Are 3 year Olds expected to wipe themselves thoroughly?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This has been such a fascinating thread (I know, how sad I find the topic of bum-wiping exciting?).

My 3-year-old is at a daycare in Alexandria and the teachers all help the kids with wiping. It would never have occurred to me that they wouldn't. Sadly, my DD isn't potty trained yet (like some of her classmates) and we'd be in serious trouble if the teachers wouldn't help out on this.

Interesting to hear that there are different schools of thought on this.

At just turning three-years-old, DD was at a preschool where toilet independence was a requirement. She was toilet trained and we really spent a lot of time working on wiping. You do it when you have to. No, she was never perfect but good enough.

[Anonymous]

My 3yo luckily does all her poops at home. Seriously, even though she goes to daycare, I think she likes the privacy of pooping at home, so she got herself into the habit of pooping at night, after putting on pjs and brushing teeth, before bedtime. Works nicely! So I, obviously, wipe her then.

However, I have noticed she still doesn't do a great job even when wiping #1. Sometimes she'll hop off the toilet to try to get the TP, and I always have to remind her to stay there, reach for the TP, wipe, and THEN get off. I am SURE she is doing this at school too. I guess just thru my repeating it and repeating it and repeating it at home she'll eventually get it. Her undies, at the end of a daycare day, haven't seemed inordinately wet or even damp or anything like that, but, still. . .

[Anonymous]

My kid is 4 (most of the kids in her preschool class are 5) and she cannot wipe her butt well. The teachers do not help.

At home, I was solely wiping but now I make her wipe and then I follow behind her with a wet wipe. I actually think she holds it at school because she doesn't feel comfortable after she doesn't wipe well (her butt itches) and she knows the teachers won't help her. I hate that she does that, but what can I do about it? The school is all about independence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 3yo luckily does all her poops at home. Seriously, even though she goes to daycare, I think she likes the privacy of pooping at home, so she got herself into the habit of pooping at night, after putting on pjs and brushing teeth, before bedtime. Works nicely! So I, obviously, wipe her then.

However, I have noticed she still doesn't do a great job even when wiping #1. Sometimes she'll hop off the toilet to try to get the TP, and I always have to remind her to stay there, reach for the TP, wipe, and THEN get off. I am SURE she is doing this at school too. I guess just thru my repeating it and repeating it and repeating it at home she'll eventually get it. Her undies, at the end of a daycare day, haven't seemed inordinately wet or even damp or anything like that, but, still. . .

LOL, that's exactly what my 4.5 yo DS does and has done since potty training. He will do everything he can to not poop away from home, and when he gets home, he poops right before tooth brushing time. I'm so glad he's a pretty consistent one-per-day pooper. His baby brother poops often, so I think things will be rougher with him.

[Anonymous]

Children that age should absolutely get help if needed. 3 is very young to wipe properly. 4 is more likely but I find it perfectly fine to need help until 5-6. And I do work in childcare. I would seriously question a caretakers abilities if she said something like you described...