Etiquette on little boys weeing in public... MN verdict please!

[Picante]

DS (3) is potty trained but not great at holding it.

Where would you draw the line - is it ok to wee in...

a forest?
a big park?
a playground?
in the street?

Or is it never acceptable?

Ergh, over a drain in street ok I suppose, needs must. Saw a little boy weeing in the doorway of trotters recently - bum facing shop, weeing towards the pavement.

Portable potty maybe?

at 3 anywhere not in full view or where it is likely to be stepped in imo.

I would and have let ds (3.5) in all those place. He cannot hold it in very long and would wet his trousers. I always try to shield him us much as I can. In case there are any unsavoury characters about watching him.

I would allow DS at that age to wee in any of those places.

Even now, at 4yo he is not good at holding on too long, although I would try to get him to wait until we get to a loo.

Why should I carry a portable potty around? My dog wees in the street too.

DS is 2.7 and has only been potty trained a couple of weeks. He has enjoyed weeing on a flower but his favourite is on daddys car tyre As long as you are discreet I don't think it's a problem.

I always take him to the edge of the park or behind a tree... I could take a potty but then surely you have to get rid of the wee somewhere?

Portable potties have pads in the liners to soak up the pee.

I had one for ds but stopped using it when he became able to hold on a bit longer.

Now, I will let him pee outside if there is nowhere else to go.

I was just pondering the same question a couple of weeks ago - DS 2.9 months has been potty trained a month now....I've allowed most places if there isn't a loo around - the other week and early days (so not sure of ability to hold in) we were en route back from the supermarket so I pulled in to a quiet street and he peed by the car but on the road. I figured like a few others that if a dog is able to pee on the street then so could my ds as long as it's done discreetly.

PS I've got a potette but don't always remember to take it for a quick journey out

Well the way I look at it is to do it discreetly, out of anyones way, as if you don't then they are just going to wet themselves anyway.

Do you think they do portable potties for pregnant women?!

I saw a woman in a park whip her DD's pants down and let her pee right in the middle of the park. I was a bit at first, then thought about where dogs poo and pee. Better than her weeing in her pants.

Potette? That is not really a brand name is it?

Picante
That would be a Mamapotette

as long as you make at least some effort to be discreet, when they are that little i think its a case of when you've got to go, you've got to go.

dd2 (3 yrs) thought it was hilarious earlier at the allotment - she had a wee on her potty behind the car and then watched with much giggling while mummy had one in the middle of the currant bushes...

Isn't this why boys are not so great at holding it?

I'm thinking a forest and big park are okay I don't know if that's because they're soil not tarmac
and I also think forest/big park okay for a young girl.
But I guess if they can't hold it what can you do?

I can remember going to the beach when we were little and my brother needed a wee...my dad said to him to just 'go' in the sea. My brother trotted down to the water's edge and stood holding his willy weeing - he wasn't even ankle deep!!!

I think that with boys it's rather difficult to get them to a more discreet place when they have to go. You sometimes have less than a minute don't you?

But then I would make sure that I was as discreet as possible and he wasn't doing it anywhere someone could step in. If against a wall I'd be there shielding him from public view.

However some parents really don't seem to care who sees their little boy piddling in public. They don't make an effort to hide him at all. Which is gross, frankly.

I think that, if they cannot hold it, they will have an accident. The wee will still end up on the street/soil/wherever so how can anyone seriously object if you just cut out the middle man as it were and pop their pants down for a second? The only real difference is that a passer by might see their bum rather than a pair of ever wetter trousers!

Any of those places and have done with DS1 and DS2.

What I suggest is ALSO carry a wide neck bottle (sports drinking bottles are good)with you and baby wipes and plastic bag. If DS needs to wee in a place that is inconvenient to allow him to wee on the floor or down a drain then at least he can can wee in the bottle discretely then take it home or pour it down a drain.

The plastic bag and wipes is for emergency pooing. Little boys just do not have the same control as little girls. Saved many emergencies that way and it is quite sanitary and no one minds if you stand with them in a corner with you in front of them so no one can see.

Do not worry and do not force DS to wee or poo in his just because of what other people might think.

One of the benefits of having a boy, I think, is that they can pretty much pee anywhere (within reason).

If DS is desperate, then into a bush/hedge/tree etc in parks/forests/playgrounds.

If we're in town, then only into a drain down an alleyway or side street where no one is around.

Basically anywhere that's not a place where people might sit or walk through, no where where a bit or rain won't wash away, not in people's gardens and (usually) as discreetly as possible.

ds1 was really good and hardly ever had to use outside. ds2 is totally different case. he also likes weeing on daddy's car wheels!!!!!!!! aslong as it is discreate then i don't see a problem

at age nearly 10 however, it has to be said that ds will whip it out anywhere for a wee and make no effort whatsoever to be subtle and

it is ALWAYS him we have to stop the car for/find the nearest loo at the most inconvenient time/wait for if we need to leave the house in a hurry as well

so i think it must be a boy thing. despite the above i would (and do!) think it disgusting if a boy the size/age of ds was weeing in public, i think for littlies (under 5s?), then averting your eyes from willies and bums if you are a passer by and "doing the deed" as quickly as possible is the way to deal with it.

I would let ds2 wee in all of those places discreetly with me shielding him from view and only down a drain in the street if possible.

I think boys go through a stage where weeing outside is something fun. I caught ds2 weeing on the patio at the bottom of the garden last week. Lay down naked doing it aswell Apparently he was too depserate to walk in the house

He's 4 btw. DS1 went through a similar stage but now he's in the "I don't want anyone to see my willy" stage.

Am interested in if people think it's equally acceptable for a DD to pee in all the same places.

Strikes me if you have DD, you don't get such a choice in the matter. You HAVE to take you pottette or your DD has to learn to hold on until nearest public loo/cafe/home again.

I like your ingenuity Ruby!