Pee Pee

On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being YOU’VE RUINED YOUR SON FOR LIFE) how bad is it that I yelled out “make sure you go to the bathroom before you get on the bus!” to my 8th grader as I dropped him off at school for his field trip to an amusement park today?
I sometimes forget that my son isn’t 5 anymore and doesn’t need for me to remind him to go potty before taking a long trip. But, I can’t help it. I worry about his bladder. I don’t think I’ll ever stop worry about his bladder. In fact, I’m pretty sure that on his wedding day, I’m going to shout out “MAKE SURE YOU GO PEE BEFORE YOU WALK DOWN THE AISLE!”
I have bladder issues and all that really means is that I have to pee every 5 minutes and I get scared when I take long car rides (or attend important events) that I will have to pee and there will not be a restroom for me to use. Just ask anyone who has driven in a car with me for longer than 15 minutes and they will tell you that I panic when I feel the urge to pee, even if I just did pee at Starbucks 10 minutes earlier.
I know It’s wrong of me to project my bladder issues onto my children.
It’s funny how your kids grow up and graduate from junior high and yet, they’re still your little boy and you still have this intense desire to protect them from harm (and from having an accident on a bus ride to the amusement park.). Suddenly, something that you’ve said to them for their entire life –like “go potty first”– is no longer appropriate or necessary because “oh my God, mom, I am going to be a freshman in high school next year, I think I know that I should go to the restroom before I leave.”
But no one tells you about this aspect of being a parent. No one tells you that one day your son will no longer need you to remind him to go potty and so one day you just shout it out because you love him and don’t want him to be stuck on a bus with a full bladder and no where to go pee. Then, you realize what you’ve done and you can only hope that the only person who heard you was the proctor directing traffic in the parking lot so that your son doesn’t hate you for the rest of your life because you felt it necessary to remind him to go pee before he got on the bus.

41 thoughts on “Pee Pee

  1. jayne d'Arcy

    If mothers didn’t embarrass their sons and daughters, they wouldn’t be mothers. I know you worry about projecting your own worries about yourself on your kids, but this really isn’t one of those things. Mothers protect their kids, as do dads. They protect them out their own experiences, and what person hasn’t had a time in their own past when they probably wished mom had reminded them to use the bathroom?

  2. DebbieS

    Y, you are too much! I can just see myself doing the same thing one day. Just tell your son that he’s free to blog about it one day 😉

  3. Corrie

    I have two boys, ages 4 & 6, and I have a hard time thinking about them growing up and you know, being BIG. I think they are in for it, because I have trained myself for the last six years to say things like, “Go Potty!”, “Do you need to go? I mean it, do you NEED to go?” and “Flush, wash your hands and turn out the light!”.
    Yeah, they are in trouble.

  4. Lessa

    Don’t feel bad! We all do that. On my youngests little league team there’s a mom who did one worse though. She YELLED from the stands to her poor 7 year old son on first base…
    “Do you have to go to the potty? because if you don’t LET GO OF IT for the pete’s sake!”
    and we all just cracked UP…
    poor kid is probably scarred for life…

  5. Danielle

    Y, People did tell you. Remember all of those old ladies that always said, “enjoy them now because they grow up so fast.” That’s what they were talking about but only they were really too embarrassed to say potty to strangers in stores.
    But I guess that makes me old because I do the same thing all of the time only I’m always like, “enjoy them now because it goes so fast. No really. I mean it. Like super fast. Crazy fast.” and then I scare the nice lady with new baby away.
    And on the scale of 1 to 10, I’d probably only give it a 6 or 7 if there wasn’t a lot of people standing around. I’m sure that you will do much worse. 🙂

  6. robyn

    My “baby” just turned two today. His life is now measured in years and not months. I know you warned me…but seriously…this stuff goes by TOO FAST!!!! I know I’m going to slip and do the same one day. That is, if they ever actually grasp the concept of going in anything other than Pull-Ups. They frown on those in junior high, no?

  7. sophie

    It never stops. My father and I were at a family gathering together in a very safe neighborhood. I left the restaurant first, and he said, “Can you do that alone?” Yes, dear father, I am now 30 years old. The same age that you were when I was 6. I have been living on my own for 9 years. I do indeed believe I can make it there safely–would you like me to call when I arrive?

