Self-care skills

Toileting independence is a critical milestone for children. Children need to develop a range of skills before they become independent in toileting. These include communicating the need to go to the toilet, managing clothes, getting on and off the toilet, washing hands and more.

One of the most important steps towards achieving toileting independence is wiping. Teaching your child to wipe their own bottom promotes independence and confidence.

Below are some tips and strategies for your child to learn how to wipe their bottoms successfully.

How to teach your child to wipe

Sitting balance

For your child to wipe their bottom, they need to reach their hands behind them and look at the toilet paper to see whether it is clean or dirty.

Using equipment can help your child feel more balanced and confident on the toilet. Check to see if your child’s feet touch the ground. If not, placing your child’s feet on the step or stool can make them feel more balanced when wiping.

Folding toilet paper

Teach your child how much toilet paper to use by putting a sticker on the wall to indicate how far they need to pull down.

Normally about 4-5 squares is a good amount to start with. Ideally the length between the hand and elbow (2-3 squares).

Before placing the roll on the holder, squash it flat a little. This stops the roll spinning too easily.

Once they rip the toilet paper off the roll, teach them to fold the paper in half and how to hold the paper correctly in their hands. Make sure the toilet paper is flat (not wadded into a ball) and covers the majority of their hands as they wipe their own bottom.

Wiping motion

Teach your child to always wipe from front to back.
Initially, they may need you to hold their hand and show them what to do on their own bottom. Once they learn the correct motion, get them to try it themselves.

Check whether they are clean or not

Once your child has wiped their bottom, ask them to look at the toilet paper to check whether they are clean or not.
If it is dirty, teach your child to continue wiping.

Tips for parents when teaching wiping

Practice makes perfect

Every time your child uses the toilet, encourage them try to wipe themselves first.
Giving your child the chance to try every time they go is a great way to practise.

Keep checking

Even after your child has the confidence to wipe themselves, you should still check occasionally to reinforce any strategies or techniques as needed.

Activities to practise reaching behind their body

Play with sticky-tape or stickers.

Stick pieces to your child’s body (with their clothes on) and get them to reach and pull them off.
Place them on the back pockets, back of shoulders and bottom of their feet.
All of these help with learning to reach and balance in the way needed for toileting.

Scarf hide-and-seek

Play scarf hide-and-seek. Hide a scarf (or a hanky, ribbon or tea-towel) in the child’s pocket / up inside their t-shirt / behind their back etc.
Get your child to pull it out by reaching around behind their body.

Activities to practice wiping

Wiping spreads

Materials needed

Plate, some spread (eg. peanut butter, chocolate, jam), toilet paper

Steps

Smear some peanut butter (or other spread) on a plate and gather some toilet paper.
Have your child start with 4 squares of toilet paper flat in their hand (not wadded up) and fold it over one time.
Instruct your child to wipe the peanut butter off the plate. After every wipe, tell them to check their wipe. If they see peanut butter, then they need to fold the wipe in half and wipe again.
Encourage your child to get more toilet paper when needed.
Have them repeat step 3 until all of the peanut butter is wiped from the plate.

Balloon Wiping Game

Materials needed

Balloons x2, String, Peanut butter, Chair, Toilet paper

Steps

Blow up 2 balloons to a small size. These balloons are going to represent our bottom.
Tie them together and stick them to the back of a chair.
Smear some peanut butter in the middle, between the two balloons.
Get your child to sit on the chair and with some toilet paper, the goal is to wipe the peanut butter off the balloons until the balloons are clean.

If have any questions or if you would like a copy of the visuals used at school, please email Sinead (OT) at sinead.taylor@education.vic.gov.au or call the school.

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