Open door policy?

Question

I was over my friends house for dinner with my 2 year old daughter. I was shocked to walk by the bathroom and see a 5 year old with the door wide open. She makes the kids keep the door open until they are off to kindergarten. Then they can shut it so there is a little bit left open. That is until they are 11. Then they can shut it all the way. Locking is never allowed. What do you think of this?

Answer 1

Strange. If they have the rule because there's medicine in the cabinet they don't want the kids to get into, then the medicine shouldn't be there. After all, nothing will stop the kid from getting to that medicine when they're asleep.

Kids need to learn that there are some things that are private, and nakedness and performing bodily functions are among them. It shows respect to a kid to allow them to close the door.

Also, who wants to see it?!?!?!?

Answer 2

I agree with having little ones keep the door open unless they really seem to have a problem with it.  Obviously if they feel uncomfortable with the door being open i would let them shut it but watch the clock time because even a 5 year old can get into trouble in a bathroom.  Does she have medicine in the medicine cabinet or anything?  That is one reason some people do the open door thing.  My son is almost 6 years old and he has earned my trust in regards to the closed door because he has never bothered to try to do anything he shouldn't in there but my cousins son is 6 years old and he has tried to drink soap before when he was 4 years old and has tried to get into her medicine cabinet and stuff like that.

Answer 3

Odd....I have a 6 year old who shuts and locks the bathroom door. Everyone needs a little privacy.

Answer 4

Its a litle controling. I can understand leaving it unlocked, but at you have to have it cracked at 10? That is a little weird. Probably to keep from something bad from happenin (slip, faint, drowned, etc)

Answer 5

I think it is very strange for your friend to have bathroom rules when it comes to the door being open or closed. I have a seven year old daughter and if we don't have visitors then i don't mind if she has the door open but If we have people over i expect her to close the door.

Answer 6

Creepy and voyeuristic with notes of scariness.

Answer 7

I wouldn't have a problem with it.  I grew up in a household of 13 people and only two bathrooms.  7 girls shared one bathroom, we had an open door policy due to necessity.

Answer 8

odd and controlling.

Answer 9

That's odd. So they're NOT allowed to lock the bathroomdoor till age 11?

That is stupid.

But my 10 year old brother still leves the door open ( UGH ), and I have to shut it whenever my friends are over ( EWWW )

:)

~13 year old :)

Answer 10

strange .. I can kinda understand the locking thing for the young kids but idk we arent that open in our house