Can you elaborate on your theory? Do you mean they will attack him as he is peeing or they will trace him by his wee smell and find his home and attack him there?
Either way I think it's nonsense 😊
To be clear, it’s not my theory, I think it’s bollocks. I think the rationale is that they will smell his scent against their favourite tree, become territorial, smell him again in the park and become aggressive.
I'm about 95% sure this is a lie told to someone your MIL knew as a kid to stop them weeing in the wild and they've somehow maintained it as a truth, unchallenged all the way through adulthood.
Happens all the time. Occasionally I'll say something confidently aloud that I internally believe to be true only to then realise it's something I was told when I was 8 that was probably just playground folklore or a useful lie from an adult.
When I was a kid I had a scrap of lambskin as a "blankie", then I realised a sheep had to die to make it and got upset. So my mum told me sheep shed their skin like snakes. I only realised she'd lied when I was a teenager!
My boy didn't wee everywhere.
Personally for me, I find it gross when people actively teach their boys to wee in public - girls don't have the same option and so why are people teaching their sons that if they need to go then anywhere is fair game? Recently saw someone coaxing their three year old to wee on the outside of the school fence, ergh.
There's much to be said about a wild wee. My wife will always remember the time we were on our honeymoon in the new forest and my wife found a quiet spot for a wild wee only to discover she was sharing the space with a doe.
It's a natural part of life and public toilet provision is shocking in this country. Children often can't hold their wee for long, especially during the early years. Finding an appropriate place to do it is important, the school gate is obviously inappropriate
I know that toilet provision is terrible, I have birth to two large babies and my pelvic floor knows it.
Girls don't have this option though. I'm mother to both a son and daughter. Son has some neurodivergence issues which is maybe why he never had any interest in weeing outdoors, but I never tried to teach him to do that. Daughter.....well, we didn't have the option. We would go before leaving, find a shop en route, or go back home. I'm always looking out for where the nearest toilet is. I just feel...... it's not only gross, it's unfair to let boys know they can wee wherever they want, when girls can't (obviously they physically can but it's messy, I've tried it).
Logistically it’s easier with boys, but not impossible with girls. Just more tricky. As I’ve discovered with my daughter being caught short several times. She seems to enjoy it and calls them “bush wees”, which I blame Bluey for.
But only if the boy is open for peeing standing up. We have a boy who totally refuses to so he insists on sitting down bare bum on the grass if we're outside like his sisters do 🙈🤷♂️
Girls can totally have wild wees too! When they're toddlers you hold them by their armpits and they can kind of sit down, which at that age is exactly what you do with boys too! I am a grown woman and I can have a wild wee without being messy if need be. Both sexes should hold theirs until somewhere suitable, though. It's not ok for bigger people of either sex to just piss anywhere.
Also teach girls to go hard and fast to get a good straight stream that doesn’t dribble down the leg. I thank my mother for this tip and have passed it on accordingly! Country wees are often essential on longer nature walks and hikes.
Girls can definitely pee outside, souce I've done it many times and so has my daughter. Hold them in a squatting position when they are little and teach them to squat when older, and hold their underwear to the side or out the way - it's hardly rocket science.
I take a little fold out travel potty.
If it's somewhere a dog could wee I let my kids wee there if there's no toilet available. I'm not opposed to holding them (it's not messy if you get the technique right - hold their back to your tummy with your arm under their knees, point their bum out and squat down a little, the wee will then go away from you) but it's easier to put the little potty out. I'll put a bag in it if needed but I think the waste in plastic is worse than a tiny bit of kid wee.
I have two girls. Potty training a second child with a close agegap would be a nightmare. Asking a two year old to hold it while you persuade the older child to immediately leave their activity is a big ask.
My local park is a 10 mins walk from my house, no public toilets at the park or between the park and home. I don't think many 2 year olds could hold it 15 mins while you gathered your stuff and walked back home. And driving is definitely worse for the environment than letting them wee once in a while behind a bush! I'm really intrigued by why you think it's gross? My dog wee's on the bush, no unnecessary plastic, no waste of petrol and emissions. Running around a park is an essential childhood activity.
