to have said the following to a dad outside the supermarket this morning?

[TidyDancer]

"excuse me, but there's a toilet inside"

The dad in question had just yanked the pants of his (estimated) four-year-old DS down outside the shop and instructed him to "piss up the wall". The little boy looked a bit confused and frankly embarrassed to be doing this. I (politely) called over to the dad and said the above. He told me "he's just a fucking kid" and told the boy to carry on.

Was I wrong to say anything? The child did not hear what I said, as the dad was standing at least 10-15 feet away and I made sure I said it quietly so as not to embarrass the child further. All parents get caught with a desperate child every now and then (I've been there myself!), but I fail to see how this dad could not have walked the child inside and led him to a cubicle. I really don't think I was wrong, the toilet was about a 20 second walk away and the child certainly didn't look like he wanted to pee up a wall.

YANBU

The Dad is BU & a complete twat.

I have no problem at all with an emergency wee pretty much anywhere a small child absolutely needs one and there's no toilet around, but outside a supermarket with a toilet nearby is just rude & unnecessary - not to mention clearly embarrassing for the poor boy!

Did they know where the toilets where? If not, and the child was desperate there could have been an accident.

Perhaps they were waiting for a taxi, or waiting for someone to pick them up. Or maybe waiting for the mother to come out, and she would have wondered where they where if they were not waiting.

A bit of childs urine isnt going to do anyone any harm.

what did you expect of a "father" with such a foul mouth

YANBU!

The toilets are right inside the door and the dad is definitely local, I vaguely recognised him. They were still there alone when I left about 15 minutes later, so certainly not in a hurry.

I know, AA. I just felt really sorry for the child tbh. He looked mortified.

The kids was probably mortified because you interrupted his flow! When my ds had to go he HAD to go, going to find toilets would've resulted in wet pants. I wouldn't DREAM of saying that to someone.

As above, he didn't hear what I said valium. He was mortified because his dad pulled his pants down in public. My DS would've been the same.

Oh well, I would've just minded my own business tbh - thing is as you have found out OP you never know the sort of reaction you are going to get.

Yeah, that's true valium, some people can't control their mouths. I just don't like standing by when a dad is embarrassing his child because he's too lazy to take him inside I guess.

little boys don't generally mind where the wee in my experience

they*

This one did, US. :( He didn't want to do it there.

I've had to let DS pee in public before, but I would never have done it if I knew he didn't want to and there was a toilet a very short walk away.

YANBU, that poor boy is being dragged up not brought up tbh. what hope is there for him, with a nasty waster sperm doner like him.

If there is a toilet nearby you use it, only if there is none near and you take your child discretely behind a bush. Neanderthal behaviour, some people have never evolved.

Thinking about my ds aged 5 I would agree with usualsuspect.

Meh.

I wouldn't have said anything.

I would have bloody told the staff! How rude.

YANBU. This is why some men think they can pee anywhere especially after a few drinks. It's disgusting behaviour.

Yabu.

However the dads reaction was U.

Dp is often out alone with the dcs, ds is a ihavetopeerightNOOOOOWWW kid and dp got a right dressing down for pulling to the back hardly used part of tescos carpark and allowing him to pee on OUR car tyres as he had a sleeping dd with him. If it was dd shed have used the potty and hed have poured it down a drain. They're 3 and 4 btw. The lady concrerned was mortified when dp appolagised for offending her but said as dd was sleeping he couldn't take ds inside.

*concerned.

It's quite possible at that age the boy had left it till totally the last minute and wouldn't have made it inside. Better weeing outside than on the floor inside. It's no worse than dog wee. Obviously not ideal but if it's an emergency then fair enough.

Rather different situation bean

If no one ever said anything then certain become completely normal because they are never challenged.

You were quite right to say something. Pissing up a wall when there is a loo nearby is horrible, even if he was only a kid.

certain behaviours FFS!

Why is it that people feel the need to poke their noses into everything? And then moan when people dont fall over with gratitude at their suggestion. Im sick of sticky beaks telling people what to do/how to parent. If youre not asked then people generally wont appreciate it

He wasnt beating seven bells of shit out of him in public, he was having a wee, hes not your child, you have no idea how much he needed to go or whether he was embarrassed.

Just mind your own business fgs