5yo refuses to wipe.

[minkajane]

DS has been potty trained for two years. We've always encouraged him to wipe himself, then we check and make sure he got it all. Last year, we got him some toddler wipes and he started doing it on his own. Apparently he wasn't getting everything and he ended up with stained underwear and an itchy butt. Now he refuses to even try. He says he doesn't know how to do it right. When I explain that he'll never learn if he refuses to try, he just gets upset.

We're getting really frustrated with this and I don't know how to move forward. He just flat-out refuses to even try. Today we just let him sit in there and when we checked on him, he was his stomach on the floor playing with his bath toys, the poop still on his butt.

WWYD?

[Shahbazin]

Is there a way you could hang a mirror down low so he could bend over & "check"? Would he do a deal like, "you wipe 1st, then I check you?" Is he amenable to reasoning - "if you don't wipe, you need to help pre-wash your undies so they don't stain, & you'll have to live with itchies?" What about rewards - so many days of clean undies, & he gets a desired treat/object/activity? We're not quite that far yet with my potty trained kid, but I think she'll go for the mirror thing - she's a bit of a perfectionist, & likes me to do stuff for her until she's 110% ready.

[meemee]

you dont want to hear from me.

i have a 7 year old who wont do it. i still wipe for her.

*shrug* i am ok with it.

worse is she does it perfectly well at her dad's place but now he has a bidet.

i am happy knowing that she wont need me to wipe her in high school.

part of the problem for her is she is a perfectionist and has a great ewwww factor. everything is gross for her. one day things will change. until then i am prepared to wait.

i would leave him and let him do it when he is ready to. i know then it will be overnight like the snap of the finger.