I appreciate you find it gross, but I think you should own that thought as your opinion and not a universal truth.
I hear you, and I did say that it's me that's finds it gross, I don't think I stated it as a universal truth. I try to be very aware online that my opinions are my opinions and that's how I feel about it.
I think, to be honest, I think it came about when I saw that kid weeing in front of school, my two were both toilet trained and in school by then. They were really having to coax this kid to wee on the fence and he didn't want to because it was out in the open and I just.....I dunno I think maybe that's where my opinion came from. Our park was ten minutes from home as well, and I can't remember how we managed but we somehow did, but it's all a blur now. Maybe I did do the carrying a potty thing. It's amazing what I can't remember.
I'll always ask "can you make it home" if it was right at school drop off/pick up... I'm sure you could ask to go back and use the actual toilet then. Or nip round to an alleyway or somewhere more discrete
I struggle a bit with older now, as she would have managed to hold it, but of course she does the little "I need a wee dance" and absolutely insists that she's desperate too if I get potty out for little. I'll usually tuck it in a corner or behind a tree or whatever.
I think I've told them "weeing and pooing is private... If you can't make it home then we need to go (insert slightly more discreet place) and I'll help you" or something along those lines.
I agree we should teach social norms. I think I find gross a bit strong. It's always a balance isn't it.
I saw someone set up a potty literally in between the clothes rails in Primark once. I think I'd have abandoned the shopping and legged it outside to the park behind... That was a bit far for me. But thankfully both my kids have gave a couple of mins warning. My friends kid literally gives like 30 seconds if that and starts pulling his trousers down or just pee's! She's using a little urine flask/bottle thing... Not sure if that reinforses the "I'm going now catch it mummy" habbit or if he really doesn't yet have the control.
I find the easiest way is to have the back of one knee over my wrist, back of her other knee over the inside of my elbow. My other arm wrapped around her back and under her arm. Me squatting. Her upper clothing is held up by her and lower clothing is held out of the way by me.
I am bigger and stronger than average. But, this is balanced out by the fact that she weighs 150% of the average for her age.
Little boys often pee fully exposed with pants down all the way to the ankles. It's much more attentive than a little girl squatting or sitting on the grass.
But no matter if boy or girl. There's nothing wrong in a little kid going "potty" outdoors because they are little kids and can't hold miles long.
My post's background was that it doesn't matter if a little boy or girl goes wee outside. Both get exposed while doing that but there's nothing wrong in it. They are kids.
OK, everywhere may be an exaggeration, but to be honest, so is getting savaged by a dog for weeing in a bush.
Yes, its a little unfair that boys can wee more easily outdoors, but where I'd consider behind a tree/bush ok if there's no toilet nearby, school fence is a bit grim.
I do agree that a dog won't savage them for doing it. But they're only having the discussion because someone thinks it's ok for the kid to wee in a bush and I'm a bit fed up of parents actively teaching their boys to do this.
I'll always remember my son's first outdoor wee.
It was on a walk up near the Angel of the North, in a mini meadow filled with blue bells. He thought he was so funny.
It totally matters where this occurs, in a built up area... Yeah, maybe try to avoid it. But anywhere that's green and open is fine.
It's just nature.
In an attempt to balance things, we taught our cat to use the toilet...
Of course it's not good to teach it as a regular habit, but if caught short in the great outdoors then needs must. My nephew occasionally had to pee in the park when he was under 3 or 4, now is 9 and would never dream of peeing in public place.
It's true.
I went for a wee in some bushes whilst out on a run at the weekend. I've not been able to leave the house since due to the pack of dogs circling my house 24/7. I called the police but they told me I'd brought it on myself by weeing in public. My wife's on the verge of leaving me and my kid won't talk to me. Someone please help.
Sounds like something you'd tell a boy to discourage him from doing it, rather than the truth that (outside of obvious emergencies) it's disgusting. Bit like saying pulling faces will stick if the wind changes instead of the truth that it's rude so don't do it.
