A question for you
So I was just wondering, at what age do children generally start wiping their own butts after doing their bidness on the toilet?
I don’t have as large of a commenting readership as some of my favorite bloggers do, so if you don’t know, could you ask your readers? Pretty Please?
I’ll promise to show you something really embarrassing that I do with my margarine…
Brillig said,
August 24, 2007 @ 8:07 pm
Hahaha. Great question! My five year old does it herself, though, um, not very well. The “kandoo” wipes or other flushable moist wipes help a lot in that arena. My four year old occasionally asks for help, but not always. I leave it up to him to decide if he wants help or not. Does that help at all?
Sha Sha said,
August 24, 2007 @ 11:02 pm
Hailey, 4, still has me wipe her bootocks. I don’t think their little arms are long enough to reach back there without falling off the toilet!
As soon as BC learns to wipe himself, eClaire will just be old enough for you to start wiping her! And then the next one, etc.!
Becky said,
August 25, 2007 @ 6:40 am
I have my kids start learning to do it around 3.5. They are usually independent with it by 4. I use the Huggies flushable moist wipes as well and they are a LIFESAVER! I also teach them to get off the toilet and stand to wipe, bending over slightly. This helps them reach, do a good job, and not have any accidental hand splashes into the big bowl!
I do check on their progress until I am confident they are doing a good job. Also, underwear is a good indicator of when they might need a refresher course. Goodluck!
nell said,
August 25, 2007 @ 9:02 am
…pretty good job — a god job would be amazing, I can’t even imagine.
Jean said,
August 25, 2007 @ 9:13 am
I came over from Binky B’s blog. I am no expert..but my 8 year old still has occasional skid marks. The 7 year old does a fairly good job. The moist flushable wipes really are the best. The 3 year old is a work in progress as he wont poo in the pot and waits all day until his pull up goes on at bed time to poo.
That was probably way to much info from a total stranger, but that’s my two.
~JJ! said,
August 25, 2007 @ 10:12 am
Great question!
I’m still wiping my gal’s butt…
But she does try, unsuccessfully of course.
She’s 3 years 8 months.
Beta Mom said,
August 25, 2007 @ 12:45 pm
Hi — found you through Binky B. and left some comments there as well. My son (9) suffers from OCD of the buttocks…which means he’ll use an entire roll of toilet paper, which I’m happy to trade for surprise skids in the laundry. He’s been pretty self sufficient in this area since he was about 4 or 5.
My daughter, who is now 5, is purely capable…she just doesn’t have the patience to sit still long enough to wipe thoroughly. She’s convinced that all the major events happen when she stops to use the bathroom…so she barely gets a wipe in before she wants to be out of the bathroom and on to life. We have to work with her to remind her of the routine (thorough wipe, flush, wash hands…etc.) It doesn’t count if you just wipe your aura.
Dawn @ Coming to a Nursery Near You said,
August 25, 2007 @ 1:05 pm
LOL Hi there — visiting from cre8buzz and just had to tell you — I’m rather afraid to know what you do with margarine if it’s in the same posting as wiping your child’s butt LOL
My daughter, 4, does a lousy job of it, so I still have to help her.
Heather said,
August 25, 2007 @ 1:19 pm
No worries now! I’m here to share my skid mark authori-tay!!!
Honest truth, Payton is almost 7 and has just starting wiping his butt full time in the past 3–5 months. But we all know Payton is special and more stubborn than god on earth. He *could* wipe it before but I was a sucker and he whined long enough I just did it.
Parker is 4.5 and has started trying to wipe his own but I have to help him. I figure before he’s 5 he’ll be doing it on his own.
And then my skid mark authoritay will go way on up because kids just don’t do a good job.
PS…buy those flushable wipes. LOTS of them.
Matthew said,
August 26, 2007 @ 3:48 pm
We are just getting to potty training stage with my twins but THIS is exactly why I’m not in a hurry. Dry toilet paper doesn’t seem like it will stand a chance, frankly.
Perhaps just stock up on flushable wipes, huh?
Mrs. Mustard said,
August 26, 2007 @ 6:23 pm
My husband still doesn’t know the proper way to do it.
I plan on NOT allowing him to teach our son when he is trained
moodswingingmommy said,
August 27, 2007 @ 5:11 am
That’s a good question (and thank you for the link!) Sadly, I cannot answer it yet because at three and a half, my son still considers himself too young to poop on the potty. For everything else, he’s a “big boy,” but for this, “I’m just a baby, Mommy!” The other posters have shed some light on the subject though, so thank you for that as well.
PS: I’m resuming Makeover Monday after a little break. I’d love it if you’d come and keep me company!
Organized? Meticulous? Anal? » Smiling Mom said,
August 27, 2007 @ 7:58 am
[…] anther note, thank you so much for your help, or ass-vice as Jennifer Playgroupie likes to call it, via comments and links. I do appreciate […]
Sarah (In the Trenches of Mommyhood) said,
August 28, 2007 @ 8:13 am
Came here via Jen at Playgroups Are No Place for Children: I just did a post on this very topic!
http://sarahviz.blogspot.com/2007/08/queen-of-toilet-paper.html
Anna said,
September 1, 2007 @ 3:59 am
Oh go, I am wishing my three-year-old son WOULDN’T try and do it himself!
It doesn’t go well.
Anna said,
September 1, 2007 @ 3:59 am
That was, oh GOD, not oh go!