Weeing in the theatre

[Didimum]

Went with my DCs to the theatre in London. There was a little boy seated in front of us with his mum. I think he was around 3-4yrs old. During the show, his mum had him wee in a bottle twice when he needed the bathroom. Trousers down and everything. They were otherwise fine during the show – not noisy or anything.

I get that it’s annoying having to take your kids to the loo during a show, but I would never have done this. Poor woman in front of them turned round and got a … well, a full on view.

YABU – I would do this
YANBU – I wouldn’t have

It’s the sense of entitlement that shocks me. Why would anyone think this was OK to do and yet people do.

Bet they would give a mouthful if anyone pulled them up on it too.

Bloody disgusting!

OP, do you honestly have to ask if this is normal???????

Ew, no that's nasty!
And I say that as a parent to a nearly-4 year old.

People use those travel potties that close and seal the wee in.

Yuck and very strange.

Well 2% have voted YABU so some people think it’s normal...

It was Elf musical.

No way I would do this. Gross and disrespectful to everyone in the surrounding seats

Well someone clearly thinks it’s normal – the mum. She can’t be the only one out there. Someone up thread also said she’d been a few kids on potties at the theatre.

I wouldn't do it, but such a young child doing it wouldn't bother me (though I'd have been surprised to see it)

nor would I be bothered by a toddler using a travel potty most anywhere (except for a poo in a food place) but especially on a plane as some kids are terrified of those toilets.

how many children did she have there & was there another adult?

That’s so weird. If you were worried about your child wetting themselves then have them wear a nappy or delay the trip until they’re older. Or just take them to the toilet like lots of parents do during the show.

Id never heard about people not allowed back in the theatre after going to the toilet. Obviously for children events that couldn’t be the case. No one minds if you go to the toilet in children’s shows, it’s not like the adults are that absorbed in the show. It’s expected children will be somewhat disruptive.

It was just the two of them.

I wasn’t horrified to point of complaining or saying anything. I was just like … blimey, really?

Last week a child about 5 ran up to a service dog and tried to grab its ears and presumably give it a hug. The owner told off the young child and the Mother did give,her a mouthful. Said it was a child and how dare she tell her child off.

There is a growing minority of people who think this peeing in a bottle is normal. And other such behaviours. They had no choice, what did others expect her to do because they couldn’t make the bathroom. And probably the finale - my child isn’t going to miss out on a theatre trip.

I have repeated this on another thread. I was on a flight last year and I was at the window seat. A women with a baby in the middle travelling on her own and a man on the aisle. When he got up to use the toilet which had a queue this grubby women checked he wasn’t coming back anytime soon and proceeded to change her baby on HIS seat. No changing mat although that wouldn’t have made a huge difference. She also checked there were no cabin crew around.

People are just shameless.

Was it an Oasis concert? Did they lob the bottle of wee into the crowd in front?

Seriously though, that is disgusting. Wait til your kids are old enough, for crying out loud. Not everyone has to do everything.

Extremely lazy parenting. Probably too young to be in a theatre if can't go beforehand or wait for an interval.

Grim. Also doesn't teach kids that there will be times when you need to hang on. Their little bodies will get used to having an instant wee whenever the need arises and any progress on potty training will be undone. Wrong on every level.

I know what I want to smell at the theatre. Warm piss.

Entirely unacceptable.
Effectively teaching a small boy it is socially okay to wee into a bottle when going out to a show.
A child should be able to ask when they need to go to the loo in time. If they are not at that stage then don't go until they are.

That’s apalling. Dd used to be an usher in a west end theatre at a show aimed at kids. She’d have been horrified.

I think I’d have alerted a steward.

It astonishes me that adults cannot sit through a film or performance without having to leave, disturbing everyone around them to go to the loo. It’s the same people who come in late and have seats in the middle of a row. It’s so rude.

But wouldn't you take the travel potty to the toilet and use it there? Using the potty surrounded by a plane full of people isn't okay. It fucking stank as well, not nice for the other passengers.

That’s terrible and so humiliating for the child!

Just dismal, totally inappropriate. He might be a kid but give him some dignity - I get in some situations you have no choice, but theatres have toilets.

Disgusting. Theatres have toilets. I'd have said something.

I couldn’t be bothered with the drama.