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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Kids doing their business in parks.

123 replies

Happycabbage · 04/06/2022 13:27

As a regular user of parks, I regularly hear about people complaining about dogs doing their business in parks, but what rarely gets mentioned is how big a problem there is with kids doing the same.

And I'm not talking about your 14 year old that got caught short, I'm talking about what tons of brainless parents make happen.

Sit near a kids play area on any busy sunny day and you'll be witness to a never ending procession of toddlers escorted by parents heading for the nearest bushes.

All the parents think it's just them but anyone that spends any time nearby on a busy day can see it's one after another after another, all heading for the same bushes, all thinking nobody is noticing them and you know what, it's only one kids crap, what does it matter?

But no it's all day, and day after day. It happens in every busy park. It frequently ends up in the same handful of bushes. It's utterly disgusting and the parents that contribute to it are bad parents. Everyone complains about dogs but human crap is so much worse.

If you're one of those brainless people, can you please think about other people for once and stop being so disgusting? Take your kids to the damn toilets. It may be further away but it's what decent people do.

OP posts:
MarmiteOnToast · 04/06/2022 18:17

None of our parks have a loo or even one less than a 15 min walk.
So yes ill allow my dc to pee in a Bush.

mnnewbie111 · 04/06/2022 18:18

Lol I've def done that a couple of times when my kid decided to wait til the very last minute to tell me they needed a wee. Either wet himself or wee in a bush, and I'm not gonna let my child wet himself and walk home covered in wee. And I don't care one bit what a busy body thinks about it

Catcatcat12 · 04/06/2022 18:20

I saw a child, about 3-4 years old, wee straight on to the floor of the playground, in plain view. Mother next to the child, assisting. There are loos in this playground so zero excuse. I have no idea what makes people do this

Sleepingb · 04/06/2022 18:20

Where on earth are you where kids all shit in a bush?? I've never had that happen nor seen it! A wee over a grid or in a bush with a desperate toddler maybe.

How very odd.

Simonjt · 04/06/2022 18:20

Hobnobswantshernameback · 04/06/2022 15:00

OP coooeeee where are yoooooo?????

Sat on a park bench watching children and rubbing her thighs.

Blaze1886 · 04/06/2022 18:22

Op sounds like one of those weirdos that has no kids but about ten dogs to make up for it, probably all small ratty ones too

I go to the park every Saturday and Sunday morning and I've never seen a kid doing a poo

MarmiteOnToast · 04/06/2022 18:22

In fact ive let my toddler at the time pee at the bottom of the garden as my 1yr old Was in the paddling pool. By time i got 1 year old out the pool wrapped up and put in lounge out the way the toddler would have wet themself.
No ones died from her peeing on the grass.

BalloonsAndWhistles · 04/06/2022 18:24

My son is grown up now but in the many years of taking him to the park I never once witnessed this. We went to a variety of parks and would stay for hours sometimes.

Sleepingb · 04/06/2022 18:25

More bothered about the adult hanging around in the bushes near the playground tbh

Xmasbaby11 · 04/06/2022 18:33

I have to admit I'm surprised how frequently I've seen it in parks and playgrounds and I don't like it, I admit - a pee is OK but I still think:

  • the child should be away from crowds and as discreet as possible
  • the child should go to the toilet if there is one within reasonable distance
I am talking about kids 4+, not toddlers.

Too often I have seen kids (usually boys) encouraged/allowed to go very close to where families are - they don't even move away to somewhere sheltered. Also, often there IS a toilet within 5-10 mins but the parent doesn't take them because they can't be bothered. My dd are 8 and 10 and they would only go outside if we were in the middle of nowhere with no other option. It seems girls quickly learn to be more self conscious but the boys don't care and their male peers are STILL going outside.

I have also heard of (as in, parents have told me) their child has had a poo in the park which is obviously much worse, but not nearly so common.

QueenCamilla · 04/06/2022 18:33

My kid has never done a crap in the bushes, neither have I seen other children doing so. Can't say the same about myself - I did a Paula Radcliffe on a country road during a run.

