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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU - 12yo boy peed in relative's garden in front of 5yo DD

268 replies

Concerned45 · 14/04/2017 21:05

Looking for advice in delicate situation please.

We left our DD at family party for 7yo with plenty of relatives to look out for her. She is used to spending time there and there were lots of children there although DD was one of only 2 girls of at least 10 children.

In asking about the party on her return she mentioned the above incident. I asked whether she told a grown up and who else was there at the time. She said it was just the 2 of them in a part if the garden not visible from house, other children were in other part if garden or in the house at the time and that he had told her not to tell anyone that it happened. I asked why she thinks he did it given that the garden isn't large and there are several toilets in house, she said he just needed to go there and then but she didn't see his boy bits.

The boy in questions is DS of a relative. All wider family have perceived for at least 10yrs that he has some SEN issues that probably need intervention or at least support. He is a v sweet and polite boy but his behaviour is routinely very disruptive, v over excited and unable to play in a calm way or avoid breaking toys or damaging furniture/ornaments esp when he was younger, on one occasion he spoke to his mother in what I would regard as really quite scary aggressive/threatening tones when he realised they wouldn't get home in time to watch his favourite tv programme. Having started secondary school, apparently he has v few friends and has an arrangement to stay indoors at lunchtime as the playground presented to many challenges. From what I know, his mother does not consider that he needs anything other than love and attention in order to overcome earlier disruption in his life (he is not biological DS of my relative but she has had him since he was a toddler). Am not sure where my relative's DH stands on this issue but he clearly seems to get very stressed out by DS' behaviour. Wider family have gently tried to suggest getting additional support for him but response from mother has not been positive. I'm not close enough to know full details of this but have never passed judgement on how my relative is bringing up her DC (her other DC, also not biological do not suffer from same behavioural issues). We've tried to accommodate her DS and e.g. intervened to defuse situation when other adults are getting stressed out at his behaviour if his parents are not around etc.

Anyway, with this recent incident, my DH is absolutely fuming and wants me to address it but I'm not sure how to go about it. I've briefly discussed it with the host of the party who was mortified and v apologetic to us. I assured them it wasn't their fault as the DC are old enough to look after themselves playing in enclosed garden and I wouldn't have spent the whole party following DD around the garden anyway had I been there. The host agrees this is a tricky situation but that it needs to be communicated back to the DS' mother.

AIBU regardless of the outcome of the conversation (when it happens) to avoid DD interacting with this boy or should we try to be part of a wider supportive network to help him?

Any advice gratefully received on this point as well as on how to raise this issue in the first place.

OP posts:
HooAteMyCheese · 15/04/2017 10:35

Lello I think you've completely missed the whole point here. Nobody is saying boys peeing in the garden is okay, what we are saying is it happens, it's hardly the beginning of the apocalypse, nor would OP's DD be traumatised by it.

Last but not the least posters are wondering what the boys SN got to do with the whole scenario.
Many a boy has peed in the garden and don't have any SN, it's just because they're being silly and because their anatomy allows them to wee discreetly in a way a girl couldn't.

My main concern about this would have been from a health point of view. Making sure it's pointed out to the boy that its disgusting because it will stink, and people lie on the grass/play on it and that is very unpleasant if you've been peeing there.

Nothing has or will happy to DD who witnessed it, as far as she is concerned it should be a non issue.

RebelRogue · 15/04/2017 10:39

MrsDV Flowers

HooAteMyCheese · 15/04/2017 10:40

MrsDV also summed it perfectly from the SN/adoption angle. I'm guessing the poor boy will have even 'less friends' now, he has peed in the garden.

Re reading the OP again I notice she mentioned the host saying this is a 'tricky situation', what's 'tricky' about it ? Hmm Jack was seen peeing in the garden, please tell him not to do that again as it's unhygienic, job done.

RebelRogue · 15/04/2017 10:41

Lello there might be no need,but probably plenty of reasons why a child would do something like that. Because they're you know...children.

dowhatnow · 15/04/2017 10:42

There is a very slight chance there were sinister undertones though Mrs Dv. He's 12 and on the brink of adolescence. He's not 8. Probably totally innocent but he does need to learn that getting your willy out in front of others in secluded areas isn't the done thing ie not appropriate and could be misconstrued - particularly as he gets older.

TheFirstMrsDV · 15/04/2017 10:49

How would they be 'sinister' in a 12 year old though dowhat?
There is a lot of scope between 'totally innocent' and 'sinister'

Its fine to say 'don't do that Jack. Its not nice'
But the OP is leaping to 'OMG what the hell is wrong with Jack?'

People have bought up the difference in response if this was a girl.
I doubt anyone would think there was something sinister about a girl peeing in a garden.
They may be unfairly concerned about her mental health because girls are supposed to be nice.
I would put £100 on noone implying she is dangerous towards young boys.

(I have no idea if I should be using implying or inferring in this context)

Atenco · 15/04/2017 10:49

Boys not taught to use a toilet grow up into men who do not do so.

