at what age did your DC wipe their own bum after a poo?

[devonsmummy]

DS is 4 in November and I have tried to get him to wipe his own bum. He is easily upset about getting dirty and poo on hands just sends him into meltdown!!

Should I push it or let him tell me when he's ready - or will I still be wiping a 10 year olds bum!

within a month of toilet training

My DS started doing it by himself properly at about 5 and a half. DD (nearly 4) wants to do it all by herself but isn't very, ahem, effective at it. She doesn't tell me. I find evidence in the loo. [grr]

DS is 4 and has only just started doing it and then will only do it with babywipes not toilet paper.

Get him to use tissue and not his hands then

Nah- I think with all of mine I had to help, or check after, for a while- I think by 5 there were all totally independent. % or 6 anyway. Yougest is 6 and a half, and I can't remember the ladst time I had to help at bum wiping....just take it slow and steady- help him at his own pace...don't worry, he will get there!! hth.

Ds is 5 in October and still doesn't do it. He just keeps saying he'll have ago when he is 5.

I'm now close to resorting to bribery in an effort to try and get him having a go before starting school in september.

Dd has farily recently started doing it (age 5) and TBH still doesn't do a great job but as she starts school next month I figured she needed to be able to do the deed!

DD PTd at 24 months and was definitely wiping herself once she was 3y, infact earlier. She had moist toilet tissues as it made it easier. I did check occasionally.

You definitely need to get them sorted by school age asa teacher or TA are not gong to be there to do it for them.

chocolatepants did you namechange in honour of this thread?

op - if he's stressed by it, just leave it for a bit. DD used to shut the loo seat and go and stand in the corner with her back to the loo so she couldn't see it she hated it so much. She'd stay there for ages. A few months on as mentioned before we have the opposite problem.

My 4.2yo wipes his own bottom, but his efforts aren't always 100% successful.

I told him he had to do it by himself before starting 'big school' in Sept.

Thanks ladies!
He's at preschool for half a day and so far in 8 months has never had a poo at school. I'm sure he'd have help if he needed it but he's mortified at the thought of anyone other than me and his dad seeing his bum.
Such a sensetive little chap!
Just thought if I could get him to do the job himself it'd be one less thing for him to worry about.

DS 7 and does it badly unless supervised
DD did it beautifully by 3
DH also struggling - almost 44 YUK!

I wouldn't worry - your DC won't start school until Sept 2011 which I would see as a "deadline" of sorts. My DS is 4.4 and starts school in Sept. He has recently started trying to wipe his bum, but gets poo on his hands and sometimes will just pull his pants up without doing it. I wouldn't really worry about it.

ROFL and eew @ Spatz's DH

ds1 will be 5 in October and has just started having a go by himself.

He potty trained (in the day) really easily at 2.3, but it still wet at night.

It seems to be like a lot of things - they do it when they're ready!

I really wouldn't worry at this age -- there\s loads of time to sort it before school.

DS1 is two months younger than your DS and no way can I trust him to do a good enough job! I give him a wipe to 'help' me (ie I wipe, he waves it in general direction of his bum) so that he starts to get the idea, maybe you could try this?

DD1 started wiping her own bum when she was toilet trained from about 20 months ish.

I had a friend who was 8, she would sit on the loo and shout 'ready'! I don't bring this up often now we are adults obviously.

1. Hasn't been a problem with school - she doesn't go at school. Something's clicked recently, no more plaintive cries from the loo, she doesn't whine about it AND she does a decent job.

ds ( 3 1/2) wipes most times but not always very well so I have to check.

my son 6 still doesnt do it,hes had a go but isnt very good and has to be supervised.

My DS has just turned 4 and can wipe, but doesn't always do a good job. He sometimes asked if I would like to wipe his bottom, like it would be some sort of treat for me.

DD1 (aged 3.10 now) has been wiping hers practically since she was PTd at 2.8 years old. She does sometimes need 'checking' but is generally okay at it.

BTW - I have known colleagues who teach Reception classes have more than a few tales to tell of the children who come into the classroom and 'spread' and ask for their bottoms to be wiped in the first few months of starting 'big school'. So yes, you probably need to aim for them to be able to do a reasonable job by themselves by this time, but it won't be the end of the world if they can't!

DS used to get into a state too, so we struck a deal whereby if he did two wipes, then I'll do the rest. Once he'd mastered that without fussing it was easy to get him to do it all by himself. I think it's best they can easily do it by the time they've started school though, otherwise it can stress them.

OP it depends on what you mean.

4-ish seems an appropriate age to be wiping your own bum (no one will do it for him when he's in reception).

However I'm still waiting for my DC's to make a good job of it. Both are 6, one of them rarely does a bad job and one of them, rarely a good job!

I think you probably need to stick with it now that you've started. He'll get there!

My DS (4.7) has just started doing this, probably because he does a better job than me! (Mummy I'm itchy).

He finds it easier to use baby wipes not toilet paper. I put one clean one on the floor and the ones he uses go onto that, not down the loo. I do go through some wipes but worth it IMO.