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Behaviour/development

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Original poster

At what age do kids wipe their own bum?

30 replies

springerspaniel · 13/08/2008 17:16

My DS was 3 in July. Has been potty trained for a year and has had no real issues.

He has just gone up to the last room in nursery and I suddenly wondered how many of his peers can wipe their own bums. I will ask but wondered what mumsnetters experience was?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

slavemum · 13/08/2008 17:20

Think i got my ds to wipe themselves before they went to nursery, but with supervision. Those 'kando' wipes are great for them.
tho tbh, my younger ds is 6 and I still sometimes have to check he's done it properly.

meemar · 13/08/2008 17:23

My DS1 has just turned 5 and is just about able to do it. He still gets me to check. He has been at school since January.

Overmydeadbody · 13/08/2008 17:25

My DS is 5.6, finished his first year at school, and refuses to even attempt to wipe his own bum , says he won;'t do it till he's a grown up and gets hysterical if I suggest he does it himself.

TBH it really grates at times, especially as he is so independant in other ways. He just holds it in at school or if he's away from me, and I absolutely hate it when I hear "mmmuuuuuuuuuuummm I'm finnnnnished"

DoubleBluff · 13/08/2008 17:28

DS 2 is 5 and can do it, but is azy and will sometimes sit on th stoilet for an hour until I give in ad do it for him.
But the kandoos are good - or even cheaper own brand oones.

gemmiegoatlegs · 13/08/2008 17:30

i am just teachuing dd (just 3) in preparation for starting school nursery in September. DS has been confidently bum wiping since he was 3 - his cm told him to "get right in"! with the tissue. at home we use poo wipes, ds has just refused to use them as too babyish!

loler · 13/08/2008 17:53

dd - 5.2 also completely refuses to even have a go. Says she doesn't know where the poo is. I don't think she goes at school, prefers to save the pleasure for home and me!

DS1 - 3 would do it himself and not really care if he missed or not!

Other than 'get right in' what are the other top tips of wiping then?

kbaby · 13/08/2008 21:06

DD has wiped her own bum since she was 3.5 and only really calls me in if she says she cant get it clean.
I do have a friend with a boy the same age though and she wipes his bum for him as he cant do it.

Just depends I guess, You could try getting him to do it and see what she says.

yawningmonster · 14/08/2008 09:17

ds (who hates doing anything for himself if he can convince someone else to do it) does a great job wiping after reading advice (for someone else) on here. We make a game of how many wipes it will take, so I will say I think it is a 3 wipe poo and he will say nope it is 5 and promptly wipe and check, wipe and check and see who had the best guess before his bottom is clean! It is one of the few golden things in life that actually worked for ds (thank you to unknown mner who first suggested it) He is 3.11

FrannyandZooey · 14/08/2008 09:17

age 5 here can do a good job

PavlovtheCat · 14/08/2008 09:18

DD is trying to now at 2, LOL, not very well mind you!

Littlefish · 14/08/2008 09:20

Dd is 3.9 and can make a pretty good go of it. Slightly odly however, she rarely needs to wipe (although we/she always does)! Almost always seems clean without wiping - how strange!)

bythepowerofgreyskull · 14/08/2008 09:22

ds1 is 4, he will do it but 80% of the time he gets me to check....
he has actually done a good job but doesnt have the confidence yet

Podrick · 14/08/2008 09:23

Girls - age 3 or 4

Weirdly there are a lot of 8 year old boys I know whose mum still does this!!!

asteamedpoater · 14/08/2008 20:12

Frankly, I think it depends on what their poo's like as well as their physical ability. My 2 year old ds2 can wipe his own bum (but only needs one wipe as there's hardly anything to wipe off). My 4-year old ds1 wipes with supervision and there's always masses of the stuff to get off - even I need to do 3 or 4 wipes to get it clean. Seems to me unfair to say my 2-year old is better at it - he just has an easier job in the first place.

popsycal · 14/08/2008 20:13

can your children please tell my ds1 this
he is just turned 6 and rubbish at it

brimfull · 14/08/2008 20:22

mine too popsycal

scunnered · 14/08/2008 20:26

My DD is 2.9 and just been potty trained. She regularly returns from nursery with soiled pants. Apparently nobody allowed to help her wipe herself after toilet in case they are accused of abuse!!!

ZamMummy · 14/08/2008 20:32

FWIW I know I was 6 or 7
it took sleeping over at friends for first time to get me to do it....(now I have kids of my own I wonder if my mum encouraged a sleepover for precisely that reason )
never pooed at school ever
still rarely do between 8 & 4
Freud would have a field day I'm sure....

lou031205 · 14/08/2008 20:51

My DD has been doing so since 2.6, but not always amazing at it. She does her best.

Janni · 14/08/2008 20:53

DS1 - 4, DS2, 6 (despite my best efforts)
DD can do it at aged 3 but sometimes asks me to check.

tori32 · 14/08/2008 21:03

I have just started teaching dd1 2.6yrs to do it. 1st attempt resulted in poo all over the toilet seat and still all over her bum LOL But at least she wants to do it

Elibean · 14/08/2008 22:22

dd1 is 4.5, and wants to do hers all the time - but I do check when its a poo, if I get the chance, because she's not great at it and ends up with sore bits.

That said, when she's at nursery or friends' houses, she does it herself always - even if she sometimes forgets to pull the chain

Mamazon · 14/08/2008 22:23

DD has been doing it alone since she was about 2.10
i alwyas make sure she has bottom wipes though as she doesn't seem to properly clean herslef with dry toilet tissue.

loler · 18/08/2008 10:30

After leaving dd for half an hour she has finally had a go at wiping (used the how many wipes game).

Small victory for today

hannahsaunt · 18/08/2008 10:33

Ds1 managed from age 4.

Ds2 refuses to even try. When asked what he would do at school, he said that he would only do poos at home...(and knowing him, he will)

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