Saturday, December 13, 2008

"Can you wipe me???"

How old is the average kid who can wipe their own butt? (Proficiently.)

When I became a mom, I knew about diapers, but I never ever put in any thought past being potty trained. I ~never~ thought for a second about the added years of butt wiping I still had to do.

When does it end? Ella will be in kindergarten in 9 months, so I'm sure it'll be by then, right? Or do they just half-assed wipe while at school and still ask at home? I have already started teaching her, of course, and she at least has to give it a go, but she's not really good at it yet.

Yet another chapter missing from the "what to expect" books.

14 comments:

Jennie said...

Aaaah butt wiping. My five year old has been wiping his butt on his own for sometime now. But that is only because I make him.

However, he still somehow manages to (at least once a week) miss and get poo on his fingers. Does he wash his hands? Yes, but only after he wipes the poop on the wall.

MrsSpock said...

I have no clue, but I know I was wiping my own caboose in preschool. I remember my mom standing in the bathroom coaching me, LOL...

Jen said...

I don't know. Our friends were telling their 5 year old in August that he'd have to learn how to wipe his own butt before kindergarten started the next month. I haven't asked how that has gone though...

I've told Jillian that she really needs to start wiping her own butt soon. She just gives me a goofy looking grin. I think that means no.

Mags said...

My twins start kindergarten next September. I'm trying to train them now to wipe themselves. I'm not looking forward to next few years of brown streaks.

Anonymous said...

I hear ya Nancy! I still have to wipe on occasion too and she is
the same age as Ella....she will be 5 in May. Although, she must do it herself at school bc I know they don't help her there. I love Kandoo wipes bc they can really get in there and clean themselves better then toilet paper. oh the joys of being a mommy! :)
Heather

Liz said...

I was just wondering about this myself. I don't quite yet trust my daughter to do this on her own, but cannot stand to hear "Mom, I pooped" 2 or 3 times a day.

Kaci said...

Maybe she just won't poop at school.

Sarah said...

This reminds me of that Adam Sandler movie where the little boy says, "I wipe my own ass!". *giggle*

Michelle said...

My daughter (5) just won't poop at school. She can wipe it, but want me to "check" when she's done.

mommybird said...

I think sometime between 4 and 5 is the average time because obviously the teacher can't help them at school. Be careful with those "flushable" wipes though. They are fragranced and gave my daughter a urinary tract infection. Also, they still clog toilets because they're not really flushable. Just a heads up before anyone has to call a plumber. My friend (a plumber) says that those are some of his biggest problems with plugged toilets.

Beautiful Mess said...

I think this is the first time I've commented on this blog. But I have an answer for you on the "butt wiping" thing. My son *he turned 5 in July* started wiping his own rear the summer BEFORE school. It was probably around his 5th birthday that he did it. We TRIED to get him to do it FOR months before, but he wasn't having it. Finally, it "just clicked" in his little head.
Good luck!
-D

Heather said...

I'm a little late in commenting, but it was around 5 that I teased my daughter that she needed "remedial butt wiping lessons." I think it's that they want to get it right in the beginning and then by 5 they just can't be bothered to take the time. There are too many things to do.

Molly said...

I think that most kids can do it before they start kindergarten, if I'm not mistaken. The flushable wipes are okay if they only use one or two of them. Does she try on her own?

Brandi said...

I know I am way late on this, but my step-son is 6 and I just barely taught him how to wipe himself. His mom wouldn't teach him, the same woman who didn't potty train him until he was almost 5. I bought baby wipes to make it easier. I told him ahead of time that I wasn't going to do it anymore. So for a while he wouldn't poop at our house he would wait until he got home. But he finally went one day and I said ok you need to wipe yourself, I told him to wipe three times and then I would come check him, he did and has been doing ever since. After that weekend, he went home and told his mom to buy some baby wipes cause he could wipe his own butt now.