Irony at an Early Age

Since it was a Holiday last Sunday, there were lots of people at the mall. With that huge a crowd, expect the restrooms to be filled with people too.

While washing my hands inside the restroom, I looked into the mirror and saw a 3 year old girl accompanied by her father. I heard the father telling his daughter to stay in the corner and close her eyes and not to look at anyone, while he'd go to one of the urinals. Just before I left the restroom, I saw another father-child tandem entering the restroom but this time, it was a dad and his son. The two kids, having the same height, looked at each other in passing. I figured each may have wondered what the other one was doing in that restroom.

A few hours after, in another restroom at the other end of the mall was a mother and 3 year oldish son in front of me about to turn to the ladies restroom. And I thought that this time, it's a little boy entering a room filled with ladies.

There aren't any problems when a kid is accompanied by both parents cause the child can be accompanied by the parent of the same gender. I remember last year, a mother didn't want to leave her 5 year old son to wait outside the restroom. But the kid didn't want to accompany his mom inside the ladies' restroom. But it was apparent in the kid's face, that he needed to use the restroom. So the mom asked each guy about to enter the male restroom if they could accompany her son inside. I think eventually, the kid gave in out of urge to pee, and went inside the ladies' restroom with his mom.

If a kid would wander around and happen to go towards the opposite sex's restroom, I'd assume the parents would quickly run after and teach the child not to enter because it's wrong. But if they were accompanied by the parent, the parents' gender overrules since they need to be together.

When you're trying to teach a kid at an early age the difference between genders and what you can and can't do, bringing a kid to the opposite sex's restroom seems like the child may wonder why after what is taught to him, the child is now facing a situation which is opposite to what is taught to him.

I'm not here to say which is wrong and which is right. I just try to place myself in the shoes of the kid who is learning and grasping everything around their environment to find themselves in an ironic situation which may not be comprehensible for their age.