To be shocked by what I saw

[Todayistuesday]

Last night, having a meal at 7 in a nice pub and a parent got their child to use the potty by their table. This isn't normal, is it?!

[Gileswithachainsaw]

That's just disgusting

Seriously if a child can't make it from a table to a toilet then they should be in a pull up

[Mumtobe12]

Yanbu this is unhygienic and also not going to help child learn where toilet is.

[ThoraGruntwhistle]

I agree that toilet training involves getting used to waiting to pee in the appropriate place, which is never next to a table in a pub. So they are doing a pretty awful job training the child.

[bimbobaggins]

What did the staff say when you told them

[onalongsabbatical]

YANBU to think it's not normal. YABU not to have reported them. If there are no social consequences how do people work out what's acceptable or not?
I'm fairly sure the 'nice' pub would have asked them to take child and potty into the loos.

[Vegansnake]

That happened to me in a cafe,she was a least 3 wandering round with a naked bottom...I was shocked..nothing I ever did with my 4

[SomethingBorrowed]

On the tube I can kind of understand, if the child is just potty trained as quickest access to a toilet would be 10-15min at least.
On a restaurant no way, there are toilets 2min away.

[Wishiwasmoiradingle2017]

You should ring environmental health and complain about the restaurant. They should have done something.

[Goodythreeshoes]

There's not a lot the restaurant could have done to prevent this though is there Wish

[Comps83]

That's abs fcking disgusting excuse my language but I would have been very angry witnessing this. Imagine if a dog owner in a dog friendly pub just put a plastic bag down and let rover do a number 2 while everyone was eating. I can't see how this is any different. I know it's the most natural thing in the world to do but howay man have some standards. Filthy people. No kind of example to the child I feel sorry for it.

[CheeseQueen]

I've got two small kids, and that's totally rank. Mingers. Not acceptable at all, some people are just gross.

[MummyMuppet2x2]

Utterly gross!

[tectonicplates]

YABU for not speaking up at the time. They'll get away with it for as long as nobody challenges them. Next time, do something about it yourself instead of waiting for others to do so.

[SleepingTiger]

OP I couldn't imagine doing it myself.

I should bloody hope not!

[KoalaDownUnder]

There's not a lot the restaurant could have done to prevent this though

They could have gone over and had a word, rather than turning a blind eye to a child take a dump in the dining room while other customers are eating.

[The80sweregreat]

That is gross! Its a wonder the staff didnt say something!

[Newname12]

Well i was combing my 5 year old's hair in a leisure centre cafe after her swimming lesson and got asked to stop it only took 2 seconds and i was finished and sat back down because someone had complained about it being unhygienic.

So if that's unhygeinic, how would potties not be?

[elodie2000]

'The couple weren't Chinese tourists were they? I've seen one pull a potty out on the tube!'

Eh?!! I doubt it's a 'cultural' thing if that's what you're suggesting! The woman who did this when we were out to lunch together was white British so I'm guessing it's a 'minger' thing Astoria

[Excited101]

I know someone who did this in a museum café, which is right next to the toilets anyway, I was

[reallyanotherone]

Elodie - i think in chinese culture "elimination communication" is a thing.

So it's not unusual to not use nappies, but to use a potty from birth, supposedly learning the childs cues as to when they are about to void, and chuck a potty underneath them.

Hence it being more acceptable in that culture to use a potty anywhere.

[Todayistuesday]

They had a potty with the liners, can't remember what they're called - fab btw. So she tied the bag, then went and disposed of it. I thought about saying something to the staff or the people themselves - if it had been just our family I would have done. I was with my parents and I think they would have found it uncomfortable if I complained. To be honest, I'm not sure I would have changed their behaviour anyway; if you're so oblivious/entitled/socially inept you'll go ahead anyway? To make matters worse, the boy really did look old enough to be able to get to a toilet.

[MollyHuaCha]

I carried a potty around with me at this stage, but to use in appropriate places, certainly not an eating environment.

[StillStayingClassySanDiego]

It doesn't matter whether it's a 'nice' pub or not, it could be the pits of the earth and rough as fuck but whipping out a potty like that is grim regardless.