“Cheeky” hacks to help your child learn to wipe their bottom!

Let’s face it – toilet training is hard work. Just when you are about to celebrate throwing away the nappies, giving away the change table and thinking you are on your way … you suddenly hear from the toilet room the inevitable “Mum … I’m finished!!!!!” … yep – you have forgotten to teach them to wipe their own bottom. Sigh!

The last hurdle in toilet training is learning to self-wipe. Here are a few tips to assist you with teaching this process:

1. The toilet paper – firstly, its important that they learn how much toilet paper is just the right amount – a whole roll is probably too much and yet once square is not enough. Show them the exact ratio of bottom-to-toilet-paper they require (usually 3-4 squares). Its also important to teach them how to hold the toilet paper, while the world is divided into ‘scrunchers’ or ‘folders’, generally a folded, flat surface makes it easier to wipe.
2. The reach around – we all know it is essential to learn to wipe from front to back (especially for girls) but this does require a slight weight shift onto one butt cheek and the ability to reach around. Practice this with some reach around games – not quite pin the tail on the donkey but games that involve removing or applying post-it notes on top of shorts/bottom (or similar) might be just the ticket!
3. Keep wiping – its important to teach perseverance here, as well as knowing when to finish. Talk them through the process of wipe, fold, wipe, fold, wipe until they don’t see anything on the toilet paper to wipe anymore. That’s how they’ll know they’re finished and ready to flush.
4. Beware the “flushable” wipes – although the marketing on many toilet/bathroom wipes would indicate that they are “flushable”, and thus safe to flush down your toilet … your water service provider and your sewage system probably has a different opinion. Up to 75% of sewage blockages involve wipes. So maybe err on the safe side and dispose of those wipes in the bin.

If you are needing some further assistance in those easily toilet training skills or learning to wipe – the therapists at Kids that Go may just be the answer you are looking for. Feel free to contact us on 07 3087 1904.