How to get a child to wipe their bum?

[hester]

dd is 4 and starts school this September. I'm guessing the levels of personal service experienced at home - like Mum making sure your bum is clean after using the toilet - are not of quite the same deluxe standard in your average state primary. dd is breezily unconcerned about the whole business, and more than happy to get away without doing any of it - the wiping, or the hand-washing.

Any tips on how to instil both skills and habit?

I started my DD off with those Kandoo type flushable wipes, once she managed reasonably well with those then we switched to loo roll.

Not sure what to suggest about the hand washing, DD always does it without prompting, DS doesn't!

DD has also commissioned her poor best friend to help with wiping her bottom, although I strongly discourage her from doing this!!!

Im trying to teach DD at the momment. We have some moist toilet tissue.

It looks cak handed and im sure her arms are not long enough.

But she starts school in jan and needs to be good at it by then.

Shes not great on the hand washing either, i usually get ' but my hands havent got pooh on them, its fine'

I'm STILL trying to get my 5 yr old to wipe his own bum and he's been at school since last september. Seems he will at school but at home he can't seem to manage - or is very indulged!

I get kandoos for him to use though if they use them too much they can make bottoms sore so I get him to use 1 wet kandoo and further wipes with dry tissue - sort of weaning him off the kandoos!

I also bought the ridiculoulsy expensive kandoo soap as he didn't wash his hands so I just thought while he's getting into the habit, I would encourage him using this as it is like a frog and the soap is frothy and fun. I get it from waitrose. BUT I will stop this as soon as he's settled into the habit.

It's a bit like the 'please' and 'thankyou's', really boring for us to keep doing reminders etc. but it will get to be habit eventually.

ds is just 4 and due to start school in sept, at preschool he won't poo at all and prefers his own toilet but will wash his own hands as the sinks are his level, at home hand washing is hit and miss as he says he can't reach I agree the foam soap is best and seems to encourage him - they have foam soap at school too

Not sure about the bum wiping as he doesn't do it at home, just shouts 'I need a wipe now pleeease'! I tend to wipe first then get him to have a go. oh and we use kandoo style wet wipes too (you can get cheaper supermarket brands and they are often on special offer)

totally agree with loves2walk about reminding them at home, I think they get benifit of peer pressure at school

DS1 (4.10) is quite capable of doing it himself, but says he likes me doing it. I suppose I should be flattered . He actually does this and many other things at school that he won't do at home. Most of the reception children are far more independent at school than they are at home so I wouldn't worry too much if your DD hasn't got all the skills they expect.

Great - many thanks, everyone. Am heading out for Kandoos and foam soap in the morning. May also institute a little bribery...

Mrs Gravy - I LOVE your dd's tactic of press-ganging best friend into wiping duty. She will go far!

Reception at my school has special foamy soap to encourage them - also there's quite a lot of pressure/encouragement to wash hands so that might be OK - bottom wiping is more of a problem though as school can't realistically apply pressure on that.

Can you flush the Kandoo wipes down loo like loo roll? I dont usually flush baby wipes

yep can flush kandoos (and similar other branded toilet training wipes) says on packet only do 1 at a time our toilet copes with a couple more than that on a bad day

Could try a sticker chart for each time they wipe bum/wash hands? I used to put little reminders in the loos on the tiles - you could get them to draw a little reminder sign and stick it on the tiles - like the scary now wash your hands you get in public loos but make them a bit more fun.