to think you don't "teach" a child to wee in a grid?

[buzzwoodybuzzwoody]

A friend's DS (3) frightened the living daylights out of everyone yesterday by suddenly stepping from the pavement causing a lorry to screech on the brakes and calmly proceeded to get his penis out and urinate in a grid - the child's mum said "oh yes we've been teaching him to wee in grids."



People don't do that do they? Usually?

[SirChenjin]

Nope, not normal to teach kids to wee in grids - although there are worse places that children caught short can wee (obv not on busy roads with lorries thundering towards you though)

[TiggyD]

Is it just when he needs a wee or every time he sees a grid?

[LimitedEditionLady]

Erm....what?
I dont know of any children who do that.
Love to know why he needs to learn this?

[RedRidingChops]

What's a grid?

[TheHerringScreams]

Why do he need to learn to wee anywhere else but a potty, toilet and bush (you know, when necessary, a bush is an okay alternative I guess).

[MajaBiene]

Is a grid a drain?

[slatternlymother]

Tbh she should be teaching him to say 'I need the toilet' so they can find an appropriate place!

Look, we've all been caught short when potty training, but teaching them to wee in the gutter as standard is just horrible and skanky.

What's he going to do at school next year?

[OneFingerSjupesUpTheYoni]

Kids wee in corners don't they?! I'd never encourage a little on to pee on a drain that's dangerous and just a biy.. weird

[ShadowStorm]

I've seen toddlers weeing into drains in towns before - presumably when caught short and the parent doesn't have time to get them to a toliet - but not ones on roads!

Actually teaching them that drains / grids are an acceptable and normal place to wee sounds very very odd.

[Whathaveiforgottentoday]

We did this once on holiday in desperation but certainly not on to intentionally teach them. However I have found that you need to teach little girls how to wee behind trees when on long walks in the country. The first go was a disaster.

[mybelovedmonster]

He stepped into the path of a lorry?
Wtf is wrong with his parents?

[fuzzpig]

Don't suppose it's that bad in an emergency - certainly better than just on the pavement where it just pools there, ugh - but actually off a pavement on a busy road, is she insane?! What if the driver hadn't seen him?

[edwardsmum11]

Sounds like a nutcase tbh.

[ComposHat]

I remember being taught to wee outdoors at a similar age, but the subtly and discretion thing passed me by.

Walking across London Bridge - pants down and straight over the edge.

[Enfyshedd]

Worst examples I've seen:

Someone getting their little boy to wee up against a tree in the middle of a city centre main shopping street in the middle of the day (either a weekday lunch or a Saturday) - they were within 30yards of a shopping centre public toilet.

Someone getting their child to drop their trousers around the side of a large store in my home town - worst thing about that is that it's the entrance path to a pub/club; myself and several other customers of the pub saw this and I called over to the mother and said that there was a toilet inside that they were welcome to use, and they replied "No, it's ok", so they continued knowing that half a dozen of us knew they were getting their child to wee in public!!

[ripsishere]

It is odd, but each to their own.
I once had to hold my DD over a drain when I'd had a car accident. Little bugger proceeded to grin one out to the delight of the factory workers who had come outside to see what all the fuss was about.

[mathanxiety]

Is there an element of vicarious flashing to this?

Or is it a case of, 'Look everyone, a willy! My boy has a willy! A boy sprang from my loins, and now my life has meaning and everyone is going to notice and acknowledge that he possesses a willy!'

I just don't think this mother would have been teaching a DD to pee into the sewer.

[sashh]

So ... I tend to think about why the form is asking


They are all for the same reason, to report the ethnic mix to number crunchers.

[Manyofhorror3]

My toilet training son does what we call "secret wees" - we open the front and back doors of the car, he stands in the gap in between and I stand behind and he does a quick wee. Great for emergencies. And wearing on a nettle (other plants are available) if we're in the Great Outdoors. Grids aren't great as you get a lot of splash back, but it was certainly common in my parents' generation.

[scaevola]

Well, mine have certainly been caught out a few times during the potty training era!

When in a suburban street with no prospect of reaching a loo in time, I 've always thought 'better down the drain than making a pavement puddle" (the only other choice being someone's front garden).

THe drain grilles were right next to the kerb though. No need whatsoever to step off the pavement.

[ArabellaBeaumaris]

I was a bit gobsmacked when a boy at the playground had a wee in the middle of the playground. His mum seemed to think it was totally normal. He is school aged!

[Cantbelieveitsnotbutter]

Massive bug bear of mine, if your child gets caught short, fine it happens, be discreet. But the world is not your toilet! I see it at the local playground all the time, the loo is a very short walk from the playground.
It's just not nice!!!
I dumped a boyfriend once as he stopped to have a wee by the side or a road, we'd just passed a services.

[LibertineLover]

sashh you got two threads on the go?!

this is the pissing in a drain one!

[theansweris42]

my DSs are 2 and 3, both get caught short (2 yr old just out of nappies) and also the 3 year old is phobic about public loos (terrified about the hand drier) so we have to find discreet places outside - but in bushes or next to trees - no pavement puddle. I don't like doing it but needs must - are we offending loads of people? (ulp?