Question for parents of boys

[ncmickeyluvr]

Do you let your son....or daughter, if you like....pee where ever they happen to be? I've always taught my children that it is unacceptable to urinate outdoors, unless there is no other option. I wouldn't let them have an accident or anything but if finding a bathroom in time is an option, I choose that. I have a friend who has 3 sons and she's just the opposite. They routinely just go whenever and where ever the urge strikes. I have witnessed one of them actually walk out of the house, past the bathroom, to pee outside on a tree.

The only reason I even thought about this was that I just saw a Mom walk out of our school with her son and let him pee on the parking lot. They were 20ft from the building and the boys room is right inside! It was her younger child, maybe 4, but he did not look like he was in a hurry about it. It was very casual. If he absolutely couldn't have held it any longer you would think he would look more panicked

I'm going to choose to think that the little guy just couldn't hold it but I was wondering what other people do. Would you have at least TRIED to go inside to a restroom? Please note that I'm not condemning anyone for doing this....just curious

 

[Robinrs]

Uhhh NO.

 

[nuttylawprofessor]

Uh, unless you're a feral child marking territory, there is no need to walk past a toilet to a tree.

 

[Piglets Mommy]

Uhhh...If there's a bathroom around, use it!

Now, if we are hiking in the woods, and there are no bathrooms around, then find a tree and go for it. Otherwise, if it's not an emergency, use a toilet!!!

 

[Motherofboys]

Uhhh...If there's a bathroom around, use it!

Now, if we are hiking in the woods, and there are no bathrooms around, then find a tree and go for it. Otherwise, if it's not an emergency, use a toilet!!!

That's our philosophy too, just because you can aim it doesn't mean you should be able to go wherever you want!

But I'm also the mom who will ream her son for spitting, I don't want to be having to dodge other people's bodily fluids on sidewalks and in parking lots

 

[mom2boys77]

No they either have to find a bathroom or hold it. Just because they can doesn't mean they should.

 

[luvmy3jewels]

No way! Ds (and dds for that matter) go inside to use the potty. One time, my ds went somewhere with my sister and her dh. Apparently there was no bathroom close to where they were and when ds declared he had to go, my bil took him behind a tree and let him go there. Ds came home and announced that "uncle J made him use the bathroom OUTSIDE and he was sooooo embarrassed." It was hilarious and I've joked bil that he has scarred ds for life!!

I think older generations tend to do it more than younger. I know my grandfather will whip it out in a heartbeat if he is outside. One time I saw dear grandpa stopped off on the side of the road and started to stop to see if he was broken down. Then I realized that nope, he was just "leaking the lizard."

 

[MushyMushy]

NO! I always thought it was so disgusting and just plain uncivilized. I can remember so many times going on road trips with my parents where they would open the front & back doors to the car and have us squat and pee along the roadside rather than taking time to stop at a rest stop. It was humiliating! I think the pp was correct about older generations being prone to do it. My dad thinks nothing of stepping around the corner of the house or just stopping his car wherever. My grandfather used to keep a bucket in the corner of his kitchen because it hurt his knee to walk upstairs to their bathroom.

GROSS!

On a side note, I'm working with 2 four-year old little boys who have urination issues (peeing on furniture, on siblings, in corners, in drawers...). At least in one case, the bio father was heard telling the boy to do it in the corner. What is wrong with people?

 

[BellvilleDad]

tsk, tsk. City folks.

 

[MushyMushy]

tsk, tsk. City folks.

Okay, let's talk about country folks! This thread reminded me of something my sister told me.

They live way out in the boonies on a farm and a few houses share their dirt road. She grew up in town, but my BIL and his family grew up in the country. These folks (from Manhattan no less) moved in about a mile down the road and one day my BIL ran into this guy taking a, er, constitutional (newspaper and all) on BIL's land. BIL encountered him 3 or 4 more times in this awkward position over the next couple of weeks before saying something about it and the guy was completely unashamed and said he moved out to the country to be one with nature to which BIL replied, "Well, how about you go be one with nature on your OWN property, would ya?" Sorry, you'd just have to know my soft-spoken BIL to get the humor in that.

 

[laurafergie]

tsk, tsk. City folks.

Well, I was brought up in the country, though I live in the city now, and I have to say my mother and grandmother would have had "the vapors" if my brother was so crass as to pee in front of other people.

Now I'm not naive to think the men didn't do this when they were outside working in the fields and barns, but NEVER in front of the ladies.

