Children Wiping their own Butt

[erivera04]

I am having a hard time teaching my 5 year old son how to wipe his own butt after he poops. Does anybody have any easy suggestions?

[saliisis]

I STILL have this problem with my six year old. Its like he never gets all the crap out! lol I had to laugh though because Im going through that and will be again in a few years after my second son is born.
Well what I did was I went into the bathroom with my son while he pooped, and sometimes if I couldnt stand the smell, I would wait outside the door, and tell him NOT to get off the toilet til he wipes his ass! Sometimes, Im ashamed to admit, that I would wipe it for him. Just so that I knew that his ass was clean. I buy those wipes for big kids too, and that seems to work. I guess you might have to stand over him and make sure he does it. If you can

[Newmom!]

I haven't potty trained yet, but as a preschool teacher I get asked for lots of advice. One parent asked similar question, how to help him get himself fully wiped. I suggested that she teach him to remain mostly seated on the toilet and "tip" himself a little to wipe. She was having him stand, which "closes" the butt cheeks. Sitting helps to keep them open and makes it somewhat easier to access everything.

Also, teach you child to look at the toilet paper before he drops it in the toilet. If there is poo on it, he needs to wipe again. If it is clean, he is done (or maybe if he gets 2 clean in a row he is done, just in case.) Good luck, I will be there in about 2 years - hope this will work for me.

[mum2mum]

This is like second phase of toilet training - for them to achieve total independance.

Well, boys can self-service but girls are different. If girls don't wipe completely clean and front to back, chances are they may get urinary tract infection. If my girl is at home, i make sure she does it with supervision. At school, she's independant and so far so good! Whew!

[dashawn]

can someone help me....my daughter is about to be 10 and she still does not wipe her butt and she hides her underware...I have to buy new underware every month and thats really getting old what should i do..........

[dashawn]

I dont know cause mine is almost 10 and Ive tried every thing what should i do ..........

[KelEMcE]

Oh my gosh, so glad I'm not alone! My second daughter was still calling, "Mom? MOM? MOOOOOMMMMMMM!" every time she pooped, up until last summer. I often wondered what happened if she had to "go" at school.

Put wet wipes by the potty, and teach him how to use them. Tell him he has to wipe until the wipe is clean. I had my daughter call me to the bathroom to "help" her (aka, to supervise and make sure she did it the way I taught her to). I think it's often a combination of laziness, wanting to get on to more interesting things than wiping one's bottom, and not really knowing what to do from start to finish. I think it's one of those things that we think, how the HECK can they NOT know how to do this by now? but they really don't know.

And teach them to flush every so often. Nothing says "the joy of motherhood" like an overflowing toilet.

[mommymelissa5]

I'm having the same issue with my 51/2 year old daughter. She was doing really well for awhile and then dad noticed while giving them a bath one day that she was extra stinky. I sat her down privately and asked her what was going on. Sometimes I feel like it's partial laziness, partial inability. I don't know but sometimes I feel like we'll never stop wiping butts. It feels like they'll never learn but I'd rather they be clean and stink free than risk an infection. Good luck!