I think somewhere in the 5 year old range? Most locker rooms forbid under 4 (for the opposite sex) I believe, but after kindergarten seems a little to observant/ chatty of an age.

Whenever the child is uncomfortable with it.

I'd be really annoyed if my gym put an age limit on when I'm allowed to bring my son in. I'm not sending him into a men's locker room alone at age 6, he still can't grasp the whole stranger danger issue fully. My child's safety trumps someone's comfort level and any gym that tries to control that wouldn't get my business.

I think about 3 or four. My son is 2.5 and he is a little observant these days. He wants to look over and under everything. And I think it makes a difference in the sex of the child also. If I had a daughter I would care as much. But I have a son. And when I noticed him being way more observant or curious with looking at my body parts It was high time to start locking the door.

Hmm, as an expecting parent I had never thought about this. I wonder what the various child psych "experts" have to say about what's best for the kid?

"Whenever the child is uncomfortable with it. "

Yup.

I shower with my almost-3 YO and I don't see us stopping anytime soon. But everyone's got their own comfort level with it. I want to reinforce for my daughter that our naked bodies are nothing to be ashamed of, I don't want to make an issue of it.

I imagine in a few years she'll want to stop or I'll want to stop or whatever. But I do NOT think there is a set age that applies to everyone across the board.

My son is two and we shower together occasionally to save time/water. I use to do the same with my daughter, but now that she is almost 9 she won't hear of it. Its up to what is comfortable for all involved.

Anonymous, that's a really good point about the locker rooms and stranger danger. I have no idea what a parent is supposed to do with their 5/6 year old if they're not allowed in!! I imagine that a lot of moms "cheat." It's not like the kid has an ID.

Anonymous -

I am a nanny, so while I understand your point about never allowing a child going into a locker room/restroom alone, I do feel that having a 6 year old in a womens locker room is inappropriate and disrespectful to the other women who pay to use the gym. You have the choice of leaving your child with a sitter at home or waiting to change/shower when you get home.

A public restroom, absolutely take your little boy in with you, but a locker room where women are changing and showering is not appropriate. 6 year olds are VERY aware and they like to stare.

I think whenever the child is uncomfortable with it.

I vaguely remember taking a bath with my dad when I was younger - I don't remember seeing anything, but I do remember having fun with him and washing his hair and "fixing" it for him
I still walk in to my mom's bathroom when she is in the shower or in the bathtub. I still change in front of her and she changes in front of me. We are extremely close and I don't see anything wrong with it. Yeah, it may not be right for every family, but we are ok with it and it hasn't damaged me so whatevs

I don't remember when my mom stopped taking me into the bath with her, but it was when I was pretty young.

But I can't imagine taking a 6-year-old to a swimming pool and making them go into a locker room alone. Especially if they don't grasp the concept of "stranger danger". And if I were in a locker room, and a 6-year-old boy came in, I wouldn't care. I'd expect them to be curious, but their hormones haven't kicked in so it's not like they'd DO anything other than maybe comment. And I doubt the kid would care for longer than 10 minutes.