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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:
thethoughtfox · 15/04/2017 09:07

This is a non issue.

TheFirstMrsDV · 15/04/2017 09:13

I have re-read the op.
It really is incredibly nasty.
It ecompasses the demonisation of boys, adopted children and SN all in one nasty, uptight, pursed lip lump doesn't it.

concerned last night I was laughing at you.
This morning I just hope you don't live anywhere near me and my adopted DS who has SN.
I really wouldn't want to put him at that sort of risk.

You and your OH are abhorrent.
I am not going to let you off the hook because you are talking about OH's anger, not yours.
YOU are the one who set out your stall in that OP of yours.
All that detail about his disrupted early life, issues at school and lack of friends.
You are frightened of this boy. You think he is 'other' and a threat to your pure, real child.

I can't put into words how I feel about you and your OH.
Not without getting deleted and banned
and possibly arrested.

Happy Easter.

zen1 · 15/04/2017 09:18

Agree MrsDV. When I first read it, the undercurrents of the post made me feel incredibly uncomfortable, particularly the SN stuff.

Deadsouls · 15/04/2017 09:20

'The Boy Who Pee'd' thread lives on.

Hmmmm I agree with others who say that this is about your fear OP of the SEN. That did seem to be a significant factor of your original OP. What is that scares you?

paulapantsdown · 15/04/2017 09:22

You are being a combination of idiotic and downright nasty op.

OnionKnight · 15/04/2017 09:27

Get a grip OP and stop trying to rewrite history because you didn't get the responses that you wanted.

PovertyPain · 15/04/2017 09:30

I couldn't agree with you more, MrsDV. As I said earlier, it reminds of being told to stay away from the 'odd' kid/adult, as a child. I'm also the 'mother' to a young adult ADD and another with autism. They are the lights of my life and it's very sad that people might look at her as if she were 'odd'. I'm also aware that my boy has more of a chance of being looked at as if he is a risk, simply because of his 'quirky' behaviour.

The op can use all the excuses she likes but her bigotry is obvious to all and I'm very happy that the vast majority of posters see right through her faux concern.

AwaywiththePixies27 · 15/04/2017 09:31

TheFirstMrsDV it makes me wonder now if there's more people like the OP out there. DS has SNs, he literally never got invited to all his classmates parties or anything.
He was so happy this holiday. Almost two years in his new school and he's had his first invite.

Yes he has his issues but he is the most loving caring boy, the other day at a park he stopped to help a little baby, well small toddler up the slide. The Dad was with the baby, I went over but the Dad was fine about it and let DS carry on helping his son. DS also has a best friend and they are completely inseparable when together, because his best mate doesn't see DSs SNs, he sees DS. It's given my son so much confidence instead of having someone avoid him as usual. Sad

Basically OP, I think what people are trying to rightly and clearly tell you and DH on this thread is that children with SNs are not children to be feared. I'm saying that because the fact you said you reassured your daughter implies you also thought there was something wrong in it.

JigglyTuff · 15/04/2017 09:32

That is exactly how I read it to MrsDV. It's really nasty bigoted stuff dressed up as concern

Branleuse · 15/04/2017 09:34

its pretty normal for a boy to take a pee in the garden if they can get away with it. Its really not a big deal

dailyshite · 15/04/2017 09:38

At the risk of turning this into an SEN discussion, I have found that it's the reaction of others which is the issue not the SEN.

DS took part in a performance with kids from schools all over the local town a few weeks ago. There were 6 kids from his (special) school and about 100 from other schools. DS and friends had some time on stage alongside the other kids and in the few minutes that they were on as part of the finale I watched 3 kids pulling at his costume and laughing at him, thinking they couldn't be see as they were in the crowd. Fortunately he was so happy about being on stage that he didn't notice and loved the experience but it makes me so sad that idiots like the OP judge and label him as being the one with the issues when more often that not he is a victim.

Amaried · 15/04/2017 09:47

Agree with everyone else. " raise it and every one will think you are a complete loon but to be honest at the stage I'm inclined to think they'd be right.

TheFirstMrsDV · 15/04/2017 09:48

Another issue is that DCs with SN or who are adopted can't get away with behaving the same as other children. They have to behave better
If the kid in the OP was a biological real son and didn't have SN I doubt the peeing in the garden would have caused more than a wrinkled nose.

But the SN and adoption make him potentially dangerous in a way other children aren't.

feathermucker · 15/04/2017 09:51

One minute, it happens with no-one around apart from your DD and the next, there's babies crawling round.

This is a non-issue and you're making it into one.

Let it go!

WicksEnd · 15/04/2017 09:54

Call Pee C plod immediately.

clumsyduck · 15/04/2017 09:54

Just read this and agree with Mrs dv
Your post just seems determined to make something out of this and make the young lad look bad

He had a Wee . Nobody actually saw anything

My ds although a lot younger knows that he is meant to Wee in the toilet but if he's playing out and needs a Wee all of a sudden aka can't be bothered to take shoes of and go upstairs etc he has been known to Wee in the garden !!

dowhatnow · 15/04/2017 10:00

At first I was as flummoxed as everyone else at this non issue, however if he did it in front of her rather than discretely in a bush and only her turning around prevented her seeing him, then it is slightly more concerning. It may well be innocent but it isn't appropriate. And tbh we don't actually know it was innocent as some 12 year old boys have hit puberty. I'd mention it to his parents in a non confrontational "thought I'd mention it " sort if way and probably keep a general eye on their interactions in the future. I wouldn't be paranoid but just aware.

dowhatnow · 15/04/2017 10:03

And sn doesn't come into my post above

dailyshite · 15/04/2017 10:08

Not enough YYYYY in the world for your last post MrsDV

kierenthecommunity · 15/04/2017 10:14

DD turned around so as not to look and felt pressure/stress at having to keep this secret for duration of party.

That's one mature five year old. My nearly five year old son would have probably gone for a closer look, laughed his head off, then informed the entire word Grin

UsedToBeAPaxmanFan · 15/04/2017 10:20

MrsDV you have said what I felt but couldn't articulate. Well done.

Lelloteddy · 15/04/2017 10:20

GrIm and inappropriate behaviour. And the responses of this thread buy into the whole 'oh boys will be boys' crap.
No need or reason for a 12 year old with no continence issues to be peeing in a private garden.

Ceto · 15/04/2017 10:25

Lello, you've clearly got major issues about natural functions. That is much more grim and inappropriate than anything this child did.

TheFirstMrsDV · 15/04/2017 10:29

There may be no need or reason for it but there is no need or reason for lots of things kids do.

I have grown to hate the word 'inappropriate'

Its often used to give some sort of official credence to a vague feeling or opinion.
Its implies sinister and unpleasant motives on behalf of the person doing the 'appropriate' action.

Its got a 1984 sort of feel to it now.

Boy pees in garden. That is a bit yuk = normal but icky childhood behaviour
Boy pees in garden. That is inappropriate behaviour = worrying and possibly deviant behaviour with sinister undertones.

Anchovies12 · 15/04/2017 10:33

At first I laughed along with everyones comments and then I read MrsDVs post and I felt pretty heartbroken Sad