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Original poster

Letting children do a wee in the garden

77 replies

emkana · 09/08/2004 23:07

When dd1 was one I had a friend round whose dd was nearly three and fully toilet-trained at the time. She asked me if her dd could do a wee in my garden, as this was what she would do at home when playing outside. I said 'not really' and I think the look on my face said it all. My friend thought I was being silly and that I would know better once my dd1 got older, but now my dd1 is three and toilet-trained herself I still wouldn't dream of letting her pee in my, let alone anybody else's garden - I would only let her wee somewhere other than on a toilet in an emergency.
What about everybody else?

OP posts:
essbee · 10/08/2004 10:22

Message withdrawn

motherinferior · 10/08/2004 10:27

Oh good, PPH has come out as permitting outdoor weeing, I shall join her

Blu · 10/08/2004 10:29

DS (just 3)wees in the garden, but I would send him to the toilet at someone elses house. Can't really see a problem - if you are a cat owner your cat is certainly weeing in someone else's garden...and amongst the bird, hedgehog and goodness knows what else wee, a small amount of 3 year old wee doesn't worry me.

Blu · 10/08/2004 10:31

Also if he is wet, muddy, sandy, has been in the paddling pool, I'd rather he didn't trail it all through the house on the way to the toilet. of course if our outside toilet wasn't full of lawnmower, broken garden chairs, bits of never-to-be-cmpleted DIY, there would be no problem....

Tanzie · 10/08/2004 10:48

My cat wees in the hall but she is very old (19) and is going a bit senile I think.

I think it is acceptable for small children not potty trained/just potty trained to weein the garden, but a 6 year old should use the loo! Would she wee in the school playground because she couldn't be bothered to go inside to the loo? I think not.

enid · 10/08/2004 11:01

pph, dh and dd1 wee at the bottom of our garden, it deters badgers. Also we have big garden so too far to come back in to go to the loo.

iota · 10/08/2004 11:06

I WANT A BIG GARDEN

scaltygirl · 10/08/2004 11:33

This reply has been deleted

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Blu · 10/08/2004 11:44

I want badgers! Will some come if I stop DS weeing in the garden???

throckenholt · 10/08/2004 11:52

don't think so Blu - we never had badgers - even before DS started weeing in the garden

eldestgirl · 10/08/2004 12:26

My sons water the flowers all the time! Can't see it's a problem in your own garden. I don't even mind if DS1's friends water them too. It's pretty innocuous stuff really. Agree wholeheartedly about not trailing mud and grass through the house on the way to the loo....

crumpet · 10/08/2004 12:51

My Father in law pees on the compost heap behind the shed every night! Apparently its very good for it.

I agree that a small garden may not be particularly appropriate, but if it's a large garden and done in the flower bed, then wouldn't realy see a problem. But easier for boys than for girls - no flowers tickling the bottom!

enid · 10/08/2004 13:23

that was supposed to be a message TO pph, not suggesting for a minute that she wees at the bottom of our garden

SueW · 10/08/2004 13:24

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at OP's request.

mum28 · 10/08/2004 13:35

Personally i would rather dd(3y4m) do it in the toilet rather than in someone elses garden.I don't think it looks very nice.It's different if you are out somewhere.It's also a lot easier for boys to do.DD can hover and do it if needed but usually ends up with half of it on her!.We went through a patch a while back when my friends two boys would go almost anytime behind a tree instead of using the nearby toilet and the parents just laughed and looked quite proud of them.This was ok until DD wanted to do the same and so i firmly said no!

Tessiebear · 10/08/2004 13:39

LOL SueW - that is a fantastic quote!
We have got a dog and my two DS's cant understand why the dog can wee in the garden but not them!

hercules · 10/08/2004 13:45

I wouldnt expect a toilet trained child to pee in my garden nor would have I let ds once trained to either.
Also never in a pool once trained. Tbh it would have shocked me seeing a toilet trained child relieving themselves in my garden. Dont know why though really.

Aero · 10/08/2004 14:22

Personally, I hate wee to go anywhere other than the loo, but ds1 does it in the garden when I'm not looking (dd tells me afterwards), dd only does it in an absolute emergency (loo is upstairs and if coming in would involve a cleaning/drying from sprinkler/ppool,sand etc, she will go at the back of the (longish)garden. But what can I say to them? The first time I caught ds1 about to relieve himself against the back fence and told him how revolting it is to do that,and that he was never to do it again, he promptly said "Well Daddy does it!". Then had to go and blow a fuse at dh!!!!!
They are most certainly not allowed to do it in anyone else's garden though!

suedonim · 10/08/2004 14:25

I'd rather they didn't pee in the garden as a matter of habit but I guess it's better than peeing in the cat's bowl, which ds1 used to do!!

throckenholt · 10/08/2004 14:29

I must admit I would draw the line at weeing against a wall or fence - that's when it starts to get smelly. If it is on the grass then I can handle it. Although it really depends on the situation - eg if they are running around nuddy, playing in the paddling pool, and the loo is a long way off - then fine. But if they are just outside and can't be bothered to go in to the loo - then I wouldn't be happy. I guess as well age has a lot to do with it - would probably not be happy with an older child (- say over 5)

PotPourri · 10/08/2004 15:02

My flat mate (aged 25) used to pee in our fairly small garden all the time out of sheer laziness. He could not be bothered walking up the stairs to the toilet. He was non-plussed about it and said he has always been weeing outside since he was tiny. It used to absolutely stink when the sun shone and even though I used to beg him not to do it, he still did.

Personally I don't think it's a good habit for kids to get into (as you can see it may stick for longer than the pre-potty trained years).

Twiglett · 10/08/2004 15:04

message withdrawn

Kayleigh · 10/08/2004 15:05

Twiglett

princesspeahead · 10/08/2004 15:59

ahhh, we live in a very badgery area but they stay out of our garden, perhaps that is why enid?!

now I DO disapprove of peeing on herbs - I eat my herbs, I don't eat grass!

jellyhead · 10/08/2004 16:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.