My son's preschool teacher and I are having a disagreement about when a child is expected to wipe themselves.
My son is 3.75 yo and is fully and independently using the potty except for wiping. He does not like to poop outside the house because he prefers his little potty, doesn't like the big potties, but recently is more willing to try outside the house. He also does not want to poop at school.
When I asked him about pooping at school he said he doesn't like to be by himself (there are only 2 teachers, but the bathroom is right off the classroom and they leave the door open, so he's not down the hall by himself or something). He also said he has to wipe himself and he verbalized that he's not big enough.
Today I talked with the teacher about it and she said emphatically that they don't and will not wipe a child and said it is my job to teach him how at home. She asserted that he's almost 4, what are you waiting for and seemed very alarmed that we are not trying to help him learn this at home.
I countered that the two times he's hiped himself at school, he's come home with a dirty butt, that he seems unable and uninterested in doing it and that the parents I know are wiping their children at this age. I asked her if it's the Dept of Health that says she can't wipe at school and she said that no preschools in the area wipe children's butts and that she is not set up to do it.
What do you think? I think around 5, but also when the child seems willing and able is the right age.
My son is 3.75 yo and is fully and independently using the potty except for wiping. He does not like to poop outside the house because he prefers his little potty, doesn't like the big potties, but recently is more willing to try outside the house. He also does not want to poop at school.
When I asked him about pooping at school he said he doesn't like to be by himself (there are only 2 teachers, but the bathroom is right off the classroom and they leave the door open, so he's not down the hall by himself or something). He also said he has to wipe himself and he verbalized that he's not big enough.
Today I talked with the teacher about it and she said emphatically that they don't and will not wipe a child and said it is my job to teach him how at home. She asserted that he's almost 4, what are you waiting for and seemed very alarmed that we are not trying to help him learn this at home.
I countered that the two times he's hiped himself at school, he's come home with a dirty butt, that he seems unable and uninterested in doing it and that the parents I know are wiping their children at this age. I asked her if it's the Dept of Health that says she can't wipe at school and she said that no preschools in the area wipe children's butts and that she is not set up to do it.
What do you think? I think around 5, but also when the child seems willing and able is the right age.
: mentioned between 3 and 4. I have started to encourage my 3 yr old to at least try to wipe after a bm. Of course she's not thrilled about it because she'd rather me do it, but she does a fairly decent job and it has progressed over the past few months.
My DD is 27 months and wipes herself every time. She has done so from the time she learned to use the potty. She will still request that I wipe her after she does it herself for poops, but I very rarely get anything. It never occured to me that this was something she was too young to learn to do. She does wipe from the back for everything and does a great job. I've offered my help from day one, but she says that she can do it.
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