How would he average American handle a father taking his daughter into a men's public bath?

[Rabrrrrrr]

I thought of that tonight, as I was just in a public bath - a spa at a hotel in Japan - and a man brought his daughter, perhaps 3 years old, into the men's area.

How would the average American deal with this?

And earlier, when I was in a bathroom, the cleaning woman came in and started cleaning while I was using it.

I love Japan. So few hangups about what is natural and, well, just natural.

I wonder if the father mentioned above would be charged with child abuse/endangerment/something-or-other and forced to register as a "sex offender" if he did that in America.

[JCMach1]

1. I used to take my baby daughters for potty time on many occasions

4 or under is probably okay...

[KG]

2. unfortunately, due to americas puritan origins and adolescent mentality

nudity, instead of being a thought of a natural state, has been over sexualized.

[raptor_rider]

3. This man has no choice

http://www.mattlogelin.com/

I think it is a wonderful thing to see a man take care of his baby and child. It shows love.

[datasuspect]

4. japan is famous for child rape cartoons.

shotguns in vaginas, the whole nine yards.

[One_Life_To_Give]

5. Uncomfortable

I think most of us would be uncomfortable about potentially exposing ourselves in front of some strangers little girl.

At the Gym I used to belong to the Father who did such was asked by Management to Use a Family Restroom changing area. I presume because somebody complained to management. Guys returning from the shower upon seeing dad's little girl there grabbed their clothes from the locker and headed to antoher isolated section before dropping the towel/ getting dressed.

[stray cat]

6. It isn't all that uncommon I think - do you send a 3 year old off by herself?

The father needs to go into the the female restroom or the child into the mens restroom.

[Rabrrrrrr]

7. Remember, we're not talking bathroom here - we're talking a bath-house.

Penises everywhere, so to speak.

[gbate]

8. I might think the men in there might not be too happy about it.

[surrealAmerican]

9. The "average American" is uncomfortable with the idea of ...

... public baths in the first place. That's why we don't have such facilities here.

[Deja Q]

11. And likely to be misconstrued with "bath houses" and their current, eh, reputation...

:yoiks:

[Shell Beau]

10. I think it should be ok. I mean, a small child can't always

go to the bathroom by themselves, and a man sure as hell wouldn't be welcome in the ladies room. Women do it all of the time with their sons.

[grasswire]

13. but women have private stalls

don't men still have open urinals?

[Shell Beau]

14. But don't they have stalls for doing the other?

I could totally be wrong since I am a female and don't frequent the men's room.

[grasswire]

20. that's what the movies show..

...but a little girl would have to walk by the communal urinals to get to a stall.

I have seen this dilemma answered by the suggestion that a father take the little girl to the entrance of a ladies room and ask a kindly looking woman to take her inside. I think that's common sense advice.

[Shell Beau]

21. I would never ask a stranger to help my child use the restroom.

[grasswire]

22. okay, then...

....what do you suggest that her father do if he is out with her in a place like a public park or fair and she needs to pee? Take her in the mens room?

[Shell Beau]

24. Yeah, why not?

I would rather that than hand off my child to some strange person.

[grasswire]

25. what do you think can happen to a child...

...while you are standing outside a bathroom door? AFIK, there is only one entrance/exit to a restroom.

Can't identify someone who could guide my child to a bathroom stall, to the sink, and back out the door? Can't imagine that.

[Shell Beau]

26. Yeah, but I just don't go trusting strangers with my children.

Although unlikely, something could happen inside the bathroom that I may never find out about. You never know. Why do that when I could just take her myself (or my husband)?

[Rabrrrrrr]

17. And again, I'm not talking about a bathROOM, I'm talking about a bathHOUSE.

[Shell Beau]

18. Oh. Oops

[Fleshdancer]

12. I loved this aspect of Japan....

The Japanese fathers were always so nurturing and sweet to their children...at least the ones I saw. When I was pregnant, I met another pregnant American woman in Tokyo and we became fast friends. Her husband was Japanese and one of his worries was that when they move to the US, he wouldn't be able to take baths with his child out of fear that someone would find out and call social services on him. It's a perfectly normal practice in Japan, but not here.

Ugh. Now I'm thinking about my tub in Japan. I moved back to the US 9 years ago and I STILL miss that damn tub.

[Rabrrrrrr]

15. Ah, yes - whenever I come back to the US, it's the bathtubs and the bathhouses I miss

American bathtubs are the shits - what do you get, six inches of water? What the fuck. Enough to come all the way up to the small of your back? Yippeeeeeee. :eyes:

[Rabrrrrrr]

16. And that "CALL SOCIAL SERVICES RIGHT FUCKING NOW!!!!!" is just what I'm talking about.

I'm always impressed to see a group of teenagers or college boys going to the bathhouse as part of evening's entertainment together.

Imagine in the US if one boy said to his friend group, "Hey - let's all go take a bath together!"

There'd be hell to pay, that's for sure.

[tigereye]

19. Americans seem to be terrified of nudity -

bizarre sexuality all over the tv, etc., fine... but not innocent nudity.


It's so weird.

[GreenPartyVoter]

23. My own husband was a little askance when he found me taking a bath with our sons.

He said, "But they're boys." And I said, "They're babies and it's fine." I think the older one was 3 or so when he stopped taking baths with his baby brother and me, but mostly because we were running out of room in the tub.

But yeah, so many people would jump on the phone and call Child Services because I found it easier to wash myself at the same time as I washed my kids. (Heck, they were gonna soak me anyway. LOL)