A polite sign posted outside a toilet at a shopping centre has raised the question – at what age should children go to public restrooms alone ? The notice , which reads ‘ please boys over 6 years of age use men ’ s restroom ’ , was taped to the wall of a women ’ s toilet at an Oklahoma outlet mall , in America . The Oklahoma City Moms Blog posted the image on Facebook , sparking debate worldwide . ‘ If you were shopping at a local mall and saw this picture , what would your reaction be ? , ’ the photo ’ s caption read . The post comes after calls for more gender-neutral family bathrooms where dads and mums can both take their children . Scroll down for video . This sign , which reads 'please boys over 6 years of age use men 's restroom ' , was taped to the wall of a women 's toilet and went viral after it was posted on Facebook . Earlier this week Hollywood actor Ashton Kutcher raised the issue on his Facebook page when he complained : ‘ There are NEVER diaper changing stations in men ’ s public restrooms. ’ The new dad added : ‘ The first public men 's room that I go into that has one gets a free shout out on my FB page ! ‪ # ‎BeTheChange. ’ Parenting expert Jo Ryan from support service Babybliss told Daily Mail Australia the age of when a child should go into a public toilet alone is a ‘ tough question ’ . ‘ It depends on the child really , ’ she said . ‘ I think six is too young . I ’ m not sure if I ’ d want them to go in a public toilet on their own , ’ Ryan explained . ‘ Some boys want to do that at that age , you have to judge the child and whether it is a safe environment . Toilets are always an unknown . In Australia , many shopping centres have family bathrooms for parents to take their kids . ‘ For me , I don ‘ t think I would let them go in on their own , I would want to take them with me . It ’ s usually when they are a bit older -around 7 or 8 – that they want to go in alone , ’ Ryan said . ‘ What if the child has got a disability or a mental age of two or needs assistance ? , ’ she asked . Ryan also pointed out that in Australia most public toilets in modern shopping centres have a family room that can be used by mums and dads . ‘ I actually took my goddaughter into a family toilet yesterday at Bondi Junction , Westfield , in Sydney , she ’ s three . Earlier this week Hollywood actor Ashton Kutcher raised the issue of gender neutral bathrooms on his Facebook page . Ashton Kutcher , seen here with his partner Mila Kunis , sparked the debate about a lack of baby changing rooms in men 's toilets . At what age would you allow your child to go into a public toilet on their own ? At what age would you allow your child to go into a public toilet on their own ? Now share your opinion . ‘ I thought “ is it only for women ? ” but the sign says ‘ parents ’ and there was a man and a women sign , so I would think most men are allowed to go into them , ’ Ryan reasoned . ‘ I think in this country in the big shopping centres they do cater for men , we don ’ t have changing rooms in our public toilets whereas the obviously do in America . ‘ We have actual parenting rooms where you can change nappies , there are toys and my goddaughter didn ’ t want to leave. ’ Ryan did note that in some places such as restaurants there are not even any changing facilities . Sydney dad Mark Elias , whose son Jacob is almost two years old , told Daily Mail Australia he would let his child go to a public bathroom at ‘ 11 to 12 years ’ . ‘ But it depends on the kid and the maturity level and the place you are at , ’ he added . 'This day and age it 's better to cautious . ' Meanwhile , Claudia Bowman , a mother of three and member of the Kings Cross Parents and Carers Association , in Sydney , said : ' I think it 's clear this sign is inappropriate . I ca n't imagine it complies with any hospitality standards code . ' 'Parents I know make decisions based on the needs of their child as an individual . Maturity of a child has nothing to do with their birth age . Some six year old children have the maturity of a four year old , ' Ms Bowman explained . 'Part of being a parent is making the best decision for your child 's welfare regardless of the pressure and expectations others impose . 'Personally I 'll be doing as I see best for each of my three children regardless of this sign , ' she added . At what age would you stop accompanying your child into a public bathroom ?
The sign was taped to the wall of a toilet at a mall in America . Comes as new dad Ashton Kutcher raised issue of baby changing for men . Parenting expert says Earlier this week is 'too young ' for child to go alone . ' I think it 's clear this sign is inappropriate , ' mother of three says . Other parents argue it 's down to the maturity of each individual child .