leaving his daughter with a stranger is worse, and it's not the employee's job to watch someone's kid. In fact they may have a rule against it.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

2. I see your side of it too, but...

...I don't know, this guy relieving himself with his kid right there just didn't seem right.

[idiotgardener]

3. No, it doesn't.

It's less than ideal. But his range of choices at that point are not very good.

[MissB]

4. To a certain age, that is actually considered acceptable.

The local pool allows opposite sex kids (boys with moms, girls with dads) in the changing room up to age six.

One doesn't leave their kid outside the bathroom door or with a stranger. He/she isn't a puppy that you can leave outside on a leash.

Some places have "family" bathrooms, which are single bathrooms large enough to fit the Duggar clan in.

And at age three-ish, the girl probably wasn't paying attention to the penii in the bathroom.

[suninvited]

5. I see no parenting flaw here.

Would you feel the same way if it were a mother with her son?

When I take my grandson with me to the restroom at a public place, he generally has to be with me while I go. At home, he likes to follow me everywhere I go and that includes the bathroom.

[Bunny]

6. It's an awkward situation, but I don't see where the guy had much choice.

At that age, he could not have left her out of his sight, and it's definitely NOT the responsibility of B&N employees to watch his kid.

[seabeyond]

7. being the only parent around the little ones much of the time, both boys

i would have to do exactly as this man, not to mention other things that one might prefer to be a private moment.

nobody would have a problem with a mother doing this with sons. happens all the time. father couldnt let girl out the stall to take care of business. trust factor, strangers in bathroom.

all of these things are the natural of who we are and not carried over to the sexual. an intent has to be there for the child to feel it. this is the healthy perspective.

[Bucky]

8. As long as he didn't actually flush the child down the toilet, it's not abuse.

I've done that when my girl was two.

[dixiegrrrrl]

9. You flushed your 2 year old?

[txwhitedove]

10. Haha, their butts are tiny and it's easy to fall in.

[Maine-ah]

11. really?

um no. No, my husband would never, ever ask a store employee to watch our daughter. At that age, I find it fine with a father and daughter in the same stall. My daughter went in with her father. No big deal. There are ways to be discreet in terms of hiding body parts to go to the bathroom, but you never, ever ask a stranger to watch your kid.