Right. Down to 'business'. I need a crash course. Let's call it Bum Wiping for Beginners...

[WilfSell]

Not for me [obviously...]

DS2.

Nursery have decided he can, er, go it alone now. We know this not because they told us. Oh no. But because instead of calling us to help limit the damage, we find him, bum in air in the bathroom, a soiled pile of toilet paper on the floor and another scrunched up pile blocking the toilet.

Bum still with a skidmark like a Yorkie bar.

Lovely.

I didn't really deal with this with DS1 (got away with it by telling DH it was, er, a man's job to teach his son to wipe his own arse...) but suspect I might not get away with it any longer.

So. Where do I start?

[SugaryBits]

I think wipes make the process a bit easier- I get DS to use one bit of paper then use a wipe, seems to be quite successful!

[WilfSell]

Thanks... wipes block the toilet though don't they? we had to get the old rods out with DS1 when he managed to flush a handful of Kandoos...

Any more helpful tips from anyone?

[Octothechildherder]

no wipes are bad for toilet

hmmmm - tricky one - would just leave them to it and will get the gist eventually - just need to get over the toilet roll usage issue and all will be fine

[BecauseImWorthIt]

We have used toilet wipes (as opposed to baby wipes) - Hakle, Andrex or Sainsbury's - since DS1 was a baby. He is now 16. It made the process much easier as the wipes 'glide' over the bottom rather than rub (and stick) as there is less friction. They are also easier to cover the hand as opposed to toilet paper which always seems to be scrunched up into a ball way too small to do the job properly.

As long as there aren't too many wipes per flush things will be fine. We have never had a blocked toilet.

[SugaryBits]

I meant toilet wipes too, it says on the pack they are OK to be flushed one at a time.

[desperatehousewifetoo]

Toilet wipes are as bad according to the man who had to keep coming out to unblock our drains!

I think it's just a case of practice makes perfect, op. And making sure he washes his hands with lots of soap after.

You'll probably just have to give him a good wash in the bath every evening.

Good for him for trying himself though. That's half the battle imho

[ChasingSquirrels]

wipe, new paper and wipe again, check paper - if not clean wipe again until clean. You only needs 3 sheets each time,.
I also have a pack of wipes in there in case he needs them (ie still not clean after 2 toilet paper goes), but he knows they go in the bin.
Wouldn't trust my 2.5y with any of the above.

[ChasingSquirrels]

wipes for if not clean after 3/4 goes, not 2

[ChasingSquirrels]

wipes for if not clean after 3/4 goes, not 2

[elmoandella]

we use those toilet flushable ones here. they only come out in single sheets aswell. if i leave dc (2.5) to use paper on his own her uses half a roll per wipe.

[WilfSell]

thanks for your tips. Perhaps I'll get a 'special' bin for the wipes? Makes me feel slightly yuk all those pooey wipes in there but I suppose it's better than having to have the drains unblocked.

[Thankyouandgoodnight]

Can you hang a nappy sack up near the toilet for pooey wipes/ paper?

I ADORE nappy sacks

[WilfSell]

having a slight panic attack at the unecofriendly options and another one at the unhygienic ones but I'm going to have to do these things aren't I?

[elmoandella]

you can get eco friendly toilet flushable wipes. tesco do them. same range as their eco toilet cleaning. cant remember the name.

[ChasingSquirrels]

I think toilet paper is the way to go, but there always times when a wipe helps

[deegward]

We are big on rewards in this house - I know opening a mn can of worms -

Ds2 when at home, had to have a "bum inspection" after wiping his bum to his standard. If it passed he got a very small treat!

Stick and carrots - well carrots - work in this house, I used to pay my ds1 to DO his poos!!!

[Sugarmagnolia]

As a mother of a just 5 year old boy myself I know where you are at! Funny because I never remember going through this with DD - she just seemed to 'get it'. DS, on the other hand, most definitely does not. He's just started school though so there's no avoiding it. At the beginning of the summer I started trying to help him learn to do it himself -

first lesson was not to scrunch the paper up into a little ball but to fold a few sheets over and to hold the paper so that he was actually wiping with the paper and not his hands!

second lesson was to wipe then check with a clean bit of paper (or wipe, you decide, not getting into that debate!) then repeat until clean

At school he now has now choice but to do it himself, at home I still help a little - either I start and let him finish then check or let him start then I finish.

Oh the things they don't tell you before you become a parent!