I sometimes see parents helping their kids pee in a corner of the playground now that nicer weather is here--I imagine instead of running to find a bathroom, or using a travel potty. This always really grosses me out, because my LO loves to dig in the dirt at the playground. Would you say something to a parent if you saw this? I was thinking something like, "Hey, would you mind doing that just right outside the fence? My LO often plays right over there." I feel really awkward about it for some reason!
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I mean, peeing outside is one thing (and sometimes necessary), but IN the playground!? Wtf. I don't know if I'd say something, but there would definitely be side-eye happening. If I noticed the same person doing it over and over, I'd probably say exactly what you wrote.
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My son does this, although, I do make my him go outside of the fence or really get into the bushes for the exact reasons you described. The two parks right near us do not have toilets and there is no way we would be able to make it home or anywhere else with a toilet in time since he always waits until the very last minute to tell me. I imagine parents letting their kids pee within the confines of the playground are dealing with an emergency must go right now situation. Honestly, I don't know if saying something would help. I'm trying to imagine if someone confronted me about it. While I would be totally understanding of the concerns, the other concern is where else is my kid supposed to go if there are no bathroom facilities in the vicinity?
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@lamariniere: Well, the thing is (not sure if you recall Cranberry Park at the end of the promenade), there actually IS a bathroom across the street and down a long ramp. It's probably about a 2-3 minute walk. I totally get how that can be an eternity with a kid who REALLY needs to go. But at the same time. I just am really icked out by the thought of pee soaking into the dirt where my son will possibly/likely be digging at some point--maybe even that day if I don't happen to catch the peeing! There is also a travel potty, which I have seen some parents use, but others don't. I mean, even outside the fence would be totally fine with me...but yeah, I don't know how they would respond!
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@hilsy85: I do remember that one.
My son was in diapers at the time though, so I never paid any attention to the bathrooms. 
Maybe they don't know that there is a nearby bathroom? I definitely agree that it's gross that kids are peeing within the actual playground.
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It would gross me out. My old neighbor's son would pee in their backyard when he was out playing. To me, it is never appropriate especially since you never know who might be watching.
Perhaps they had other children at the playground they didn't want to make go with them?
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Gah that's so gross! Like using the diet as a litter box?!
I agree that outside of the playground in a bush is fine in a pinch!
I probably wouldn't say anything either, but I'd want to!
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@purrpletulips: very possible! But still...I feel like you kind of need to figure out a solution--buy a travel potty!!! They're great for those situations!
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I don't know what I'd do but that is so gross. Do the girls do it too (like completely take off their pants or something)??
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@hilsy85: oh I agree, they need to find another solution.
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@lawbee11: I have actually I think mainly seen it with girls! They pull their pants down and the moms help hold them in a squatting position.
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I am not a fan of outdoor peeing! Last summer, the kids and I bought a bunch of flowers to plant in a street bed near our apartment. The next day, a mom parked her car on the street and her son got out, took his pants down and started peeing on the freshly planted flowers! I mentioned to the woman that my kids had just planted the flowers the day before, and she shrugged and said, "What am I supposed to do?"
We're lucky that there are a lot of coffee shops where we live, so we're usually able to walk over to a nearby cafe if there's an emergency. Or we head home with the kids, and encourage them to pee next time before we head out to the playground. After one or two times of that, they got the idea and use the bathroom before we head out!
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@mrbee: Would you say something to the parents in this situation at the playground? Also, how rude to pee on your flowers!
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I would really hate to see this. I can't imagine I would be brave enough to say something but I would not be able to help looking slightly disgusted. The only thing I can think of in their defence is if they have other kids there, it's hard to get all the kids off the equipment in a hurry,
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I wonder if I should carry around my travel potty and offer the use of it...that's probably super passive aggressive, no?
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Ok, this sounds lame, but even if I brought a potty seat to the playground, and brought my child over to use it, I would still dump the urine out.
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@hilsy85: It's hard to say! I might say something, but that wouldn't address the ongoing issue if you see it a lot. Maybe a sign would help with that? But that sounds like a lot of effort!!
