bum wiping - cant do wont do!

[frustratedmom]

how do you deal with a child who could wipe his bum but can't be bothered to try. He can when he has been made to in past but refuses to try at mo and is driving me mad.

Do I make him do it? Do i do it (which is what he wants)? Can't ignore as he will happily run round with poo on butt.

advice please...

How old?

You could insist that he wipes himself, but you will check to see he's clean. Tell him that people will tell him he smells if he doesn't wipe. Point out that his pants are horrid to wash with poo marks all over them, and you could try getting him to hand wash a pair himself, so that he realises wiping is probably the better option! (Less effort in the long run.)

Well I bet my child is older than yours. I'm still wiping fairly regularly, although he does it himself at school or other people's houses. I have told him that I'm stopping next month though. When he turns SEVEN!

Does that make you feel better?

He will start to do it himself when he gets some modesty. Until then, it's your responsibility, you're the adult.

he's 4
so i think hand washing might be a bit harsh yet (although filing that for later )

It would be nice if he could do it when he went to school. plus I am fed up with having to chase him round the house to get him to stand still long enough to get his bum clean.

The insist check approach is one we have been using, combined with wet wipes and nappy bags (find flushable wipes have habbit of blocking our drains - super yuck!). Works sometimes.

as for modesty - hmmm does that come with learning to leave his willie alone in public? i suppect that could be a very long wait

Thanks dearprudence -it does.

I think 4 is a little young to expect a dc to wipe by themself all the time. IME they're usually a bit older before they happily sort themselves out - and anyway til then, they don't always do a brilliant job so suggesting they do it themselves and the parent checks is usually the way to go!
I wanted to make sure my boys knew how to do it for when they are at school then if they need to, they won't be manky all day, but at home they often get lazy or too tired to do it and certainly at aged 4 they weren't doing it by themselves.
It'll happen!

My dd is four and she can and will wipe but she still likes me to do it a lot of the time just because she likes being fussed over!

Brilliant fianlly something to cross off the worrying about list