Urinating on the playground....

[nextcommercial]

The kids and I were at the park today.  A little boy 3-ish was holding himself and running to his Mom.  The bathrooms are 20 feet away.  She was on a park bench halfway between the bathroom and the play structure.  He obviously had to go NOW, but she told him in a chipper voice "Go pee on that purple pole".  And pointed to the play structure.  So, he ran back over there, and peed on the pole.  My kids were playing about 10 feet away, so that wasn't an issue.  But, if she and her son were exactly halfway between the bathroom and the play structure why not just get up and go to the bathroom?  

Why on earth would she tell him to go pee on the structure?  

Her excuse was "he's newly potty trained, and he probably wouldn't go in the toilet". 

But, the structure????  Why not at LEAST a tree, or the big rock?  Why the play equipment?

[Tjej]

Yeah, that's weak. 

Tjej

[Laggie]

Weird... and I'm not one to care about little kids peeing in the bushes or whatever, but directly on the playground? Even I think that's gross. People put their hands on those poles!

Who knows... either mom is really lazy or she's one of those people who are so afraid of public bathrooms they will do anything to avoid them. Which I fear is becoming standard in our germ-obsessed culture.

[Marissamom]

I don't think peeing on the actual play structure is an appropriate thing to do, but I personally wouldn't take my young child into most of our park bathrooms, they're almost never cleaned and absolutely gross. plus no doors and no soap, I avoid them whenever possible. 

[nextcommercial]

Originally Posted by Marissamom 

I don't think peeing on the actual play structure is an appropriate thing to do, but I personally wouldn't take my young child into most of our park bathrooms, they're almost never cleaned and absolutely gross. plus no doors and no soap, I avoid them whenever possible. 

These bathrooms are very clean, but there are no doors.  (just on the stalls)

I doubt she was concerned about cleanliness or modesty though, since she suggested he hose down the play equipment in front of 50 people.

[Dandelionkid]

Gross- that pee is going straight onto a kids hands and into their mouths. Very inconsiderate when there are other outdoor options that kids don't climb all over.

[Marissamom]

Originally Posted by nextcommercial 

These bathrooms are very clean, but there are no doors.  (just on the stalls)

I doubt she was concerned about cleanliness or modesty though, since she suggested he hose down the play equipment in front of 50 people.

yeah, most of our parks date back to the turn of the century, the bathrooms are damp with concrete floor and brick walls, no doors on the stalls either. the joy of living in a Victorian city. 

sounds like she maybe just didn't want to bother, but absolutely the playground equipment was an absolutely bad choice. I hope it rains and washes it off soon. 

[zebra15]

that is incredibly gross, and a prime example of why I always make DS wash his hands WITH SOAP when we get home from the park.  ewwwww

[lookatreestar]

yeah my kids usually go straight into the bathtub after park play. yuck.

[AllisonR]

Devils advocate here: I had a 3 yo who did not like using toilets. The flushing noise. Even if I said he could go out again and I would flush afterwards, he would have PREFERED using nature. So, maybe it had nothing to do with mom being either lazy or worried about germs, but wanting her DC to be comfortable and have a positive toilet experience, right when he was just learning not to wet himself.

Though, as others also posted, I would have asked my son to use a tree or off in the grassy area, not the actual play equipment.

[D_McG]

That is gross, seriously. At the park we pee in the bathroom or we leave. I guess I would let a kid pee somewhere secluded if we were <> close to an accident. But otherwise? Come on now.

[fancyoats]

on the playstructure?  that is definitely inappropriate.  but in my area, it is rare for playgrounds to actually have bathrooms at all, so peeing off in the bushes is just what you do -- the only other option is a ten minute walk to a coffee shop or something.  so yeah, never on or near the actual playstructure, that is just kind of shocking.

[mattemma04]

Yea,that is pretty gross. Lazy mum. Someone could record it next time and post her lame choices online  for all to see. Definitely some hand sani in the pocket for public places.

[limabean]

Wow, that's really inconsiderate and I would have told her so. A bush or tree would have been a much better choice if she didn't want him to use the bathroom. 

[Bellabaz]

Wow that is gross. I actually avoid the park bathrooms in the rare occasion I come across one here because they are usually filthy. But I take my kids to a bash or a tree or at least away from the main play traffic. Bleh.

[MamaofLiam]

Yeah, that is beyond gross. It sounds to me like the Mom has issue that go well beyond just laziness. She could have said go pee in that bush, all without getting up if she was just lazy. But she told her kid to purposely pee on a piece of play equipment. Did she think it would be funny? If you ask me that sounds like some quasi-sadisitic/fetish tendencies.  It kind of reminds me of the situation where a cook in a kitchen has some sick fetish where he likes to put "parts"(you get my drift) of him/herself in the food people are eating. Yuck! I mean, come on she KNOWS people touch the play equipment.

Did she know you were watching her? That is just so strange!

[Magali]

Weird about peeing on the play structure, but I have a 4 year old who when first potty trained (yep, I said trained)  wouldn't go in a public toilet, or outside in a bush...only our potty.  We actually had a breakthrough this week that he peed behind the garbage cans at the park. 

[nextcommercial]

Originally Posted by MamaofLiam 

Did she know you were watching her? That is just so strange!

Yes, there were several people watching.  Even the friend she was with.  Her friend looked at her with a stunned Gaping mouth, and that's when she said "he's newly potty trained", and just brushed it off.
 

[MamaofLiam]

Originally Posted by nextcommercial 

Yes, there were several people watching.  Even the friend she was with.  Her friend looked at her with a stunned Gaping mouth, and that's when she said "he's newly potty trained", and just brushed it off.
 

Wow! That's really odd. Maybe she likes inappropriate attention? 
 

[contactmaya]

WEIRD. I FREQUENTLY ADVISE MY 3YO TO PEE THROUGH THE FENCE ON THE GARDEN/GRASS, EXPLAINING NOT TO PEE WHERE PEOPLE MIGHT SIT OR PLAY.

ON THE PURPLE STRUCTURE? VERY STRANGE....