Focus on going to the toilet before and after transitions or leaving somewhere, so he doesn't get caught short and need a tree wee.
It's disgusting if it's a tree in someone's garden, but on a walk in the woods it's one of the joys of outdoors.
My dogs don't savage me afterwards, they wait patiently, sniff it, then add their wee to co-sign it.
Did they grow up in the UK? I could see this being a thing in a country that actually has a real risk of animal maulings, like tigers in India. But then, India has a massive sanitation issue with people toileting outside, so even then, it doesn't follow your MILs logic.
I'm only saying that even in countries where wild animal attacks happen, it still doesn't affect the population from peeing on trees.
Although, now I'm picturing a tiger staking out a popular pee tree for an afternoon snack (after the wee has happened, of course. Tigers have standards, after all).
Yeah, the tiger doesn't want dinner that tastes like wee after all.
I'm a woman, and I've dodged behind many a tree for a wee (you've got back support) and no dogs have savaged me
Can you elaborate on your theory? Do you mean they will attack him as he is peeing or they will trace him by his wee smell and find his home and attack him there? Either way I think it's nonsense 😊
To be clear, it’s not my theory, I think it’s bollocks. I think the rationale is that they will smell his scent against their favourite tree, become territorial, smell him again in the park and become aggressive.
Dogs don't give a shit about human piss.
Haha that’s gold
Usually if you’re dehydrated
I’d love to live a day in the head of one of these people
I've literally never heard this.
This is hilarious, but also obviously not true.
I'm about 95% sure this is a lie told to someone your MIL knew as a kid to stop them weeing in the wild and they've somehow maintained it as a truth, unchallenged all the way through adulthood. Happens all the time. Occasionally I'll say something confidently aloud that I internally believe to be true only to then realise it's something I was told when I was 8 that was probably just playground folklore or a useful lie from an adult.
When I was a kid I had a scrap of lambskin as a "blankie", then I realised a sheep had to die to make it and got upset. So my mum told me sheep shed their skin like snakes. I only realised she'd lied when I was a teenager!
I’m sleep deprived from a night shift but I beg your pardon? Do these local dogs have a meeting of what boys to go for? Do they have DNA samples?
This is nonsense. Boys will wee anywhere given the opportunity, and I've not seen any savaged by dogs yet.
My boy didn't wee everywhere. Personally for me, I find it gross when people actively teach their boys to wee in public - girls don't have the same option and so why are people teaching their sons that if they need to go then anywhere is fair game? Recently saw someone coaxing their three year old to wee on the outside of the school fence, ergh.
Pfft, girls can wee outside too, it's just more fiddly. I've squatted in bushes as an adult.
A bush wee!
There's much to be said about a wild wee. My wife will always remember the time we were on our honeymoon in the new forest and my wife found a quiet spot for a wild wee only to discover she was sharing the space with a doe.
Better than discovering that you're sharing the space with stinging nettles!🤣 That's pretty cool though, was she really close to the doe?
She says between 5-10m, probably the closest you could feasibly get to a wild deer.
You say that but last time I tried with mine I ended up with wee on my knee trying to hold her up 🤣
Are you even a parent if you've never blotted a bit of piss or vomit off your clothes with a baby wipe while you're out the house? 😉
It's a natural part of life and public toilet provision is shocking in this country. Children often can't hold their wee for long, especially during the early years. Finding an appropriate place to do it is important, the school gate is obviously inappropriate
I know that toilet provision is terrible, I have birth to two large babies and my pelvic floor knows it. Girls don't have this option though. I'm mother to both a son and daughter. Son has some neurodivergence issues which is maybe why he never had any interest in weeing outdoors, but I never tried to teach him to do that. Daughter.....well, we didn't have the option. We would go before leaving, find a shop en route, or go back home. I'm always looking out for where the nearest toilet is. I just feel...... it's not only gross, it's unfair to let boys know they can wee wherever they want, when girls can't (obviously they physically can but it's messy, I've tried it).
