When do they wipe their own bums?

winery · September 2010

I'm not complaining, after all, I'm still changing a 2 year old's diaper, but when will my nearly 4 year old wipe his own bum? Successfully?

Any tips on moving in that direction or is it too soon?

DandelionMom · September 2010

My 4 y/o has been doing it for months. We bought her those flushable toddler wipes (and had to give a couple lectures about not using more than 3 at a time).

jettagurl · September 2010

Ben is about 80%. He knows to wipe it and to make sure there's no poo on the paper. If he wipes a couple times and there still is, he calls for me. I think his 80% is skewed by the fact that he poops 'clean' most of the time.. (that's DH's phrase for it..lol).

Nat, on the other hand as been PT'd for a month and doesn't want to wipe herself ever....so I totally see myself helping her for YEARS to come.

josie402 · September 2010

I've wondered the same thing. DS will be 4 in December and sometimes he'll do it and sometimes he calls for me to do it. Hopefully soon!

Angela814 · September 2010

DD did herself from about 3.5 to 4 yrs. Now she calls me to help every single time.

Victorsgal · September 2010

DD started doing it by herself when she started preschool last month. She will be 3.5 next month. I had to give her a lecture on it and tell her no more than 2 toddler wipes.

docmay25 · September 2010

My DD has been doing it since she was about 3.5. But she has always had constipation issues and is a "clean pooper".

DS was later. More like 4, but wouldn't always get himself completely clean and I had to give him many lessons on how to do it right. here is a conversation we had a few months ago about this issue...

Me: "you aren't going to get your bum clean like that. you have to get in the crack"

DS: "Am I there yet?!"

CleoKitty · September 2010

Ds was 5 y/o and in preschool before he would consistently wipe his own A$$. He just absolutely refused so we had to lay down the law and inform him that as of his 5th birthday we were no longer wiping him anymore, period.

He'll be 6 in a couple of weeks and it's no longer an issue whatsoever. He handles all bathroom matters 100% independently.

Amanda&Chris · September 2010

Lila has been doing it for a few months now and she's 3 yrs 5 months. Sometimes she asks me to help her, but usually she does it herself. Ditto on the flushable wipes, that makes it much easier for her.

stacynikki · September 2010

They don't wipe the kids butts in DS's class at daycare. Once the kids get to this class they get the kids to be "self wipers". Even still, DS asks for us to wipe him when he's at home as he's not a "clean pooper" and it takes several wipes to clean his behind.

jlw2505 · September 2010

My 4 year old does her own wiping most of the time. Granted, she is also in school full time and her teachers don't help at that age unless its a really messy poop. She does a pretty decent job most of the time too.

shopgirl_07 · September 2010

Mine always wiped his own butt. But he's always been super independent.

shopgirl78 · September 2010

DD did at age 3.5-4. At 4, she went to preschool and they would not help, so smetime prio to that.

lsufan · September 2010

Evan is 4.5, and I just recently started making him do it on his own. The first few times, I watched him do it and gave instructions, then showed him how to get it cleaner. Now he does it on his own. I'm sure it's not quite as clean as if I were doing it, but at almost 5, I figured it was time for him to do it on his own.

peekaboo716 · September 2010

A conversation my neighbor had with his DS (in kindie) while I was there:

His DS: Dad? I pooped. Come wipe me!

Neighbor: OK (he goes in and while wiping asks his DS) What do you do when you poop at school?

His DS: I wipe it.

Neighbor: Why don't you do it at home then?

His DS: Because you will do it and mommy said you do a better job.

In answer to your question, though, DS has been since he was PT at daycare.

grja · September 2010

DS is 3 years 4 months and he's been doing it for a few months now. He REFUSED to poop on the potty (has been peeing on the potty since a little over 2).Drove us crazy. He'd wear underwear all day and then ask for a diaper when he knew he had to poop. It drove us crazy. It was about a week after he turned 3, he went poop on the potty and never looked back. He's gotta be a clean pooper cause he rarely needs me to help wipe.

Bellisimo · September 2010

Mine does it himself...after being taught using flushable wet wipes. He's pretty thorough. It was a prerequisite for starting K3.

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