Pooing at the table in the pub garden

[Freetodowhatiwant]

This happened on the weekend but I’m still mulling it over and unsure whether IABU so thought I would open it to the MN jury.

On Sunday we were sitting in a nice pub garden, leafy London suburb, a pub known for its food. Seating is picnic benches, close together, on a patio area with large sun shades above. There is a more open, fake grass area where kids play/people lounge on deckchairs nearby but we weren’t in it.

Picnic benches were all full. We were there with an almost-5 year old and a 2 and a half year old.

At the picnic bench next to us were two couples with two children aged close to 3. The Dad whipped out a potty and asked the small boy if he needed a poo. Small boy sat down for quite a while, as potty training kids do, and after about 10/15 minutes did a massive stinky poo. At the table in the pub/restaurant garden right next to all the other customers.

When they whipped out the potty I couldn’t quite believe it going to happen – I hoped they were just trying to encourage him to sit on it – but when the wall of smell hit me I couldn’t help but say something. I said to DH (a bit too loudly so for that I might have been unreasonable) ‘Oh my god it stinks’ but in my defence I was just so surprised they let the child poo at the table where everyone sits and eats (note: we were still waiting for food, not yet eating). I then said to the parents something along the lines of I know what it’s like to potty train but, really, did you have to do this at the table/could you not have gone somewhere else? They said sorry, walked the potty through all the other customers inside to clean it out in the loo and that was that.

But – WIBU to say something to the parents? Is pooing at the table in a potty something acceptable and I am just a loser about it (admittedly I am really not great with poo smells - I would've hated it even if I was one of the people they walked passed inside carrying an open potty with a poo in it)? I understand, in a way, not wanting to go and stand in the toilets with the potty for ten or 15 mins but when I potty trained my eldest I think I would personally taken the child somewhere less occupied and somewhere where people are not eating and drinking! I realise accidents happen too but this was a deliberate getting the potty out and getting him to have a poo a the table situation.

No that's not nice. I will change wee nappies in public places like the park if no one else around but not a poo and not while people are eating!

Didn't someone post that they'd stuck their DC on a potty in the soft furnishings section of John Lewis? And someone else did it in Pizza Hut? Neither of them could see the problem (although I don't think poo was involved).

Yanbu. Am astonished anyone would think this was ok!!

Yanbu. This is unacceptable! A poo is a poo whether from a child, adult or animal, it is unhygienic and off putting especially around food.

👏👏 for saying something.

That's disgusting. In fact I heaved reading it so it must have been awful to actually be there. DS was revolted when I read it out to him (He asked why I heaved). I think the normal reaction is the same as yours.

Some people's brains must leak out of their heads when their kids are born imo.

Last summer, someone started to change a shitty nappy in a pub garden while we were waiting for our lunch. We decided to leave (they also had 2 completely feral kids that were running riot and freaking our dog out) and I went in to cancel our order. The landlord asked if there was anything wrong, so I told him.

He came outside and gave them a piece of his mind, and told them not to bother coming back until they'd learned how to behave in public and taught their children to as well. Then gave us our lunch FOC!

I was really surprised, as it's a very child friendly pub and beloved of the Boden-clad yummy-mummy sorority and hipster dads.

And people moan about smokers.
I'd have lit one up near them just for the fun.
Absolutely disgusting behaviour, from an entitled wanker.
I'd have lost it with them.

This is wrong. A child needs their privacy respected too, whether that be an infant in nappies or a toddler being potty trained.

That is rank. Right up there with people changing babies in public or on living floor when you're visiting etc. What is wrong with them?

I would have heaved I reckon. Absolute monsters. Glad you spoke up.

Yuk!! I used to get out potty for my DDs if we were out somewhere without a toilet near (and not near anyone eating!) but definitely not in a pub garden when there is a toilet in the pub!!!

That is fucking disgusting. I'm so glad you said something!

Still doesn't quite beat the time that I was just tucking into my lunch in a pub garden while a child (definitely older than 3) was running around not wearing any pants and chasing the pigeons (which I also hate, by the way). Suddenly he stopped by my table, squatted down and dropped an enormous turd right in front of me.

Then his mum casually strolled over, laughing, scooped it up with a paper plate and popped it in the bit. She didn't say a word to her child or anyone else.

I used to bloody love that pub but I've never been able to go back there

popped it in the bin, that should say!

Yanbu. How disgusting. Why would someone do that!

I wouldn't mind, as a fellow loo user, seeing an open cubicle door if it was someone obviously helping/training a little one and needed a little extra room, but what example does letting/encouraging him to crap in public set?

Oh dear God.

If you're at the stage of potty training where you need to do this, DON'T GO OUT FOR A PUB LUNCH. It won't kill you to have lunch at home next to your offspring's rancid shit

Vile. But that reminds me of when my DD was 3. We were in a picnic area in a farm park. Suddenly, she got up, squatted at the side of my table, and did a poo. I think in her mind, seeing the animals doing it made it acceptable in her mind.

I had nothing to clean it up. Luckily, a woman at the next table supplied me with a nappy bag and wipes. I was absolutely mortified, and DD thought it was funny...

Nope, nope, a thousand times nope.
Take the child to the toilet ffs! DD1 is 3, we would never have done this, always took her to the loo.
She's used the potty outside a few times - when we've been in the middle of nowhere with no toilets for miles. But never in a place that has toilets...
I also would never change DD2's nappy near people eating, use the loo's for that too. Although she has been changed in her pram in the park...

what shitty parents

Yanbu

The parents are disgusting pigs.

No it definitely wasn't a protest about smokers, couldn't recall seeing any nearby. I was also tempted to say something to the management but thought I had done enough and by that point the poo had already been carried through the pub and wafted its way to the loo.

Once when I was potty training ds1 he wet himself and made a little puddle on the large terrace of an outdoor cafe in spain. A Scandinavian couple were aghast as they hadn't seen me go up and ask for a mop or something from the staff. Staff were lovely and came out and mopped it up with disenfectant and that seemed to satisfy everyone. He also pooed his pants on his first day without a nappy one day at nursery but that was out of my hands.

I have also seen parents (again in spain if relevant) change a pooey nappy at the table and did say to them why are you doing that there when (unusually for spain) there's a perfectly good changing facility in nice large toilets. Even if there is no facility I would always go outside and change a pooey nappy on the grass or floor or somwheee as far away from other people as possible.

Shit literally happens when potty training but this was organised shit not accidental shit.

That is wrong on every level.

I wouldn't have been able to have kept my mouth shut and would have complained to the pub management.

I think that is really grotty,its a pub they have toilets, its just sheer lazyness to to take the child to the toilets.

I saw a family let their kid go and shit on the grass in the park then they cleaned it up after like the kid was a dog.

Totally gross. It would never even cross my mind to do something like this when I was potty training my children. I have seen parents in the playground whip out a potty though.

This has got to be 100% unanimous surely?

YADDDDDDDDDNBU.

That is absolutely disgusting.