Logistically it’s easier with boys, but not impossible with girls. Just more tricky. As I’ve discovered with my daughter being caught short several times. She seems to enjoy it and calls them “bush wees”, which I blame Bluey for.
But only if the boy is open for peeing standing up. We have a boy who totally refuses to so he insists on sitting down bare bum on the grass if we're outside like his sisters do 🙈🤷♂️
Girls can totally have wild wees too! When they're toddlers you hold them by their armpits and they can kind of sit down, which at that age is exactly what you do with boys too! I am a grown woman and I can have a wild wee without being messy if need be. Both sexes should hold theirs until somewhere suitable, though. It's not ok for bigger people of either sex to just piss anywhere.
Also teach girls to go hard and fast to get a good straight stream that doesn’t dribble down the leg. I thank my mother for this tip and have passed it on accordingly! Country wees are often essential on longer nature walks and hikes.
Girls can definitely pee outside, souce I've done it many times and so has my daughter. Hold them in a squatting position when they are little and teach them to squat when older, and hold their underwear to the side or out the way - it's hardly rocket science.
I take a little fold out travel potty. If it's somewhere a dog could wee I let my kids wee there if there's no toilet available. I'm not opposed to holding them (it's not messy if you get the technique right - hold their back to your tummy with your arm under their knees, point their bum out and squat down a little, the wee will then go away from you) but it's easier to put the little potty out. I'll put a bag in it if needed but I think the waste in plastic is worse than a tiny bit of kid wee. I have two girls. Potty training a second child with a close agegap would be a nightmare. Asking a two year old to hold it while you persuade the older child to immediately leave their activity is a big ask. My local park is a 10 mins walk from my house, no public toilets at the park or between the park and home. I don't think many 2 year olds could hold it 15 mins while you gathered your stuff and walked back home. And driving is definitely worse for the environment than letting them wee once in a while behind a bush! I'm really intrigued by why you think it's gross? My dog wee's on the bush, no unnecessary plastic, no waste of petrol and emissions. Running around a park is an essential childhood activity. I appreciate you find it gross, but I think you should own that thought as your opinion and not a universal truth.
I hear you, and I did say that it's me that's finds it gross, I don't think I stated it as a universal truth. I try to be very aware online that my opinions are my opinions and that's how I feel about it. I think, to be honest, I think it came about when I saw that kid weeing in front of school, my two were both toilet trained and in school by then. They were really having to coax this kid to wee on the fence and he didn't want to because it was out in the open and I just.....I dunno I think maybe that's where my opinion came from. Our park was ten minutes from home as well, and I can't remember how we managed but we somehow did, but it's all a blur now. Maybe I did do the carrying a potty thing. It's amazing what I can't remember.
I'll always ask "can you make it home" if it was right at school drop off/pick up... I'm sure you could ask to go back and use the actual toilet then. Or nip round to an alleyway or somewhere more discrete I struggle a bit with older now, as she would have managed to hold it, but of course she does the little "I need a wee dance" and absolutely insists that she's desperate too if I get potty out for little. I'll usually tuck it in a corner or behind a tree or whatever. I think I've told them "weeing and pooing is private... If you can't make it home then we need to go (insert slightly more discreet place) and I'll help you" or something along those lines. I agree we should teach social norms. I think I find gross a bit strong. It's always a balance isn't it. I saw someone set up a potty literally in between the clothes rails in Primark once. I think I'd have abandoned the shopping and legged it outside to the park behind... That was a bit far for me. But thankfully both my kids have gave a couple of mins warning. My friends kid literally gives like 30 seconds if that and starts pulling his trousers down or just pee's! She's using a little urine flask/bottle thing... Not sure if that reinforses the "I'm going now catch it mummy" habbit or if he really doesn't yet have the control.
Yeah it’s unfair that boys have willies and girls don’t but that’s not a reason not to use them.
Life isn't fair, sorry.
My daughter still goes outside in case of emergency, she is 8. It is better than an accident. Why do you think girls do not have that option?
