As your DC get older and begin to close the bathroom door, how do you ensure they are still remembering their intimate clean routine? £250 spa voucher and a month supply of Andrex® to be won! NOW CLOSED

[MichelleMumsnet]

The team at Andrex would like to hear about the tips you use to ensure your children stick to their clean routine once the bathroom door begins to close.

Andrex® say “As you get older you start to become more self-conscious, different rules start to apply. From research 28% of parents reported that door closing happens at around 7+, with 14% reporting is happens as young as 4 years.”

So have a think about how your child has changed as they get older – at what point did you realise they took care of themselves in the loo and what tips do you use to ensure they are keeping their intimate areas clean?

We know of course, all children are different and that for some children these milestones are either not always achieved or are achieved at a later stage. All comments welcome, whatever your circumstances.

Add your comment to this thread and you’ll be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £250 Spa voucher and a month supply of Andrex® toilet tissue. Please note comments may be used by MN and Andrex® on social media, on the Andrex® pages on MN or possibly elsewhere: anon of course – but please only add your comment if you’re happy for it to be used like this!

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

[mjmooseface]

I don't understand the reaction to the words 'Intimate clean routine'?! Lol...

My son is not yet at this stage - not even at the potty training stage yet - so I thought I'd have a look at some of the tips and advice on here! So thanks to those who have contributed so far!

I would like to think that if you have potty and then toilet trained your child right, that they would continue to do what they've been taught, even when they want to do it by themselves. Stand outside the bathroom door to make sure they wash their hands, maybe? For the first few times, you could be outside the door and say 'remember to do this, remember to do that' and when you are happy they definitely know what to do, leave them to it! I guess it depends on their age at the time. And make sure they have a good intimate clean (for those squeamish few! ;)) everytime they bath or shower!

I remember a very funny comment from Frank Skinner recently on some show about how he loved changing his child's nappy cos you can clean it all up good and proper, but when it's yourself going to the loo and you're wiping, there's always that element of doubt you've got it all! (Words to that effect, anyway!) (It was funny at the time!)

[Acunningruse]

What is the current obsession with bum-wiping feeling clean amongst MN advertisers this month? Every time I log on there's another sponsored discussion about toilet habits.

[ArcheryAnnie]

Which product is it currently being advertised on the telly, about adults being all grumpily reticent about their bum-wiping results, and horribly winsome children feeling as "clean as a washed potato"? I hate that one.

[Acunningruse]

I think that's Andrex too ArcheryAnnie There goes your £250 spa voucher...

[callamia]

Clean as a WHAT? Oh my god.

[AuntieStella]

Of course, as girls approach the menarche then you might want to think about wipes (to clean up after leaks, if not in a bathroom and washing facilities not private). Basic baby wipe and sanitary bin, rather than anything flushable for that though.

Ordinary recycled loo roll has always been sufficient for normal bum wiping. I hadn't heard about shorter fibres meaning easier breakup and fewer blockages, but always nice to see more plus points to your choices.

[MadMonkeys]

Dirty pants are a giveaway sign of a not well wiped bottom! And I listen out for the tap being on for a sufficient time to wash hands and sniff hand for the scent of soap if I suspect they haven't really been washed. My DD1 is only 4.5 though, so a good soak in the bath compensates for any inadequacy in the bum wiping department.

[GobblersKnob]

Oh ye gods the 'clean as a washed potato' advert is fucking awful, who the hell thought that was a good idea? Utterly boaktastic.

[ArcheryAnnie]

Acunningruse damn! And I thought my "skidmarks" post had bagged me that voucher for sure!

[Selks]

Ugh, I hate these kinds of 'sponsored discussions'. Far too much of this stuff on MN these days.....it's just thinly veiled advertising designed to produce anxiety about a non- existent problem and create a market for a product.
I wonder how much MN gets paid for this..

[Selks]

...And looking at the 'sponsored discussions' board, there has been THREE threads sponsored by Andrex in the last few days!!

[MichelleMumsnet]

Thanks for all the posts so far, sorry if some of the phrasing has made you cringe a bit - - your feedback has been taken on board! Please also remember to leave your comments on what tips you have for making sure your DCs continue to wipe their bum properly.

