I (36M) have two kids — my daughter is 9 and my son is 4 — and we’re lucky enough to have a backyard pool, a decent lawn I take pride in, and a simple outdoor shower setup that drains into our water system.

Now, I really don’t want kids peeing in the pool. I know, I know — “everyone does it,” but I spend time and money keeping that water clean, and it just grosses me out. At the same time, I don’t want wet, slippery chaos in the house with kids running inside every time they have to go.

So I set a rule: If you need to pee while swimming, you either

Use the outdoor shower drain — just pee through your swimsuit and rinse off,

or

Dry off completely before coming inside to use the bathroom.

That’s it. No shame, no lectures — just pick one.

Honestly, the kids love this system. Not in a weird way, but in a “this makes pool time easier” kind of way. They like that they don’t have to get out, dry off, go inside, peel off a swimsuit, then reverse the whole process. They think it’s funny how quick and casual it is — one of the older kids even jokingly called it the "drive-thru bathroom” to me.

They appreciate that they’re not being nagged or made to stop playing every time nature calls. It gives them independence, and the fact that it’s outdoors and rinses away immediately makes it feel like just another part of swimming, not a big deal. I suppose some of them find it funny too to pee themselves in the open. And hey — no one's secretly peeing in the pool now. I consider that a win.

But... then one kid explained it to their parent in very blunt 9-year-old terms, and suddenly I’ve had a few parents text or call me. Words like “unsanitary,” “strange,” and even “concerning” have come up. One parent asked if I could “rethink the setup” because her kid didn’t want to rinse off in the same spot anymore. One person even said letting them pee in the water is a better alternative.

Did I do a bad dad thing?

TLDR: daughter and friends pee in the shower sanctioned by me so that they don’t mess up the pool