No, not ok. How is this even a question. It's a basic public health issue.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When you’re surrounded by museums with free clean bathrooms on all sides, yes it’s lazy, disgusting, entitled behavior.

This was not an emergency. She could have walked in any building and gone to the bathroom. Your friend is nasty.

Actually, from that part of the mall, it's a bit of a hike back to a Smithsonian... Remember she has a 4 and 2 year old with her. She gets to a bathroom in a Smithsonian in... maybe, maybe 25 minutes?

Then put the damn kid in diapers.

Do you know how many kids can't hold pee for 25 minutes once they realize they need to go? I'd guess 50% of under 10 year olds. Should they all put on diapers? Don't be ridiculous. I'm not saying this mom did everything right (at all), but this is a totally unhelpful comment.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When you’re surrounded by museums with free clean bathrooms on all sides, yes it’s lazy, disgusting, entitled behavior.

This was not an emergency. She could have walked in any building and gone to the bathroom. Your friend is nasty.

Actually, from that part of the mall, it's a bit of a hike back to a Smithsonian... Remember she has a 4 and 2 year old with her. She gets to a bathroom in a Smithsonian in... maybe, maybe 25 minutes?

Then put the damn kid in diapers.

Foul and disgusting. How about I come pee on your doorstep? Is that cool cause it’s sterile?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's pee. Pee is sterile. Bathrooms are preferred, but I'm not sure it's that big a deal.

Pee is sterile in the bladder, once it has passed through the urethra its completely contaminated. And it doesn't matter. Peeing in public is not socially acceptable; part of parenting is enforcing these basic concepts.
How would you feel if a grown man were peeing out in the open? Does the (false) sterility of his urine make it ok?

Actually they’ve discovers urine isn’t sterile in the bladder either.

Anonymous wrote:I once had to take DD behind a tree to pee (in a public park where there were no rest rooms). Oh well. Life goes on.

My mother did this with me occasionally (girl). It wasn't a "fun parenting moment" but it happened. Life went on. I had a sibling who demanded a restroom every 30min until 4 years old. There were some side of the road pee training and peeing in the woods as well as measuring cup technique. People comparing this to 40 year old men whipping out d*ck on the mall are crazy. It's far from ideal, but I get it.

I once had to take DD behind a tree to pee (in a public park where there were no rest rooms). Oh well. Life goes on.

Anonymous wrote:It's pee. Pee is sterile. Bathrooms are preferred, but I'm not sure it's that big a deal.

Pee is sterile in the bladder, once it has passed through the urethra its completely contaminated. And it doesn't matter. Peeing in public is not socially acceptable; part of parenting is enforcing these basic concepts.
How would you feel if a grown man were peeing out in the open? Does the (false) sterility of his urine make it ok?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This happens all the time at our sons soccer practice and games where the elementary/middle schools don't let you in to use the restroom on weekends or after hours.

What do the girls do? Do the girls have to hold it while the boys go whenever or wherever they want?

They go in the grass too. Behind a tree maybe.

We live in a house w/ a garage that backs onto Kingsman Field Park. They finally put portapotties out there, I think... but for ages they had nothing. And there is nothing anywhere nearby with public toilets. (Seriously, probably the closest bathrooms are a 10 minute walk away and would involve sneaking in or buying a cup of coffee; a bit more than that to the public Eastern Market restrooms.) We have rescued more than one parent w/ a sobbing kid who had to go and wouldn't go in public by letting them into our house. LOTS of kids' practices/games back there, including for the 3-5 year old set.

Anonymous wrote:When you’re surrounded by museums with free clean bathrooms on all sides, yes it’s lazy, disgusting, entitled behavior.

This was not an emergency. She could have walked in any building and gone to the bathroom. Your friend is nasty.

Actually, from that part of the mall, it's a bit of a hike back to a Smithsonian... Remember she has a 4 and 2 year old with her. She gets to a bathroom in a Smithsonian in... maybe, maybe 25 minutes?

Anonymous wrote:This happens all the time at our sons soccer practice and games where the elementary/middle schools don't let you in to use the restroom on weekends or after hours.

What do the girls do? Do the girls have to hold it while the boys go whenever or wherever they want?

This happens all the time at our sons soccer practice and games where the elementary/middle schools don't let you in to use the restroom on weekends or after hours.

OP here. Thanks, everyone. Really interesting range of opinions. And to the PP criticizing me for talking about my mom friend behind her back, whatever. It was a truly baffling decision to me but I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable by calling her out. I don’t think posting anonymously (with details omitted and frankly some slightly changed) is a bad thing.

Anonymous wrote:I think it is ok

+1. Maybe not of the fence, but I let my 2yo pee in the bushes if the line to the bathroom is too long. Hard for me to imagine what that will look like for a 4yo, but in general, I try not to judge other parents' decisions. FWIW, dogs pee there all the time.

No biggie , you should have been on that mall back in the 80’s July 4th Beach Boys concerts. Why do you think that grass is so green now?