[PfftTheMagicDraco]

tips on wiping arses?

tell them to.

HTH

[Hakluyt]

At first, you wipe. Then they wipe, you check. Then they wipe.

Sorted.

[KateOxford]

My son aged 4 is just learning how to wipe his own bottom as he starts school in 6 weeks and I need him to understand that he has to do it himself. I often check his bottom and when he manages it really well and remembers to put the lid down, flush and wash his hands he has some pocket money in his money box which he is saving for some new lego to take on holiday. He didn't want to wipe at first so this is a double way of treating him as a big boy. I always explain to him he will get a sore bottom and would get ill if he doesn't wipe and wash his hands properly.

[Deverethemuzzler]

This campaign is like the Dove one where we suddenly discovered we were supposed to have moisturised armpits

Now intimate areas are supposed to be like sparkling stars and ladybirds

I have been doing it wrong all this time. I just taught mine to wipe their bums.

What kind of mother am I?

[GobblersKnob]

Clearly the worst kind of mother Deverethemuzzler, the very worst.

Ever since mine were just wee nippers I have gathered them to my skirts of an evening and told them that God will only let them into heaven if they can present him with a shiny pink starfish at the pearly gates.

They all know that the only way to achive such ring perfection is to cleanse their cracks carefully with the products created by the toilet overlords ANDREX, wet wipes, rolls of tissue, the more you use the happier God is.

To make sure they remember I tell them if God finds a skid he'll send them to hell to burn in the fiery pant furnace for all eternity.

If that hasn't worked and I catch a whiff of a dirty arse I ritually slay a Labrador puppy and tell them it was all their fault.

I'm confident that they are mastering the art of intimate cleansing.

Those kind of tips yes?

[missorinoco]

I drill in handwashing after using the loo, even if you are a boy having a wee, which DS seems to think is an exemption. It goes along with put the loo seat down when you have finished on the loo.

I would class this as important as cleaning "intimate areas."

Eldest DS seems to use up half a loo roll, so if he isn't wiping his bum he must be cleaning the bathroom, which is not to be discouraged.

DD I periodically encourage to wipe front to back explaining she will get sore otherwise. I suspect she doesn't get the concept of this, but I think some of learning will have to be by trial and error, and if she wants to close the door I have to respect that.

If there are lots of skid marks I remind them to wipe their bums thoroughly, but make it generic so there is no blame.

How do I stop DS from weeing on the floor because he has suddenly become too preoccupied with more important things such as talking about Skylanders is a whole new issue.

[BornToFolk]

I have been doing it wrong all this time. I just taught mine to wipe their bums.

Me too! DS has been taught to wipe until the paper is clean, flush the loo after himself and wash his hands thoroughly. He doesn't smell and his pants are usually clean (if not a quick reminder that failure to wipe properly will result in smells and a sore bum usually does the trick)

I thought I'd done a pretty good job...but now I hear there's supposed to be a routine?!

[Nerf]

I have never inspected a bum to see of it's clean once it stopped wearing nappies. Sorry. Some things are just unnecessary. I have enough grin childhood tasks like nit clearing, verucca taming, nail clipping, ear shining and worm medicine dosing without looking for crumby bums.
Loo roll in easy reach, told what to do when potty training - job done.

[Nerf]

Grim not grin !

[kath2]

My youngest DD (aged 4) has severe lactose intolerance and bowel issues, so I'm afraid she does from time to time become queen of the skid marks....lots of reassurance, reminding of the need to speed to the loo when the need arises rather than dawdle slowly past her toy dinosaurs, and wipe herself properly seem to do the trick. :-)

[sharond101]

Teach them young, hope they learn. Provide materials, monitor use and top up as needed, question if never needs topping up.

[mjmooseface]

missorinoco I've met many boys and men who seem to think it's okay to not wash their hands because they're just going for a pee! My rule is, if you go to the bathroom to use the toilet, wash your hands after! Sometimes when I've sat on the loo and nothing's happened - darn constipation! - I still wash my hands after! But maybe I'm just weird! ;)

[Nottheshrinkingcapgrandpa]

I ask! Can always tell
By his face if he's missed a step out.