to use a potty in the park?

[garfieldrec]

My 29 month old is a month into potty training. When he tells me 'weewee' I grab the potty from under the pram and let him use it. Is this ok?

I empty into a bush out of sight etc. Whole process takes about 20 seconds probably!

Moving swiftly on, I cannot even remember toilet training my three boys, I just know that they were all trained by the time they sent to school, and I am reasonably sure that a potty was involved.

yessssss!

@Bl3ss3dm0m best post ever. 😂

Honestly some ridiculous comments on here especially with so may public toilets closed - just take the potty or-s absolutely fine.

Some of these replies are ridiculous 🙄
OP it's fine! I didn't take a potty out with us but I did use those potty bags as my son was fine standing up to do a wee. Neither of them have had a poo out in public or a poo accident in public. Not sure why, luck I guess?

This is fine. Don't worry about what other people think. If dogs are ok to pee in the park, why can't a potty training child?! Mind boggles sometimes!

I have a dog so I've just had my kid hide behind a bush and then picked up any poo in a poo bag 😂 dogs wee all over the place, so a little bit of toddler wee isn't going to hurt the park. All the loos are closed in our local park, which is also a nightmare for older people with bladder/bowel issues, so I think there's probably more secret bush pooing at the moment than usual

It would appear that I'm a bit odd as it never occurred to me with my 2 DSs to take a potty out, they just weed behind a tree. Exactly as my mum did with me and dsis when we were young. But, I can't see a problem with it OP. I did have to laugh at earlier posts though as clearly me and my DHs mum did a terrible job as neither of us can go anywhere without needing the loo. And, my DH does a lot of wild weeing! As does my DS10... I clearly didn't teach him to hold it in either . Seriously OP, teach your DS to pee standing up outside ONLY. I spend a lot of my life cleaning my toilets, it's grim when they're older

I think using a potty in the park is perfectly acceptable.

I have toddler who still has nappy changes done in the park if the loos are closed. I don't change him near others but have no objection to discretely doing a nappy change on my knee while sat on a bench. I don't see that using a potty is any worse than changing him

I know some mums say changing outside is a no no but what else can you do with a screaming toddler in a wet nappy.

We've been taking the potty out. My 35month old refuses to squat in the grass for a wee! We carry little bags for when she poos.

It's not the potty as such although it dies s strange to me, but more just whipping it out and using by the swings or whatever. Take it off to the bushes at least and give the child a little bit of privacy/dignity. Lots of people take pictures of their dc at the park so your da having a crap could week end up on Facebook or Instagram

We have been taking the potty everywhere we go (outdoors) with our 2 year old, who has been potty training the last few weeks. He doesn't want to sit on a toilet yet and it feels a bit soon to start telling him to stand up behind a bush when we've been constantly saying "weewee goes in the potty." I guess as a few more weeks go by then we might feel more confident not having it, but if it's a choice between my son quickly squatting on a potty or sending a stream of wee, or worse, down a slide then I'm sure this is the preferable option. Before MN I wouldn't even really consider that other parents would have a problem - it's not like we're whipping it out in the middle of a restaurant.

- it's not like we're whipping it out in the middle of a restaurant.

That happens through. I've seen threads on it before. And in Asda trolleys strolling round the store (regardless of the fact Asda has toilets)

We started last week and I've taken the potty out with me twice on longer outings. Once walking along a wooded path, just sat him down just off the path, second time it was again wooded paths but we were at a seating area by the cafe so I just took him over to a nearby grass verge sort of out the way.

My son is 27 months, I'd normally say two. I think for the topic, it matters whether they're 24 months or 35 months!

I was sitting minding my own business having a cigarette recently in the park. There were two families near me, one with twin girls and another family with one girl. They were all so full of life and fun and just gorgeous.

One of the girls decided she needed a wee. Dad whipped out the porta potty. Then they all had to have a go! Solemnly took turns. It was so sweet and lovely and made me very nearly miss the days when I had toddlers in tow.

Some of the comments here are ridiculous. My dd is nearly 4 (yup 4!) Tired training one and off since 2 but she just wasn’t ready (nursery agreed). Start of lockdown tried again and success finally. She’s toilet trained. Only uses toilet at home. She can also go ahead between peeing. She will NOT go in demand. I can sit with her on a toilet for hours before we go out and nothing. (I’m similar I can’t or on demand. Peeing for on stop tests during pregnancy at hospital was a nightmare no matter how much water id consumed).

So if I was out somewhere I’d take her to a toilet I’d she asked to go. She can hold for a decent amount of time and she’s go in a public toilet. So I’d say she is completely trained. But you know what there ARE NO toilets in the middle of the woods or on the beach or at the big parks park we go to. Just no toilets available at all. So my choices are to (1) stay home (not going to happen I need the mental break and my dd and other children need freedom of woods beaches parks), (2) encourage her to do a wild wee. I did try that but she got upset trying and didn’t got so held it in all day until we got home that night. I don’t believe that was health for her. Or (3) take a potty and discretely take her to a quiet spot and let her have a pee if she asked for one nincrouch down with her. Pants are up quickly no one else is around anyway. I empty pee into bush that is very unlikely to have anyone walking under and wipe potty return to bag and sanitise my hands.

Is that a massive deal to people? Would they rather my daughter for a uti from holding it in?

Not all places have toilets. I can go for hours without peeing even with toilets available. My 10yr old son can’t so if we are in woods he’ll go for a wild pee if desperate. My DD hasn’t learnt to do that or isn’t comfortable with that so I take a potty for her. Why does it offend people? And yes I used at our local (still 45min walk away!) park recently as they haven’t opened the public toilets there yet and there is no where else with toilets open. If they were open we’d have used them.

@garfieldrec I think you have no etiquette worries. Your son is still tiny. No pull ups is good and I’d far rather see a child discretely using a potty and the parent disposing is the urine in a bush than have the child wet themselves all have per all over play equipment or paths where me and my children are walking.

Pps I HATE grown men pissing randomly in city centres etc. I detest it. A grown man having a quick lee against as remote from main path tree in a wood is acceptable to me. A young child having a wild pee is acceptable to me.

I think its no different to changing a toddlers nappy in the park. If we can't find a toilet / changing facility while we are out my 3yo gets his nappy changed in the park etc.

I wouldn't do it right infront of others but if he needs changing then I'd rather do it outside than leave him in a wet or dirty nappy.

It's absolutely fine. DD4 was (and still is) always happy to do it behind a tree - usually all over my shoes as I hold her up - but I would have happily whipped out a potty if she needed. I would choose letting them wee in a park over rancid public toilet every time, bleurgh.