Child using potty in public

[Moominfan]

I'm pretty easy going, bordering on complacent to mumsnet standards. Went to a fair today. Kid and dad in queue. Dad whips out Potty and the kid does their business there and then. Is this what I have to look forward to? Mines not potty trained yet. Would most people atleast go hide behind a bush or something? There were loads of people around. Place was heaving.

[Famalamaringwrong]

You were by the sea down south weren't you!! I saw the exact same thing today and thought "that's mumsnet worthy" but honestly I just felt a bit bad for the little boy in amongst a load of people just sitting there in a field having a shit in his potty! I guess it's all just part of potty training.

[cocomelon23]

He probably did it so they didn't lose their place in the queue

[TheBigFatMermaid]

If the child is very new to potty training it has to happen whenever, wherever. Did you not take your children out at this stage?

If that is the case, I judge you more than that Dad!

Just re-read,, OP is not yet at this stage... says it all really.

We can all be the perfect parent to children we haven't had yet, also for the stage we are not at yet.

[user1493413286]

How close were the toilets? Unless they were 10 foot away without a queue then I’d say you’re unreasonable. You don’t know if the child would have wet themselves if they left to find a toilet

[Cornettoninja]

If the child is very new to potty training it has to happen whenever, wherever

This really.

[HomeMadeMadness]

I never did this with either of mine. In general I waited until they could at least hold it for a few minutes to dash to a toilet or secluded spot then I stayed in for a few days until they got the hang of it and we were off. What happens if you're in a restaurant? Or a school play? If your child can't wait even a minute they're not ready!

[alwaysreadthelabel]

This could of been me today. On week 2 of training went to the high street toddler needs a wee so put her in a closed doorway on the potty. There are no public toilets around and she has to go 'now!' Would you not rather a potty than a pee or poo all over the floor?

[LegoPiecesEverywhere]

I never brought a potty with me when I was toilet training and have never seen anyone do this in real life.

[Drogosnextwife]

So where does it go once it's in the potty?

[Moominfan]

It was an outdoor grassy area, plenty of more discrete places around although toilets not near by

[Moominfan]

Yea we're not at this stage yet the dad picked it up and chucked it in a bush

[Figgygal]

Ridiculous
I saw someone whip one out in the frozen section of our local large Tesco and vowed never to use one.

[Moominfan]

Haha yes figgy I'm wondering how to go about potty training without a potty now

[JustTwoMoreSecs]

For a wee and with a small child so 2-3yo max then I wouldn’t mind, they can’t always wait.

[Cornettoninja]

Potties are just part of the kit if the child is keen but not particularly getting it.

On balance I probably would have left the queue and found somewhere nearby to get it done but I can quite imagine a scenario where dp just wouldn’t think about it. I’ve had a couple of acquaintances behave similarly.

The bush disposal doesn’t really bother me either to be honest.

[Shootingstar1115]

It’s really hard in the early stages of potting training. I had to take a potty everywhere but I always tried to be discrete about it though

[Disfordarkchocolate]

4 children and no one ever did that, and I don't think I'm out of the ordinary. It's gross.

[DoomOnTheBroom]

I have never ever used a potty in public in this way and think it's pretty grim. I used to keep a pull up in my handbag for truly desperate situations (e.g., child announcing ten minutes into a 45 minute bus ride that they needed a wee) and there were one or two al fresco wees behind a reasonably secluded tree or bush but never a potty. How do you even clean it afterwards!?

[TrueFriendsStabYouInTheFront]

I have done similar many times. I'm pretty sure I was judged, cause that's how perfect everyone else is. Especially those who have no idea what potty training entails or how difficult in can be I promise you, you will be eating your words when your time comes

I really don't see how it's any different from a child standing next to you, pooing or weeing in a nappy. Which imo is pretty grim when you think about it, as it's not discarded immediately like the contents of a potty are.

[VladmirsPoutine]

I'm not au fait with it but what do you do with the potty once used. Carry it or have they become a contraption of sorts which you can lock/unlock as required?

But wrt potty training I suppose it's just that - training. Oddly enough I'd find public potty training a lot more contentious than breast-feeding which some people still think is an act of treachery in 2019.

[RainbowWaffles]

I am aware that some people consider it necessary but I find it odd. If you need to do that then they aren’t properly ready. Lots of people seem to force potty training and moving to toddler beds etc before children are ready and make it really hard work.

[Tolleshunt]

YANBU, he should have taken him somewhere a little more discreet. One of the benefits of training later, is that the having-to-carry-a-potty-everywhere stage tends to be much shorter. Do not underestimate the benefit of this!

[DoomOnTheBroom]

For most children, if you wait until they're ready then if doesn't take very long for them to be reliably dry/clean. They'll have a occasional accident here and there because that's small children for you but on the whole they'll be reliable enough that you can almost always get them to a toilet in time.

[Ces6]

If the child is very new to potty training it has to happen whenever, wherever
Not really. Plenty of people don't do it. I managed to potty train three without taking a potty out in public so don't worry OP!

[DearTeddyRobinson]

That's grim. I've potty trained 2 and the most we've had to do is the occasional 'nature wee'. If the child can't wait 2 mins to find a loo or discreet place to use the potty then they are not ready! We never used a potty as mine didn't like it so we just planned all outings in the early days around the location of various toilets!