I took my three youngest children on a cross country road trip a few weeks back. Thankfully an aunt joined us about 300 miles into the trip so I was really only solo for about 5 hours on day one.

{Stanley, Wisconsin has a pretty fancy, multi-cultural McDonalds}

But it was that first five hours that ran me into my first road trip conundrum. When we stopped for lunch in Stanley, Wisconsin, my eight year old son had to use the restroom. The idea of sending him in to a truck stop/gas station/fast food restaurant restroom alone had me panicked. But at eight years old, there was no convincing him to come into the women's room.

I was torn on what to do and at the last minute allowed him to go into the mens room while I stood outside.

He was fine. I was fine. The rest of the restroom visits throughout the trip was much of the same.

I'm not sure why this is a non issue on a day to day basis when we are out and about around home besides the fact that we're in familiar territory and usually with friends and family.

I try not to live and parent with fear but the entire situation had me wondering, what does everyone else do in situations like this?

Is there a real reason to be cautious or are we just oversaturated with Dateline and Headline News stories of what could happen?

What do you do when you are out and about with your children and your child of the opposite gender needs to use the restroom?