Herja · 04/06/2022 18:33

I have pissed in a bush many a time, and will continue to do so! As will my DC. We are often a good mile or so from any kind of loo (even in a city), so there's no other option. EVERYONE there is pissing in bushes.

Never known anyone crap in a bush though. That sounds like a rare and desperate situation - I just don't believe there is an urban park filled with children pooing in bushes. Not at all.

StepAwayFromGoogling · 04/06/2022 18:34

How on earth do you know those kids are doing poos and not wees? Do you go and check afterwards, you massive weirdo?! Never been an issue in parks near us.

Beautifulmonster87 · 04/06/2022 18:36

Get a fucking grip! Dogs shit everywhere all the time, and it’s rank. I have a 3.5 year old who has never ever had to poo in public and I’ve never ever seen a child pooing in public. Weeing is a different matter…. A wee behind a bush to avoid a rank public toilet or my child wetting themselves is totally fine. Not sure what your problem is but it’s pathetic!

queenMab99 · 04/06/2022 18:37

I go to a beach side National Trust site, quite often. I set off one day last summer, with my dog, who's poo I diligently pick up and bin, on a small path through some bushes near the car park. I was overwhelmed by the smell of pee and shit, and realised that the area was liberally scattered with toilet paper, which as far as I know, dogs don't use. There are portable toilets on the car park, but obviously not enough for a busy summers day.
People do use bushes when they come for a day out and pay £7 to park, only to find the facilities inadequate.

Minimalme · 04/06/2022 18:38

QueenCamilla · 04/06/2022 18:33

My kid has never done a crap in the bushes, neither have I seen other children doing so. Can't say the same about myself - I did a Paula Radcliffe on a country road during a run.

You have just made this thread brilliant - if it's ok for Paula, it's ok. End of.

QueenCamilla · 04/06/2022 18:38

Blaze1886 · 04/06/2022 18:22

Op sounds like one of those weirdos that has no kids but about ten dogs to make up for it, probably all small ratty ones too

I go to the park every Saturday and Sunday morning and I've never seen a kid doing a poo

Agreed. And sounds resentful towards the rest of the world for having to pick up after her dogs.

MoHunter · 04/06/2022 18:41

Wow. I've never taken my children for a poo in the bushes - a wee, yes, and I don't see the issue with that.
How would you know they had a poo, do you check? 😂

Isonthecase · 04/06/2022 18:45

I think a lot of it is a habit from lockdown when all the public loos were shut. I still remember having to sort out a very recently toilet trained childs public poo after we had legged it to several toilets and they were all closed. It was a harrowing experience.

hangrylady · 04/06/2022 19:03

Get a life. Oh and stop watching kids in the park, it's weird.

Butitsnotfunnyisititsserious · 04/06/2022 19:08

How many people sit in the park or woods watching children go in to the bushes?! What an odd thing to notice. I've let my son before when the toilets were closed. Urine is sterile. I don't see the issue, unless you also have a problem with the animals who wee anywhere. It's not exactly like the grounds completely clean. If someone poos I'd expect they pop it in a bag and in the dog poo bins around.

restedbutexhausted · 04/06/2022 19:11

So...you spend all day every day sitting close to a playground watching kids go to the toilet? 🤔

SarahSissions · 04/06/2022 19:15

It’s gross and often unnecessary. I saw a mum doing this with her child in a National trust garden a few weeks ago less than 20 meters from the toilets. Really unpleasant

Lesserspottedmama · 04/06/2022 19:18

This is a bizarre post. What on earth is wrong with little children going for a wee behind some bushes? It’s completely natural! And I’ve never heard of people leaving children’s poo lying around, I don’t believe for a moment that children are regularly going for a poo in the bush. I have four DC and I can think of only one occasion in 10 years of motherhood that a child of mine needed a poo and they couldn’t hold it and there was no toilet anywhere near. I picked up the poo and put it in a nappy sack and took it home, no big deal. No need for anyone to get a bee in their bonnet.
Good grief, people will find anything to complain about. I really don’t know why I waste my time on mumsnet anymore, what absolute drivel.

JulyDreams · 04/06/2022 19:20

😂😂