  8. Helga

    I had to laugh! My mom made used to go pee before bed 2-4 times in a 10 minute span just to MAKE SURE there was not a drop left in her, so as not to wake herself up with the need to pee. My 3 sisters do it, too, now. Now I try and go 2x before bed, and my husband picked up the habit, too! My mom’ sname is Billie – we call it the BilliePee. My husband will be laying in bed about to turn the light off and mutter, “Damn BilliePee!” before stalking off to go just one more time! Parents do pass it on…

  9. Heather

    HA! I promise he will be fine. My mom still reminds me of things like that and I am 27 and married. She also makes me call her when I leave work, when I get home after long drives, and just to check in sometimes. She’s great and now that I am older, I love every minute of it. In fact, she DID remind me to pee on my wedding day, and I wouldn’t have done it otherwise, so I was sort of glad.

  10. saintseester

    The hardest thing about being a mother of a boy is the way they pull away from you at such a tender age. Mine is 11, but he started being “a man” and not needing me years ago. Sniff.

  11. Kyla

    Awwww. He graduated 8th grade? Congrats!
    I have to pee all the time, too. All the time. The key to not peeing on road trips? Drink alcohol 1-2 hours beforehand. Then you’ll empty your bladder and the alcohol dehydrates the remaining fluid. I swear it works.

  12. Jerri Ann

    I’m 38, if my mom and I go anywhere together, she always asked the same question about 30 seconds before we walk out the door, “do you need to go to the bathroom before we leave?” Before we leave our destination for home, she asks again…..it is never too late to remind someone that they might need to go before they reach their destination……

  13. girlplease

    remember though, if he does have to pee while on the bus, he’s a boy. he can just whip it out the window and go. we don’t have it so lucky.

  14. ~T

    My mom would constantly ask me if I had brushed my teeth. She did this daily up until the day I moved out. I’m 30, she still reminds me. It must be a mom kinda question.

  15. Lisa

    LOL! I think it was probably only a 5, maybe a 6. He won’t be scarred for life!
    My mom always tells me that I’m going to ruin my dinner if she sees me eating something before dinner. I’m like, “MOM! I know how much I can eat!” (WAY too much!) HER mom would remind her to write thank you notes for her entire life. I swear, my mom was 55 years old and her mom was still reminding her! So now, when Mom tells me that I’m going to spoil my supper, I just say, “Don’t you have a thank you note to write or something?” 🙂

  16. Lisa

    My grandmother always liked to give out advice. The one thing I always remember is her advice- “ALWAYS pee when you have the opportunity. You never know how long it will be before you get another chance”. Grandma was a wise woman. I should have listened to her advice that “Its just as easy to love a rich man as it is a poor one”,lol!

  17. Moxie

    OMG!!!
    I was just having this conversation tonight with my 17 year old daughter who was about to leave for a date!!!!! I reminded her she should probably go pee before she left. She as all ” leave me alone!”
    It is like Im compelled to say it. I try not to, but it just falls outta my mouth…it’s like some kinda weird maternal Tourette’s.

  18. Tammy

    You know what’s scary? I was on a school band trip in May, with 40 teenagers. And being the mom I am, I couldn’t help but “suggest” to them each and every time it was time to board the bus “Do you need to stop in the bathroom first? Are you sure? Anybody need to pee before we load?”
    I got a lot of eye rolls. Yet still, a few ran for the bathroom once I reminded them!!

  19. The Fashionista & Baby

    OMG! I just went through this same exact thing with my 8th grade son this past Monday before he left for his very first trip without mom to the amusement park and again on Wednesday before he attended his very first dance EVER that was held shortly after the graduation ceremony. The night before the trip to Six Flags, I gave him the “if someone in your group is doing something bad you better run the other way”, the “mommy can’t protect you, it’s up to you to be a big boy now”, and “call if something happens; I’ll be there as fast as car can get me there” speech, etc. It was so hard to let him go but surprisingly, I survived. Before I allowed him to attend the dance, I held on to his hand, reminded him of our talk, and told him he was my sweet baby boy. Suddenly, I looked into his eyes and realized he was growing up. I grabbed him and held on tight, trying to control my tears. And yeah, I followed him as far as I could to the entrance of hall where the dance was taking place.

  20. FlippyO

    I have one word for people who have to pee all the time – Enablex. Get a prescription, they have a one month free trial. It took two weeks to work, and then I was a happy happy girl, after 7 years of pee hell.

