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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:
WizardOfToss · 14/04/2017 21:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PissedAroundPissedOff · 14/04/2017 21:36

I know a man who wees in his garden to show his dogs what to do. He doesn't have SEN.

JennyOnAPlate · 14/04/2017 21:37

I genuinely have no idea why you would have an issue with a boy peeing in a bush. Seriously.

harderandharder2breathe · 14/04/2017 21:37

The people thinking this must be sexual are the ones to be avoided. Not a 12 year old having a wee in a bush.

happypoobum · 14/04/2017 21:37

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

user1471558436 · 14/04/2017 21:37

The most important thing is that your DD told you about his wee. You have a open communication and that great.

CustardLover · 14/04/2017 21:38

I read this with growing incredulity at what I thought was the biggest overreaction in history...and am so glad that the majority of PPs also think so. Seriously, this is not a thing but if you respond like this to this little boy (and frankly his mum) you might create an unpleasant situation that is completely unnecessary and unwarranted. Please just forget it- it's not a big deal. Boys just love weeing in bushes.

PovertyPain · 14/04/2017 21:39

Pissed
Did he cock his leg? 😆

Midnightprobs · 14/04/2017 21:41

Your OP has been clouded by a lot of info unrelated to the incident.

A 12yo boy weeing in the garden is not a problem in itself. My 11yo DS thinks it's hilarious to wee in the garden and will do it from time to time. My DD will start laughing. I remember as a child my brother weeing in the garden and us all laughing. It's very normal. I did a wee in the woods the other day and my DD was cracking up laughing.

If you are this concerned about your 7yo girl, you should have supervised her yourself.

I would stay out of this boy's (potential) issues and concentrate on looking after your child yourself. Do you think that professionals have magic wands? If he got diagnosed with something, how do you think it would be treated/managed? The love and attention that his mother mentions will likely be the most effective "treatment".

Honeyandfizz · 14/04/2017 21:42

Stop the press a boy took a wee in a bush!!!!

AtomHeart · 14/04/2017 21:42

Chill out! SEN or no SEN, boys pee in gardens.

RebelRogue · 14/04/2017 21:43

Was he there and your dd followed?
Were they playing together and he just had to go?
Did he ask her to follow him and thn had a wee?

ShakingAndShocked · 14/04/2017 21:43

'We don't know that it absolutely definitely isn't sexual, but at the very least a reminder that such behaviour is entirely inappropriate should be given.

He may well be struggling with boundaries so a reminder would be appropriate before he gets himself into bother.'

This seem eminently sensible to be and quite even in tone. Every child - SEN or otherwise - needs frequent conversations about boundaries, both for their safety and others.

Mulberry72 · 14/04/2017 21:43

He had a wee, not a wank.

Get a grip.

Biscuit
PissedAroundPissedOff · 14/04/2017 21:45

I'm not sure poverty. I'll have to ask.

My DD does a good stand up garden wee. She waits until she's really busting so as to get the trajectory right.

Dizzy199 · 14/04/2017 21:46

From the amount of blokes i see peeing by the side of the road, i would assume males peeing in bushes is compulsory.

I may have peed in a bush on occasion

Haffiana · 14/04/2017 21:47

You need to address your DH. Something is wrong with him if he is reacting this way. I think you know this, which is why you posted here. Have you asked him exactly why he is so upset?

alreadytaken · 14/04/2017 21:49

I wonder if a female child did this would the reaction be the seem. Boy or not at 12 he's old enough not to wee in a bush. He should have gone inside and we do boys no favours by excusing bad behaviour.

AtomHeart · 14/04/2017 21:49

This is the best thread I've seen all week Grin

Just waiting for someone to suggest calling social services.

TheFirstMrsDV · 14/04/2017 21:52

Yes, all the superfluous information says a lot doesn't it (ironically no longer making it superfluous). It says 'this boy has issues and I think boys with issues are dangerous and predatory.

FFS.

She didn't even see him wee.

What will you and your OH do if you walk past a Male Public Lavatory? Burst into flames?

BadKnee · 14/04/2017 21:52

Normal. We all did it. Nothing to see. FFS. Do not start making something up about the boy that wasn't there.

Your DD is fine. But she won't be if you start to get hysterical over something like that. How will she ever go to the beach, the swimming pool or anywhere where she might see a boy if you see everything as sexually inappropriate? Has she ever seen her brothers pee? (Does she have brothers??)

PovertyPain · 14/04/2017 21:53

Pissed 😆 At my age, if I waited until I was busting, I'd need a change of knickers.

Dixiestamp · 14/04/2017 21:53

Don't go to France any time soon- it's a common occurrence to see men do this on the side of the road/in fields...

TheFirstMrsDV · 14/04/2017 21:53

I wonder if a female child did this would the reaction be the seem

Are you suggesting that a lot of parents would be outraged if a girl did a wee in a bush? Confused

Devilishpyjamas · 14/04/2017 21:53

Put away the smelling salts this really is not a huge issue.

Mention it to the parents if you want in case his needs mean he needs a bit of additional work on privacy but it really doesn't need the hushed tones. I would imagine he was just being lazy or for some reason didn't want to navigate his way to the bathroom.

Btw if caught short in the middle of the moors I take a piss behind a rock and pray a hiking party doesn't appear around the corner. My boys all pee on the moors if they have to. Once my severely autistic son took one in front of a massive tent full of marines (it was a regular peeing spot for him - usually tent free) then my other two followed his lead - the marines and their CO's all thought it was hilarious. Going for a wee outside really isn't terribly concerning behaviour.