Moms of toddlers and older

[grk2012]

How did you teach your kid to wipe after pooping? His arm barely reaches back there. If he can get anything, he smears it across his back. He's supposed to have a trial day at his new preschool on Wednesday, where kids in his room are supposed to be potty trained, and I'm nervous. He just turned 4. Help?

[luvmagoldn]

My boys still don't have the hang of this. I was really worried when the twins started preschool. Everything on the website says they MUST be potty trained by the time school starts. But at orientation they let us know that the teachers will help with snaps, buttons, wiping, etc if they need to. They aren't supposed to according to licensing rules but the reality is, kids need help.

It actually worked out that my boys didn't poop at school - they would go before or after. Not sure if they made that happen or if it just worked out that way though.

[Redpoppy]

The teachers help wipe if the kid asks. I have to remind DS about this sometimes but would rather he ask than have to change out of poopy underwear daily.

[grk2012]

Oh, that's a relief. Thank you! I'll make sure he asks (not shy about it at home...) and hope he doesn't have to go at all.

[SusanBAnthony]

W is 4.8 and I still wipe him. He sort of can, but makes a huge mess and doesn't get clean. We have 1 year of preschool left, then I am going to have to start working on it for kindy. But his preschool teachers do wipe. He has also regulated himself to mostly poop at home, which helps, as he does not like to have to ask at school.

[noonecareswhoiam]

My kid is at a public-school run PreK, and they don't help kids wipe. He does OK, usually, but has come home with skid marks a couple of times. Hey, shit happens!

[ijack]

mine is 4 and can't really wipe by herself.

[GailGoldie]

Griffin turned 5 in march and is still horrible about wiping his butt. He has to do it on his own at daycare (since he was 4.5yo in the preK class) so we just give him a good wipe when he gets home to make sure it's clean - it's often not that clean... skid marks are common these days in his underwear. Nice, huh?

[grk2012]

LOL! At least I know I won't be the only mom stain-spraying mini skivvies on laundry day. When I called the school today to ask what we need for tomorrow, I asked about wiping protocol (no, I didn't call it that) and she assured me the teachers could help.

[vanillacourage]

We got toddler wet wipes and that helped.

[anna7602]

DD still got help wiping when she started preschool at age 2.5. But at some point, maybe closer to age 3.5 or so, she got it and does a pretty good job most of the time now. I never did anything specifically.