Bottom wiping using toilet paper is commonly used to clean oneself after using the toilet and is closely associated with modern culture. However, bottom washing with water is still common in some cultures.

Regardless of the culture, cleaning oneself after using the toilet is very important and closely related to hygiene.

As a parent, you would want your child to be able to clean themself after using the toilet without relying on you to help them every time. 

Teaching your child to clean themselves after using the toilet is very important because it is an essential skill for them to be independent in toileting.

This article will focus more on how to teach your child how to properly wipe themselves after using the toilet (bottom wiping).

Click here to learn more on how to teach your child to wash themself properly after using the toilet (bottom washing).

Without further due, here are the steps you can follow to teach your child on how to wipe their bottom cleanly during toilet training:

Step 1: Get the toilet paper

Step 2: Hold the toilet paper

Step 3: Wipe properly

Step 4: Check toilet paper

Step 5: Throw the toilet paper

Remember, to prevent toilet clogging issue you need to choose toilet paper that dissolves easily.

Find out the best toilet paper to prevent clogging issue by clicking here.

Step 6: Repeat

Step 7: Flush the toilet

Step 8: Wash Hands

Click here to learn more about the proper hand-washing steps to teach your child to develop good toileting habits and prevent the spread of germs.

What if your child has difficulty learning the steps?

If your child has difficulty learning the steps, you can teach them by holding their hand to guide them on how to do it step by step.

Then, slowly, let them do more and more of the steps until they can do them with less and less assistance from you.

Let your child practice consistently daily until they can do it without your help.

You can also use cartoon-themed toilet paper during toilet training to make the process fun for your child.

This is because using things associated with your child’s interest will likely motivate them to participate and engage with the process more.

Click here to find out the Top 4 best cartoon-themed toilet paper for toilet training.

What if your child has difficulty wiping themself properly after using the toilet?

For a child to be able to wipe their bottom properly, they need to have these 3 basic pre-wiping skills:

• Able to tear off enough paper needed for wiping (2-3 squares) 
• Able to reach their bottom
• Able to hold toilet paper properly and wipe cleanly

If your child has problems with these pre-wiping skills, they will have problems with bottom wiping. 

What you can do is figure out why your child struggles to wipe themselves properly and what pre-wiping skills they lack.

To do that, you can observe how they do it and identify what went wrong.

Are they lacking the ability to tear off enough toilet paper? Did they have difficulty reaching their bottom? Are they not able to wipe themself cleanly?

After you figure out what pre-wiping skills your child is lacking, you can start training them so they can get better at that skills and eventually be able to wipe themself properly.

Click here to learn more about fun activities you can do with your child to improve their pre-wiping skills.

What is the correct direction for bottom wiping?

A good rule of thumb is always to practice wiping from front to back (never back to front) to avoid the risk of urinary tract infection (UTI), especially for girls.

Conclusion

Of all the other toileting skills, bottom wiping is probably one of the most difficult toileting skills for your child to learn and master.

It may even take some time for your child to learn how to do it properly.

However, with consistent training, your child will eventually master it.

If you want to know the necessary skills required for your child to be completely independent in toileting, check out my other article here.

I hope this article is helpful to you, and if you like it, you may check out my other articles from this blog. Thanks for visiting my blog!