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@hilsy85: You should stock your purse with some of those puppy pee pads
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@T.H.O.U.: really?? But they come with liners that absorb the pee...I mean, I guess if you dumped it in the garbage or outside the park, then I wouldn't care at all about that...but you woudl just dump it right on the ground?
@mrbee: I was thinking a sign...something I could just laminate and post on the fence! NO PEEING!
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@lawbee11: lol and just hand them out when I see someone getting ready to squat!
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@hilsy85: You are way more motivated than I am, but that would probably help. You could also mention the nearest bathrooms, to help out parents who don't know the area!
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@hilsy85: I think a laminated sign is your best bet. I wouldn't want my child using someone else's travel toilet (no offense), and this is probably not something worth an awkward confrontation.
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@mrbee: ha I don't know that I woudl actually do it...It kind of reminds me of Claire from modern family and her quest to get that stop sign put up near their house...don't think I have it in me to battle about this!
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@lamariniere: oh I was mostly kidding about offering my travel potty!
And I am not good at confrontation so prob wouldn't do that either!
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@hilsy85: Ive never seen any with a disposable liner. All the moms that I know that have them in their car, its just a cheap plastic seat and then they dump it (not to be rude, but you can't transport pee home without it sloshing around in your car). Usually in the bushes or a parking lot of something not like in the playground.
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I agree they should go outside the actual playground area but kids peeing outside is not a strange sight to me. Nyc has a severe lack of public bathrooms and I can't imagine dragging a kid around trying to find one.
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Personally i wouldn't approach a parent while they are helping the child, but maybe after they are done, just go up to them and say, "hey, next time would you mind taking your child at least outside the fence? my son likes to play in the grass over there".
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No experience (we're still in diapers), but I like the idea of you making a sign. Similar to the no pooping signs for dogs in a front yard (ha). No one would have to know it wasn't an official sign, either. I'm at a little bit of a loss for the wording.
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What in the fuck? People do this?! :O All our playgrounds have bathrooms *right there* so this is so odd to me.
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that is disgusting
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Isn't urine sterile? I thought I learned that on this board at some point?
I don't get to worked up about it, think of all the stray cats, dogs, racoons and who knows what else use playgrounds as their personal toilets?
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I Once saw a dad helping a 4-5 year old boy pee on the side of the street at Amsterdam and 70-something on the UWS--a super busy area. There were restaurants and cafés everywhere. There was one of those tiny, sad urban trees planted in a dirt cutout in the sidewalk and the dad was like, here you go!--with all of us on a crowded sidewalk going around them.
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The only time we've let DS pee outside is in the privacy of our own backyard and that's because we didn't want to deal with a mini tantrum of fighting him to go inside. I would never even think to at a public area/playground!
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It grosses me out, honestly. And I think if there's a bathroom nearby, why do that? But, I also agree that in a lot of areas of New York there are so few public toilets that in those cases it's kind of understandable.
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@Anagram: not that what he did was right, but I've found places in New York to be super rude/difficult about letting you use the bathroom. Maybe it's different with kids?
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@looch: nah, pee is not sterile. Google "pee is sterile".
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@blackbird: a lot don't, but the two in our neighborhood happen to have bathrooms close by.
@hotchildinthecity: I still would never do it on a crowded street! At least go to a side street! And Ive never heard of a restaurant refusing to let kids use the bathroom, especially on the UWS. @looch: but isn't that why they DON"T let dogs and cats in the playground?? Of course I can't prevent rats, squirrels, etc from peeing--but I would think kids should be on a different level!
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i have never even heard of this happening before and it is so so gross! i think i would i would let my kid pee his pants before i let him pee in the playground! like i would try to get to a bathroom and if he didn't make it on time, i would hope i remembered to carry spare underwear/pants.
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@T.H.O.U.: but why would you dump it on the ground in the playground vs the garbage? or outside the fence? Just trying to understand.
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Just to add, I have seen kids POOPING in the street in New York -- once in Soho, of all places -- like, just on the sidewalk as hundreds of people walked by. I'm fairly sure they were elimination communication parents, but I seriously wanted to be sick. It was so, so nasty.
My son was in diapers at the time though, so I never paid any attention to the bathrooms. 
Maybe they don't know that there is a nearby bathroom? I definitely agree that it's gross that kids are peeing within the actual playground.
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