my kids 5 & 6 are always yelling at me to wipe their butt after they poop, whats up? i make them do it themselves but after i check and it kills me that there is still poop on their butts! i cant stand it so i do another wipe myself? i have a boy and a girl but both are equally bad wipers! we even use those flushable wipes, so whats up? does anyone else still help wipe their kids butts or am i the only one????
My secret: black underwear.
My 8YO is better at it now than when he was six, but I'm still buying black drawers for him.
I think I'm about ready to change my 5 1/2 yr old son's name to "Skid Mark." Sigh! Why can't he just wipe?!
I stopped when they went to Kindergarten. The get the occasional skidmark. No big deal. They bathe regularly. The way I see it is I wouldn't want to have a memory of my parent wiping my butt, so I figure they won't want that either.
When they are first starting to use the potty, I have them wipe as many times as the number of years they are. (Unless they are two...)
When kids turn four, I *will not* wipe first for them. They have to do at least three or four wipes and then they can call me. (I say "they" as I used to nanny as well. And in my preschool days, I would help them.) My son is five and rarely calls me in... who knows why? If it was the 'wipe at least four times' practice... he only asks for assistance when he's been working at it for a while.
I know of several kids that are seven and up that need help, still. Good luck. And make sure they are wiping at least 5 or 6 times. They need all the practice they can get.
Why should they try if you will do it for them? Time to tell them how much paper they can use (show them) and that you aren't going to do it for them anymore. Tell them that if they don't wipe properly, their bottoms will get sore.
It's embarrassing for a kid this age for mom to have to put Desitin on their butts because they didn't wipe.
Sometimes they 1) have to get a sore butt and 2) have to be embarrassed over needing "butt cream" in order to finally learn to wipe properly.
It's time...
Good luck!
Dawn
Nearly 6 here, still giving her a hand.
Side note...boys are bad wipers since they stand most of the time. They just don't think about it. Personal experience: Doing laundry for a brother in his late 20's and a husband in his 30's. Men are gross.
If they're rally bad at it and/or you think they are just being lazy so you do it for them, you can start making them hand rinsing their own knickers.
My daughter is four and has been doing pretty good with wiping lately. We got her flushable wipes and told her to wipe until it's clean. Her undies have been MUCH cleaner in the last couple of months, so I think she got the hang of it!
I still double check my just turned 5 year old. He's been doing much better over the past 3 months. I might just start "trusting" him to wipe on his own. With my daughter, it was about the same age - 4.5 to 5 years old before they had it down well enough for me to not check. Tell them that they have to keep wiping until the tissue comes clean, and they can flush more than once. That is a great motivator for mine! Good luck!
My daughter just turned 5. She's been doing a great job wiping since she was 4. Occasionally, she has a mark in her underwear but not often at all. We just tell her she must wipe until she doesn't see anything on the toilet paper. That seems to have done the trick.
My daughter was like that.
She got better at it the older she got.
It is fine motor ability and how they reach back there.
My son is 5, and I help him.
I don't mind.
It is still awkward for him and to get it clean.
In school he will/can do it, but it is not 100% clean.
I'm with ya. I feel like all i do some days is wipe butt. lol
I have a 5 and 6 year old girls. My 5 year old always do the same thing also. always want me to wipe her butt. The 6 year old can pretty much do it herself. My 3 year old son kinda does it too. Just depends....So i guess your not the only one who wipes butts. ;)
My son finally got good at it this year. He's 8. I had no idea it took this long. I bet it depends on the child and their personality. He did not want poop to get on his hand and was freaked out about it. Half the time he used to not wipe at all (gross). Now, finally, he does it himself and is doing a good job.
Are we talking about boys or girls??? TMI, but I don't think my hubby does a great job sometimes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No, good question, I still help my just turned 5 year old and am trying to encourage her to do it. Its time...shes been potty trained for over 2 years, LOL.
My son just turned 6 and he has an 85% success rate. LOL Meredith!
Updated
My son just turned 6 and he has an 85% success rate. LOL Meredith!
They may not EVER wipe good enough for you! The skid marks may be there FOREVER but at ages, 5 & 6 it's time for THEM to wipe!
Just MY take!
I had read that because of arm length and dexterity some children can't do it properly until 5 or 6, so I wasn't expecting to have to stop for a few more years. But, my guy, 3, has been potty trained for the past year and wipes pretty good. I started him during potty training since it's a part of it, and to his credit he will not let me check until he sees nothing on the toilet paper, typically about 3 wipes, more than likely because I taught him it was his responsibility. And he gets it all about 90% of the time.
I would let your little ones know it's up to them to do it from here on out, that you will "check." And when you check and still see something hand them the toilet paper...practice makes perfect.
My one is almost 6 and she still asks for me to wipe her bottom...I do tell her everytime that she should do this now, but shes a stubborn one. She somehow manages this by herself at school and at others houses, but she doesnt do a good job....I can tell this by the sight of her laundry.
Queen of the Castle-lol!
