My take on the restroom thing is that when they are in school, they are expected to use separate bathrooms, girls and boys, so by the age of five, boys should be going to the men’s room. So far, so good. I do think that there are probably men out there who could take advantage of little boys in a public restroom, but more than likely, something like that would take a little more time than it takes to run in, pee, wash hands, and run out. I do think it’s wise to teach children that they need to run away (and yell, whatever) if someone wants to see their private parts or tries to show them THEIR private parts, or there’s any touching going on, whether it’s a stranger or their best friend from school. That is something they need to be aware of in this sex-crazed world. But I still feel like it’s fine for them to use the men’s room.

You may feel a desire to punish your friend. It's natural when we have been injured to want to lash out. But I think the best course is to spend some time with him and try to reach a new understanding that contains a further frankness. What has gone between you requires you, in fact, to find a further frankness. The casual arrangements you have made in the past are no longer enough to encompass what you now know.

Attracted to boys?

raketemensh, I always told my kids (and the ones at the preschool that I worked at) that if they could get up there and go across the monkey bars on their own, they were big enough to do it. If they couldn’t reach to do it, then they weren’t big enough. This story is part of a collection of stories from young people on ReachOut.com. You can find the original text by visiting http://au.reachout.com/attracted-to-boys Attracted to boys?

I had a friend who used to always hold her child when she went down the slide. I was quite horrified when I discovered that at the age of 3.5 this child had no idea how to go safely down a slide without falling off the edge. My daughter was walking up the wrong side of the slide soon after she learnt to walk! (Only when there were no other kids wanting to go down – I was a nazi when it came to playground manners, I have to admit) I never held her or helped her.We have shared many rooms together over the years, but this time our housing arrangement required us to share a bed, which did not give me a moment of pause. Like many gay men, our platonic friendship began with a roll in the hay. That first time was something of a quirk for both of us, fueled by too much drinking and ecstasy. We are not each other's types at all. I should also mention that I have boyfriend and my friend is married, but neither of our partners came with us on this trip. A few moments later he came tearing down the causeway toward the bathroom, laughing. His mother dissolved in sobs as she embraced him. “Where the devil were you?” I asked him. “I was standing here the whole time, how did you leave the bathroom without my seeing you?” Proudly, he trumpeted, “I hid behind a man as he walked out. You totally missed me!” Of course, at five, I had no concept of being gay. Indeed, in 1953, the word was not yet in use in the sense of being homosexual. Neither did I know the word homosexual. I had no name for my deeply seated feelings, but that did not lessen my belief that I was very different and alone in them. Seth Owen was a model high school student, who earned a 4.61 GPA, participated in honor societies, took AP classes, and became valedictorian. But at home, his religious parents found out that he was gay and told him to move out. And this is a perfectly acceptable thought-process to me. I do view my daughter’s time at the playground as my time off – time she is supposed to be interacting with other kids or playing by herself and not demanding my attention and it’s a time when I can chat with other parents or read a book (the closest park is too far for her to go alone or she would). Despite agreeing to put her on the monkey bars a time or two or pushing her on the swing for a few minutes(neither needed anymore), she was expected to play on her own. I take her to the playground to play with other kids, get some physical exercise and to get some peace, quiet and time to myself while she does it.

At the heart of this chapter are the stories of 11 gay men, aged 43–71, who spoke about adventurous sexual encounters with strangers. It would be an exaggeration to say that they structured their lives around casual sex but, as their stories show, they were willing and able to make time available to maximise opportunities for sexual adventures. Recovering from a sexual assault, bigender 17-year-old Aleks/Alexis moves in with their uncle, a Catholic priest, and starts anonymously helping the parishioners whose confessions they overhear. But when they overhear another priest confess to sexual abuse, Aleks/Alexis has to come face-to-face with their own trauma. Stay Gold by Tobly McSmith I don’t care whether people put their kids on monkey bars or not. I certainly don’t think that it is something you MUST do as a parent. I took issue with people indicating that it was wrong to do and that you are harming your children in some way by doing it. The one thing I have discovered about coming out is to choose who you tell carefully and if you don't think you can trust a certain person, then you can't trust them. Also make sure you have some close friends that you can count on, because it is a very emotional experience. Make sure you are ready and don't feel you have to hide who you are, because you were born this way! Did you find what you needed? Related: Top 7 Outdoor Activities in New Zealand That You Have to Do Motorcycle Gangs and Baby Wipes

How to Vote

Later that morning as we had breakfast with our housemates, I asked him if he'd had a nightmare. He said he didn't, but I wondered if he'd simply forgotten and gave it no more thought. But human worthiness runs along a continuum. I consider myself to be a deeply flawed person, and I identify with those whose character flaws have led them into grave troubles, whose momentary impulses have caused lasting harm. Until recently I have been wondering at what age I should start sending my kids into the bathroom themselves in public places. My daughter is 4 1/2, my son is 3. Then, last week, my daughter told me quite firmly at a local restaurant that she was going by herself than you very much and could I please leave her alone. I doubt she washed her hands as well as I would have liked, but she was thrilled with her independence. I expect my son will likewise let me know when he is ready. Of course, for the sake of other visitors, I will have to make sure he has learned to focus and not point his penis in every conceivable direction while his mind wanders!!!