Bottom Wiping

[hels9]

My son (age 3.5) is now very good about going to the toilet and is also dry by night. However, I've only recently started thinking about teaching him how to wipe his own bottom after pooing. And I'm not sure how to go about it! It sounds silly, but his arm doesn't seem quite long enough to reach...

How did everyone else go about it? Did you get your child to lean forward on the toilet and put their arm down behind their back, or get them to climb off the toilet first, or what??? Is learning to wipe your own bottom an inevitably messy learning curve?!

I just left my DD1 to it, but made sure she had a good clean in the bath, however my husband still insists on lying her on the floor and wiping with baby wipe, she's now 6! Luckily he works away so she's not subjected to it too often!

I have no idea how ds does it - because when he's home he insists on me doing it! He has a special poo song he sings which soppy me finds irrisistible. I know he can do it himself at school - and I assume he won't be askig me to do it when he's 18!

Dd just learnt how to do it for herself - don't know how.

Helpful, aren't I?!

Ds1 is 4.5. He climbs off the toilet and bends right over (head practically touching the floor!) and he can reach. Your ds may need to grow a little bit before he can reach!

I started letting him try when his bottom wasn't mucky, then progressed to the muckier occasions when I was sure he could reach with enough accuracy! He starts school next week and is able to clean himself up well enough (although I will expect some stains for a while!).

Is it bottom wiping where you know their arm is long enough to reach comfortably when they can reach over their own heads and touch the ear at the other side (if that makes sense?)? But yes- trial and error, bit of help to begin with, and that messy learning curve.

Well, when I was little my mum told me that when I was big enough to reach my arm over my head and touch my ear, I was big enough to go to school ... and I've since been told that this is also an indication that your arm is long enough to wipe your bum! So 3.5 seems quite little, unless for an unusually long-armed child.

Oh yes, by the way - DS (3.8) isn't great at it, but I encourage him to try first of all, and if he still hasn't got it clean after a couple of bits of paper, he usually gives up and asks me to do it.

Ha, x-post JackieNo.

Thanks for all that. At least I know it isn't abnormal for my son not to be able to reach quite yet! As he has quite a large head, I suspect it will be quite a while before he can touch that other ear, too...

I've still got a year before he starts school, anyway, and I suspect if he still can't do it by then, he'll just hold on until he gets home. Then I'll be back on here asking about constipation!

I wouldn't worry at 3.5. Presumably they are either with you or with someone who will help and they will learn soon enough. I have recently started encouraging my daughter to sort herself out as she starts school next week and they won't do it there. Wouldn't advocate the bending right over. Can see a few topples there.