Can your 4 yr olds wipe themselves?

My boys will be five in June. They are in a full day preschool this year and kindergarten next year. They can't wipe their bottoms! Or won't? Afraid to try? What's the expectancy of when they should be able to complete this task. We have quite the issues when they do #2 at school.

 

No and honestly, this is our biggest battle in our household at the moment.

I think I need to turn mean and just stop wiping. They will need to do it if I don't do it for them. We did a sticker chart, they both earned a prize, they stopped, we took the prize away....no dice.

 

hmmm... Mine just turned 3 in January and we don't have a problem in this house. What we DO have a problem with, is them using TP on many things OTHER than wiping their tooshies! So we have to ration it out, or put it up high and they have to ask for it when they go to the bathroom. But as far as the act of wiping itself, no, we don't have any issues. Of course, they are still learning how to wipe themselves till they are clean, but at least they try.

Sorry, hopefully you find a solution soon. Good luck.

 

I have one that is good about it (although uses too much toilet paper at times) and one that wants us to wipe and we've been trying to get her to do it more herself. She was told by Dr.'s for awhile that we should help her, so she got it in her head that she needs us. She had a lot of issues with her rear end (strep, UTI's, etc.). But, she'll be going to Jr. K 5 days a week next year and I keep telling her they won't wipe here there. But, she wipes herself at daycare too, so I don't know. She is getting better about it, but occasionally needs a follow up.

 

My 6 y/o have yet to master the skill. While they no longer ask me to wipe them, the dirty laundry tells me that they aren't doing a good job themselves. :bad:

 

Actually, my 5YO just started wiping herself about 6 months ago all by herself. I just put my foot down and told her she had to do it. I got tired of having to stop what I am doing and get to her. So, I quit. For the most part she does a pretty good job-minimum redness and poop on the underwear. My 3YO can wipe himself beautifully. No issues and no poop on the underwear. The other-well, he isnt even PTed yet :angry:

 

Yes, mine do. They started doing it last Sept. when they started preschool. I figured they needed to know how to do it and I needed to know they would know what to do at school, since they need to do it independently at school (the teachers will not help them). At home I do always check their bottoms to make sure they are clean after they wipe themselves. But I do make them wipe themselves first (even at home).

 

They try, but I usually find some dried poop on them (and/or tire tracks on their underwear) when I get them ready for bed. That's why we still wipe them with a baby wipe and Cetaphil cleanser every single night, even though it seems a little weird to be doing that with kids this age.

We actually have a bigger problem with not wiping pee. Sarah has a recurring problem with rashes (and now yeast) and it's largely because she doesn't wipe after she pees.

 

Hi: My two just turned 4 and they are good wipers. We do use the wet toilet wipes (the store brand), which really helps them get things clean after BMs.

So, I think your kids can do it, but you probably need to have some sort of "training" session on how to do it properly and them some type of positive reinforcement to create an incentive.

Meg

 

Mine do it pretty well. Not perfect, so we sometimes have residue at the end of the day, but for the most part they have it down.

 

My girls try, but I often go behind them and wipe again because they don't get it all. I

 

So it sounds like a 50/50 thing, or maybe 40/60 no/yes. I think I'm going to have to play hardball with them. They do try at school but it's never successful and they always have sore/itchy bums. UGH. Thanks for you input.