My Toilet Break Dilemma

Firstly I want to congratulate all the new shopping centres for acknowledging that parent room CAN also mean dads take their kids shopping.

I am a stay at home dad (or at least during the day, i work in the evening) hence I am the primary carer of my 3 year old.

Unfortunately some of the old shopping centres were designed in the days when it was assumed that mothers were the only ones who take their kids to the shops.

I was out shopping in coles at a local shopping centre (no my usual one) when my 3 year old told me she was busting. For those with young kids that means its a case of drop everything and make haste to the nearest toilet, don't pass go, don't collect $200.

My daughter has just recently decided she doesn't mind pooing in toilets which is a milestone as it means no more nappies which we are ecstatic about.

Anyway we made it to where there were the toilet signs, Male, Female and the baby sign (which usually means parents room). So i made my way down the hall only to find there were only 2 doors, Male and Female. So safe to assume the the parents section is in the ladies toilet. SO I am left with the dilemma of what to do. I can't send her off alone into the ladies toilet alone yet so i am having to take her into the men's toilet, not the most ideal.

We went in and she went into the cubicle and did her business and all was fine. We had high 5's when she proudly showed her poo in the toilet, wiped flushed and hands washed.

The thing that concerns me is the perception that others might have about a man taking a child into the men's toilet (after recent child molestation cases).

It doesn't look good or is that my own self consciousness showing?