ETA: My DSIL doesn't seem to find it weird that her boys pee in the yard, and they don't live in the country either. DNephews DO NOT practice this when they visit me.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

Not if there are facilities available. If we are hiking, sure go use the tree. If you can get to the bathroom, you'd better. It's a judgement call, I need to see the look in their eye. If it's between going outside or wetting his pants, I will try to find the best place outside. Although I am the mom who is always asking "do you have to go to the bathroom?" whenever I see one.

Why do boys like to pee outside? Seriously, they enjoy it.

 

[disykat]

The only time I've ever encouraged my boys to pee outside when there were other options available was when they were potty training and I sent them out in the woods with their dad.

 

[BellvilleDad]

@ Laura

Yeah, you need to poop on your own land, if at all possible.

It might be a law.

 

[Mickeypooh99]

This is so funny. My DH and I don't agree on this issue. I grew up in the country, and he grew up in the city. We live in the country now. I don't care if my boys are out playing and they want to go in the woods, but my DH doesn't want them too. I just don't think its a big deal. We go by his rules since it isn't that important to me.

Now, I would not let them go in a public place like a parking lot. Thats just not right.

 

[2binak]

I think older generations tend to do it more than younger.

I think you're right. My FIL hunts, fishes, grew up on a farm, etc. and now lives on 25 acres with my MIL, but their house is within visible distance to another family member's house. If he's outside and has to go, he just finds a tree and does his thing - luckily he knows enough to walk in the opposite direction of the family member's house. Meanwhile, they have a bathroom right inside their house, just as you enter from the garage so it's not like he'd be walking through the house with muddy feet or anything.

When my SIL's son was born I remember her excitedly commenting to her son "When you get older, grandpa's going to teach you how to pee outside!" I was mortified! I said, "You're seriously looking forward to the day your father teaches your son how to pee outside!?" and she looked at me with a big smile and said, "Yeah! What's the big deal? You've gotta go, you've gotta go!"

 

[AUdisfan]

Do you let your son....or daughter, if you like....pee where ever they happen to be? I've always taught my children that it is unacceptable to urinate outdoors, unless there is no other option. I wouldn't let them have an accident or anything but if finding a bathroom in time is an option, I choose that. I have a friend who has 3 sons and she's just the opposite. They routinely just go whenever and where ever the urge strikes. I have witnessed one of them actually walk out of the house, past the bathroom, to pee outside on a tree.

The only reason I even thought about this was that I just saw a Mom walk out of our school with her son and let him pee on the parking lot. They were 20ft from the building and the boys room is right inside! It was her younger child, maybe 4, but he did not look like he was in a hurry about it. It was very casual. If he absolutely couldn't have held it any longer you would think he would look more panicked

I'm going to choose to think that the little guy just couldn't hold it but I was wondering what other people do. Would you have at least TRIED to go inside to a restroom? Please note that I'm not condemning anyone for doing this....just curious

If we lived in the same state, I would think we have the same friend! My friend also has 3 boys that are allowed to urinate where ever the urge hits them. Including in front of our daughter's school. The rest of us are kind of dumbfounded at the whole thing.

 

[pperfectmom]

"No" when in public. "Yes" anywhere else in the world. And that goes for DS and DD. I taught her how to squat at an early age. And, yep we are country folks. We hike a lot, camp a lot and are out working on our farm quite often when it just isn't practical to go running back to the house.

 

[FireDancer]

If I am out hiking or camping my friends (including their kids) and I pee in the woods. I have some friends with a lot of property and if we are back by their fire pit or on their trails we do the same. Before a long race I usually find somewhere discreet to go since waiting in the port-o-poty line is just a pain.

I don't know anyone though that is in their backyard 20 feet from their house and doesn't use the bathroom, the same goes for my friend's kids.

 

[luvmy3jewels]

Okay, let's talk about country folks! This thread reminded me of something my sister told me.

They live way out in the boonies on a farm and a few houses share their dirt road. She grew up in town, but my BIL and his family grew up in the country. These folks (from Manhattan no less) moved in about a mile down the road and one day my BIL ran into this guy taking a, er, constitutional (newspaper and all) on BIL's land. BIL encountered him 3 or 4 more times in this awkward position over the next couple of weeks before saying something about it and the guy was completely unashamed and said he moved out to the country to be one with nature to which BIL replied, "Well, how about you go be one with nature on your OWN property, would ya?" Sorry, you'd just have to know my soft-spoken BIL to get the humor in that.

BIL should have posted "NO DUMPING" signs on his property.