"Mommy, What Do You Use This For?"

My daughter has been asking the same thing and I just tell her that grown up girls bleed once a month and this stops it from getting on my panties. She then asked why i didn't use a bandaid, and I told her it was normal to bleed from there and that it didn't hurt but the bandaid's are too small. She was quite inquisitive of the whole thing.

As for going to the bathroom. Take him with you, in this day and age better safe than sorry. For women I don't think it is a big deal because we all go into seperate stalls so it isn't like he is seeing anyone else going to the bathroom.

Maybe just tell them the truth but not go into too much detail. Just say that once a month women bleed from down there and they use them to soak it up and stress that it's natural and nothing to worry about. I have no idea, just a suggestion!!

But I would keep your son with you, at 6 I wouldn't want my son going in the bathroom without me. Don't worry about what other people think. Chances are most moms would do the same. I noticed signs on the Chicago Park District bathrooms recently saying that anyone over 6 shouldn't be using the opposite bathroom but I say keep doing it if it makes you and him more comfortable.

Keep it simple, but do answer their questions... My 2 year old was in the bathroom at a restaurant with me. She very loudly asked why I was wearing a diaper (a pad), and told me I "pooped myself" and needed to change. The poor women in the stalls next to me were still laughing when I left the bathroom! I can laugh now, but I was mortified at the time.

As far as the little boys, I have a brother who is 17 years younger than me. When he was 7 years old, we were at a store and her refused to go to the women's bathroom with me. I let him go into the men's room with me right outside. 5 minutes passed, and I had to find a helpful enough looking guy to go in there and find him for me. He was laying down on the bathroom floor because he was tired! I could have strangled him, and my mom wanted to strangle me because I didn't just drag him into the ladies' room. I wish more places had family bathrooms - this concern wouldn't even matter then!

Oh my,that is a funny and akward situation! I sm sure every mom has a child find the tampon in the purse, or sees the dispenser in the ladies room, or even a commercial on TV and asks that very question.
My son and daughter have pulled a tampon out of my purse when looking for gum and I have said that it is something for mommies and thankfully that was enough. I can tell you that my 4 year old asks what the little garbage cans in the stalls are for and really got a kick out of opening and closing the lids and the cans while waiting for me - yuck. We had a talk about germs and it was resolved.
Now, in your situation, I would not go into graffic details with 6 and7 year olds. It is a need to know basis at this age and they really don't want all of that information anyway. I would answer his questions in a truthful, but simple sentence or two. Like, "This is for grown up ladies to use sometimes to stay clean." If they want to know what's in the machines try something like, "those are items mommy might need to use in the bathroom to help her stay clean after she goes potty." See if that works to answer the need to know,but without overwhelming a little boy.
Also, I have taken my older son(now 8, but then 7) into the ladies room just for safety sake in large public venues (zoo, airport, etc) and he uses his own stall, but can easily talk to me if he needs to through the divider. I do not allow him, and now more frequently my little girl (4 1/2) to share the stallwith me, especially at that that time of the month. I tell them, "You go in here so you can have some privacy,and I will go in the potty next door. When you are done, if you beat me, you can stand outside of my door and I can see your shoes so I know you are ready to wash your hands with me." I also tell them that if I am done first, I will stand outside of their door so they can see my shoes and know where I am.
Good luck.

Depends upon the place...I make my kids turn around for privacy..or stand outside the door where I can see their feet and I talk to them...so they can not be dsitracted by someone else. I think you explained great. I like the diaper response. That would work and if they read say it is for women. Sometimes too much info can even make things more embarrasing. And just a story to talk about embarrasing, my DS 6 realized we were wearing our swim suits in the grocery store..we had lessons shortly after our trip...he discovered he was not wearing underwear(suit on) I said you do not wear underwear with your suits innocent yes...but we turn to the next aisle and wham...Mommy you are not wearing underwear either...and that just happened to be the moment the cereal and another guy were restocking the shelves. They looked up immediately. So I continued the swimsuit conversation and just laughed to myself until I got out of that aisle quickly. ALso regarding your side note...do you even wonder if the boys check each other out in the urinals??? I really meant to ask my husband that. I know men don't but boys...then is it safe to send your boys into a mens bathroom???

You know as long as there are stall doors and the boy is being supervised by you I don't see a problem with it. I would continue to keep offering him going into the mens room by himself and when he's ready he will do it. I always yelled into the mens room to see if anyone was in there and usually when there wasn't anyone in my son felt better going in. It's funny how motherhood could help you become so bold. Also the rule of thumb is give only a little information and very simple and no more than the questions calls for. For example, my daughter came up to me at 8 and asked me "Mom, you know that thing that my brother is going through (my son was in fifth grade and learing about puberty and starting it too!)". I said what do you mean she said you know that thing with his body, I said oh! puberty she said yes what happens to girls so I said well you get hair on you body like he will but you will grow breasts and you'll get your menstrual cycle (see you use big words so they sort of loose interest, but if they are ready they will continue to ask questions) so she says what's a menstrual cycle (well i knew if I said anything about blood she would faint so..) I said it is when the uterus sheds it's lining. She asks what's a uterus? I say that's where a baby grows. She says that's gross and walked away. End of conversation. So you only give them a little information at a time and try to address only the questions they ask. And don't give them more than what they ask. Of course, once they are old enough usually 5th grade they will need to know more than what they ask, but at that point you can probe them and see how much they know and ask them what they think about it which will start discussions and you'll know how much to discuss by the child's responses and his/her maturity level. Adding to the bathroom thing. By the time your son is 7 he will be fine going to the men's room by himself, but just as a safety precation i always make sure I know who's in there. And if he took too long I would bust open the door and yell in asking if he was okay. Perhaps I'm a little over protective, but the world we live in isn't as safe as it was when we were younger.

