THANKSGIVING POINT, Utah (ABC 4 News) – A potty problem at Thanksgiving Point went viral when someone snapped a picture of a woman potty training her twin daughters in the middle of a restaurant.
On August 28th, Kimberly Decker was eating at the Thanksgiving Point Deli when she noticed something strange; two little naked twins sitting on top of what appeared to be booster seats, but on closer inspection she realized the girls were sitting on portable child toilets.
ABC 4 went back to the deli Friday to talk with other patrons about the incident. Melissa Demordaunt, who spoke with us, is a busy mother of three who struggled to potty train her middle child.
“When I was potty training him and having a hard time, my friend said ‘you just have to stay home for a whole week and don’t leave,’ but that was impossible for me,” said Demordaunt.
Even more impossible for Demordaunt is the idea of potty training in public.
“I wouldn’t want my kids without their clothes on in public anyway, aside from the fact that people are trying to eat while someone is using the restroom,” said Demordaunt. “It’s just inappropriate and odd.”
It’s not to say all the mothers we spoke with didn’t feel compassion for this unidentified mother, but they say she crossed a line.
“It’s hard potty training. I’m trying to potty train right now," said Jessica Nordgren. "It’s hard, I understand. It’s a lot of work to take the time to go somewhere, but eating, and in public? It’s just too much.”
Amanda Visser added, “If she wants to potty train her kids that fine. She just probably needs to use the restroom.”
Thanksgiving Point management released this statement: “The incident occurred at a public cafeteria-style eatery at Thanksgiving Point. Thanksgiving Point offers extremely reduced admission to the public on Tuesdays in August, which draws record crowds each year. These record crowds made the incident not immediately apparent to staff and was not reported by guests until after the fact. Thanksgiving Point is a community gathering place and maintains clean and beautiful spaces for the public. Per our policy, the guest would have been asked to move to the restroom for the health and safety of other guests.”
Lance Madigan from the Utah County Health Department told ABC 4 potty training your children around the dinner table is not good practice.
“It doesn’t take a whole lot of material to contaminate the food you’re eating,” said Madigan.