  21. Wacky Mommy

    I could have written this one.
    Glorious boob pic up there, by the way. Is that for the dads in the house? Sweeeeeeeet.
    Happy Father’s Day!

  22. carolyn

    Oh my, that is sooo hilarious! I do the same thing! Of course, I’m all up in his business while he’s in the car… but I can totally see me shouting out to him (my 8th grader…) Just great! hahahahah! You are too funny!

  23. whitetrashmom

    As a mom, it is a GIVEN that you will do things that will scar your kid for life. Your offspring will be in the waiting room at the shrink where my kids are telling the doctor how awful of a mom I was because of the things I did. BTW, I wanted to let you know I have this blog on my blogrolls at White Trash Mom and over at my blog at Disney’s Family.com and on my Trashy Mom Friends blogroll at Shallow and Tacky. I’ve been stalking and never said hi! Don’t sweat the stuff about ruining your children doll—-it’s already done!!!!

  24. clickmom

    Dropped my 14 year old and his new girlfriend off at the movies for his first date tonight. I almost leaned over to kiss him goodbye when he got out of the car. No one prepared me for this!!

  25. Brandi

    That’s alright. I yell out “did you remember to put deodorant on?” to my 14 yr. old son every morning before he leaves for school. I can’t have him running around with stinky pits now, can I?

  26. Susan

    My son is about to go into 7th grade, and I guarantee I’d do the same.
    Even worse? I probably wouldn’t give it a second thought afterwards!

  27. Jen

    My seventh grader would be humiliated, but agree with me that there are worse things you could have said.
    Such as, “Don’t forget to wipe!”

  28. Jen

    My seventh grader would be humiliated, but agrees with me that there are worse things you could have said.
    Such as, “Don’t forget to wipe!”

  29. BOSSY

    Bossy still reminds her son to pee as well. Oh, and he’ll be 18 at the end of the summer. Of course there are his deep psychological scars to consider…

  30. Sonia

    I’m fairly certain I embarrass my children regularly.
    My sons have long since wanted me to kiss them anywhere near outside society. Certainly not dropping them at school, so a jovial farewell for the day is what I’m reduced to.
    I’m not sure I can stop with those reminders and “mothering” stuff that embarrasses them, it’s such an ingrained part of the job!!
    I’ve always done little gifts for the kid’s teachers. Now my oldest son is embarrassed by this gesture, so I had to take her something while they were at P.E. He’s 11, I pretty much suck in regards to everything these days….
    *sigh*

  31. Jess

    Well it comes full circle let me tell you. As we were leaving the zoo yesterday, my boys, my Mother, and I, I informed all of them we were stopping at the restrooms on our way out because they all had to at least try and go pee. My Mother was mortified but she understood where I was coming from. I took road trip with her in April and dubbed it ” The Great Bathroom Tour of 2007″. I swear she had to pee at every rest stop between Indiana and West Virginia.

  32. Sara

    My mother did this to me when I was wearing my cap, gown, and hood on the way to my master’s degree graduation. I haven’t let her forget it.

  33. Jem

    10, but he’ll live. ha.
    Nah…I’m the WORST for peeing as well. At the movies is the one that gets me. I go before I leave for the movies. Then I go when I get there, before buying ticket. Then I have to go, DIRECTLY before the movie.
    Oh and one time I went on a party bus for a radio station where I was working, and we drank champagne from 6am and then caught the bus for a 20 min drive, but there were NO BATHROOMS and I seriously almost wet myself. I couldn’t even talk to other people on the bus, I just sat in the corner with my eyes watering. Thank goodness one of the girls who did the live show ALSO was busting (as she announced live on air) so I wasn’t alone in my misery.

  34. lisa

    I ALLWAYS HAV TO PEE
    ONE TIME I WAS ON A BUS FOR HALF AN HOUR AND WENT BEFORE GETING ON BUT 5 MINUITES LATER HAD THE URDGE TO PEE I HAD TO TRY AND HOLD IT FOR ASLONG AS I COULD BUT I NEEDED IT TO BADLY SQUEEZING IT IN SO BADLY I COULDNT HOLD IT AND I WAS ONLY WEARING A SKIRT AND THE PEE CAME SQUIRTING OUT OF MY SKIRT I COULDNT CONTROL IT I WAS SO EMBARRESED 🙁

Comments are closed.