I'm with Jenn on the tampon issue. It's something grown up women need to use and you will learn about it when you are older. If they push I've just repeated myself. Personally I don't think little kids need to know everything right now--it's not like we are making it shameful or embarrassing--but somethings are for grown ups and we can discuss in detail in a few year's when the time is right.

Bathroom for boy--I'd keep taking him in with me. It's not like the stalls are open and he's going to be seeing something he shouldn't...and if anyone gets offended it's their problem. It is so irritating to get "the look" from some women--like your child is somehow invading their precious sanctuary. We just started letting our 7 year old girl go by herself (same time we told her no more going to the bathroom with Daddy--he NEVER used the bathroom with her in there by the way--and she didn't go in with eyes open if there are urinals with guys whizing all over the place), but we will only let her go if we can see her walk the entire way to the bathroom, see the door and there is no other way out. I was recently at All State Arena and there was a girl about 5 or 6 in the women's room all by herself that her Dad had sent in...scared me to death! She was goofing around, couldn't close the door, almost went out the wrong way..I watched her and ended up staying in there to help her and get her out safely. Dad wasn't even watching for her when she came out. I just wanted to pop him one...Sorry...I digressed..but bottom line---go with your gut keep your kid safe and if anyone gives you a dirty look stick your tongue out at them (just kidding on the last part--but it would sure feel good wouldn't it!!)

Don't squirm....don't get nervous...just answer the question briefly. My wise sister and mother to 5 grown children taught me well - by experience, a few years before I got married. One night, my sister was driving her car with 4 of her 5 kids (at the time -2 boys/2 girls (ages 6, 8, 10 & 12) and myself. Her 12 year old son asked a (WOW!) question! (Me...the Aunt and younger sister....sat with my jaw dropped!) My sister briefly answered the question...then MORE came....and MORE! Fifteen minutes later we arrived. The kids got out of the car and I turned to my sister and said...."You're good-really good! How can you stay so calm under that rapid-fire questioning?" and she turned to me and said..."You never know when those questions are going to come and if you squirm, they will NEVER come to you with the big stuff!" I live by that with my 10 and 13 year old. It does amaze me what they ask and I keep it brief (No matter who is around!) and I don't squirm. And...lately, my 13 year old has asked some big questions lately. if you look embarrassed, they will sense it. If it is not appropriate to talk about the subject right then, tell them.."This is private. Let's wait until we get into the car and I'll address that". It will give you a minute to compose yourself, then make sure you go back to it.

Regarding bathrooms, It's so nice that many of these stores, like Target, have "family bathrooms". Depending on the store - when my son was around 5 or 6 years old, he would not go into a women's bathroom so I used to have my son run into the men's bathroom and I would wait "just outside", then he would wait right outside the ladies bathroom and talk to me. It never made me that comfortable, either but, I finished quickly. It's a hard call. Good luck. I hope this helps.

With regard to the tampon issue I'd just explain it as simple as possible. They don't need all the details and the details may actually scare them! I remember when my mom had the talk with me and I was scared to death about bleeding like that. Heck I was like 11 or 12! Lol. Just say that there are certain things that are for Mom's and Dad's that aren't for kids and that girls use tampons when they get older.

As for the bathroom, as long as you can keep your son under "control" in the women's bathroom, I wouldn't see a reason to send him in the mens room alone - if he doesn't want to. If your son is starting to show a (natural) curiosity about private parts and wants to peek under stalls and whatnot, then it's time to have him go in the men's room. I was in a dressing room last weekend and a mother brought her son in there (he was probably about 7-8) and he was looking under the stalls and giggling. I happened to be trying on bathing suits, so I was PISSED. I know he saw me with my shirt off. The mother didn't even notice or do anything about it if she did. If your son just has to go in and use the bathroom (or you do), just go in, have him stand in one place and wait for you. Make it swift and get out of there.

Actually, I have more of an issue with girls that go in the mens room where men are at urinals and such.

I would not go into detail with your daughter at this age. I can't for the life of me think of something simple and appropriate though :(

In regards to your son coming into the ladies bathroom , I would keep bringing him in until he starts to feel uncomfortable. I wouldn't be able to send him into a mens room by himself yet . Also, there are many stores with family bathrooms(Target,Walmart,BBrus. Maybe you can plan your outing and make sure to stop for a potty break at one with the family bathroom .