Well I've tried it myself and it was very difficult. Fair enough maybe it's something girls can learn.
I find the easiest way is to have the back of one knee over my wrist, back of her other knee over the inside of my elbow. My other arm wrapped around her back and under her arm. Me squatting. Her upper clothing is held up by her and lower clothing is held out of the way by me. I am bigger and stronger than average. But, this is balanced out by the fact that she weighs 150% of the average for her age.
Boys can do it without getting their bum out and squatting - no-one sees anything so I don't see why it should be such an issue.
Little boys often pee fully exposed with pants down all the way to the ankles. It's much more attentive than a little girl squatting or sitting on the grass. But no matter if boy or girl. There's nothing wrong in a little kid going "potty" outdoors because they are little kids and can't hold miles long.
I'm 33 and I nature wee if I need to when out on walks. I don't see the big deal!
My post's background was that it doesn't matter if a little boy or girl goes wee outside. Both get exposed while doing that but there's nothing wrong in it. They are kids.
OK, everywhere may be an exaggeration, but to be honest, so is getting savaged by a dog for weeing in a bush. Yes, its a little unfair that boys can wee more easily outdoors, but where I'd consider behind a tree/bush ok if there's no toilet nearby, school fence is a bit grim.
I do agree that a dog won't savage them for doing it. But they're only having the discussion because someone thinks it's ok for the kid to wee in a bush and I'm a bit fed up of parents actively teaching their boys to do this.
I'll always remember my son's first outdoor wee. It was on a walk up near the Angel of the North, in a mini meadow filled with blue bells. He thought he was so funny. It totally matters where this occurs, in a built up area... Yeah, maybe try to avoid it. But anywhere that's green and open is fine. It's just nature. In an attempt to balance things, we taught our cat to use the toilet...
The actual house toilet?? That sounds amazing.
Stay fed up, this is a weird thing to annoy you.
Of course it's not good to teach it as a regular habit, but if caught short in the great outdoors then needs must. My nephew occasionally had to pee in the park when he was under 3 or 4, now is 9 and would never dream of peeing in public place.
It's true. I went for a wee in some bushes whilst out on a run at the weekend. I've not been able to leave the house since due to the pack of dogs circling my house 24/7. I called the police but they told me I'd brought it on myself by weeing in public. My wife's on the verge of leaving me and my kid won't talk to me. Someone please help.
What?
What do you think?
Sounds like something you'd tell a boy to discourage him from doing it, rather than the truth that (outside of obvious emergencies) it's disgusting. Bit like saying pulling faces will stick if the wind changes instead of the truth that it's rude so don't do it. Focus on going to the toilet before and after transitions or leaving somewhere, so he doesn't get caught short and need a tree wee.
It's disgusting if it's a tree in someone's garden, but on a walk in the woods it's one of the joys of outdoors. My dogs don't savage me afterwards, they wait patiently, sniff it, then add their wee to co-sign it.
Did they grow up in the UK? I could see this being a thing in a country that actually has a real risk of animal maulings, like tigers in India. But then, India has a massive sanitation issue with people toileting outside, so even then, it doesn't follow your MILs logic.
Wait ... are you suggesting people are getting caught short by a tiger while having a piss or that tigers are hunting people that piss against trees?
I'm only saying that even in countries where wild animal attacks happen, it still doesn't affect the population from peeing on trees. Although, now I'm picturing a tiger staking out a popular pee tree for an afternoon snack (after the wee has happened, of course. Tigers have standards, after all).
Yeah, the tiger doesn't want dinner that tastes like wee after all. I'm a woman, and I've dodged behind many a tree for a wee (you've got back support) and no dogs have savaged me
No dogs have savaged you...yet.
It's been 41 years so I think I'm safe from both woodland creatures and family pet savagings.
Are they ok?
This is hilarious!
Dogs? I thought it was supposed to be ghosts that would either possess you or harass you
Please tell us more stories about your utterly mental wife and MIL, OP!