Then quite a few of my friends weren't properly taught.

And yes I do think there would be a different reaction if this was a girl who'd chosen to wee in a bush when there was a toilet available

Well, it is much more of a faff for a girl to wee outside, so yes that would be a strange thing for a girl to do.

You know George Bernard Shaw campaigned for years for public toilets in London precisely because of this difference.

dowhatnow · 15/04/2017 10:56

There are some 12 years olds who are quite sexually mature. We do know that some 12 years olds are sexually inquisitive and access porn etc, so it's not totally impossible that there were sexual motives. Not likely mind you, but not impossible.

TheFirstMrsDV · 15/04/2017 10:57

Yes well that is exactly what the op is getting at isn't she.
This adopted boy with SN is probably a massive pervert.

dowhatnow · 15/04/2017 10:59

Yes I agree the sn element was totally irrelevant and didn't need to be mentioned at all.

CountessYgritte · 15/04/2017 12:01

Agree MrsDV

This post embodies all I worry about regarding my son and his SN. People are horrible.

PossumInAPearTree · 15/04/2017 12:17

If dd had told me this I'd have laughed. Said well that's a bit yucky and changed the subject.

Wallywobbles · 15/04/2017 12:28

Lucky you don't live in France. It's a national pastime peeing in the garden. We girls have downhill pee races. Bit like poo sticks with no sticks. You DH would have a heart attack.

GlitterGlue · 15/04/2017 12:34

I think sn could be relevant if someone wasn't sure how to handle a particular situation and wanted to deal with it sensitively. Or to know if they should say anything at all. The level of detail provided wasn't necessary though.

I still think a gentle reminder about appropriate public behaviour may be necessary. Even if a boy is having an entirely innocent public pee they may not realise that others might find their behaviour unpleasant or even threatening - particularly if they are tall for their age and could at first glance be mistaken for an adult.

I recently came across a man having a public piss in town in. Broad daylight. Public loos and several pubs and shops just feet away. It was grim and unpleasant. Very different from a private pee in the woods.

Sample1936 · 15/04/2017 12:43

It's impolite and poor manners but he is a kid and has sen . What is the bloody problem?

Deadsouls · 15/04/2017 13:30

I think the general consensus on here is that it was no big deal. How're you feeling about it today OP?

pasturesgreen · 15/04/2017 13:41

What a ridiculously long-winded OP just to say a boy had a wee in a garden. And so what? Jesus Christ!

Mulberry72 · 15/04/2017 13:47

MrsDV Flowers
Perfect reply to a vile, vile post.

papersmile · 15/04/2017 14:04

I'd be impressed if my daughter could wee in a bush, I certainly wouldn't get annoyed with her trying. My son loves an al fresco wee.

My friend encourages her husband to go up to the garden to wee on the compost heap (apparently it helps to break down the green matter). I don't think it's sexual - on either part. I think I can safely assume it's not sexual.

Deadsouls · 15/04/2017 14:09

I'm starting to feel a bit sorry for the OP because they're getting so thoroughly flamed here.
I do think that the original post, although misguided and really quite 'sheltered' in my view, was genuine on the OP's part. I really don't think they intended to be malicious about SEN children, though it might read like that.

JigglyTuff · 15/04/2017 14:10

What about the fact that they're not the biological child deadsouls? I don't think you can possibly put a positive spin on that.

Itsallamysterytome · 15/04/2017 14:36

My DSs played rugby and there would be team wees in corners and behind trees. Many a mum was totally jealous as they trudged back (in pairs because we are female after all) to the distant clubhouse.

Splinters6 · 15/04/2017 14:44

I'm really confused as to why most of the 'backstory' is at all relevant. I mean, his SN/immaturity may be relevant but only to work in his favour by showing that his logic is perhaps more in line with a younger boy. But what's the relevance to this story of his adoption or difficulties at school? Confused
It's almost as though you have this beautiful, perfect NT daughter whom you want to protect from,

1)Children who've had a difficult start and whose heritage you're unsure of.
2)Children who appear strange to you due to their additional needs
3)Boys

Fwiw, I have a 4yr old DD. She has older brothers. Just last week her 15yr old brother took her to the toilet in John Lewis whilst I queued. He volunteered because he's a good lad but also because he needed to go too. I imagine there was glimpses of bits but I guess that's ok as I know where he's come from. Hmm

Splinters6 · 15/04/2017 14:48

And whilst my 15&12yr olds no longer wee in the garden, my 7yr old does despite being told off each time. All 3 of my boys have attempted to wee their name in snow with varying degrees of success.

Chloe84 · 15/04/2017 14:59

Taking a pee outdoors in the woods or while camping or even after a night out is rather different to doing it in someone's manicured garden (on the path, not in a bush) in the middle of the day where there are babies crawling around

Bit of a drip feed there with the crawling babies. Did the 10 kids (8 of which were boys 😯😷) comprise of these babies?

You're not going to take on board the YABUs, are you OP?

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