How To Teach Your Toddler to Wipe
You may be thinking about starting to potty train your toddler this summer. More time at home, and less layers makes it the perfect time to get started with potty training. I can almost guarantee that even if you have a plan of attack and feel totally prepared, that you haven’t thought about how to teach your child another toilet task. How to wipe their own bum.
One of the hardest parts of potty training is teaching them how to wipe their bums. Partly because you just don’t expect it to be a problem on your first go around. Partly because there are so many challenges that get in the way of your child being able to wipe themselves.
It’s so important to teach your child to wipe thoroughly too. If they don’t it can cause irritation and even possible infections. Wiping bums is hard to do though, especially when you can’t quite reach and your motor skills just aren’t quite there yet. Ensuring that your child understands good washroom habits is important, even when you are helping them wipe.
Here are some tips on teaching your child to wipe themselves properly after each washroom use:
DO use Flushable Wipes
Always keep flushable wipes on hand during and after potty training – we love Kandoo Flushable Wipes in our home. You can never have too many wipes around your home. You will want to keep flushable wipes in every washroom within reaching distance for your child.
Flushable wipes are much easier for little ones to use and they get their bums much cleaner. My youngest always ends up with pieces of toilet paper stuck in her bum when she uses it instead of wipes. Kandoo Flushable Wipes just get their bums much cleaner than toilet paper – in fact they clean up to 30% better!
Kids will love using Kandoo Flushable Wipes because they’re moistened with lotion making the wipes soft and gentle on their bums. You will love them because they are free of parebens and sulfates meaning they’re safe for use on your little ones. The wipes come in unscented or magic melon – my kids love the magic melon scent, it gets them motivated about wiping after using the washroom.
Kandoo Flushable Wipes are also easy for little ones to use. They are small enough for little hands to use and the wipes pop up from the container with the push of a button.
Plus Kandoo Flushable Wipes are not only flushable but they are biodegradable making them safe for use in septic tanks.
DO Still Talk About Toilet Paper Use
Once your child is in school they may not have access to wipes so you should still talk about toilet paper use so they aren’t thrown off. One of the things I reinforce with my girls is that they are to use 3-4 squares of toilet paper each time. This helps prevent them from trying to use the entire roll in one go and also prevents them from trying to wipe with half a sheet.
They also need to know that with toilet paper they will need to wipe more than with wipes and that they need to check the paper, and if it’s not clean, to wipe again. Follow up with a Kandoo Flushable Wipe afterwards to ensure they are clean.
DO Demonstrate Proper Technique
To get your child on the right track towards being more independent and able to wipe themselves, explain what needs to be done from measuring the right amount of toilet paper to washing hands afterwards. Model for your child how to wipe from front to back – something both boys and girls need to do in order to avoid infection. Your child likely already follows you into the washroom, so take advantage of the time and model good hygiene techniques.
Ensuring that your child is clean and independent is important – pick up Kandoo Flushable Wipes now at a retailer near you.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by the Nehemiah Blogger Ambassador Program. All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.
Elizabeth Lampman is a coffee-fuelled Mom of 2 girls and lives in Hamilton, Ontario. She enjoys travelling, developing easy recipes, crafting, taking on diy projects, travelling and saving money!
I used Kandoo products when my boys were training. These are excellent wiping tips 🙂
These tips are great. I do not miss the potty training stage at all.
OK where were you when I was potty training my child LOL? I could’ve definitely used something like this to help him wipe better.
This is a step that they don’t talk about when they talk about potty training. BUT they should! It’s important!
I love this post so much. I had no problem getting my kids to learn how to go potty on the toilet. The problem came with teaching them how to wipe properly. That was tough.
This is so important! I now that this seems self explanatory but these wet wipes really help.
Teaching hygiene when they are young is the time to do it. They will learn good habits that will stick with them!
Thank you for posting this! This is a subject that very few parents want to talk about. But as a former daycare and preschool teacher, one of my biggest pet peeves was kids who had never been taught to wipe at home. Using flushable wipes is an awesome way to not only teach young kids to wipe, but also make sure they are not leaving behind anything that could cause a bacterial infection. And teaching the front to back wiping method is so important due to urinary tract infections that can stem from the bacteria. One of my most embarrassing moments was when a kid came out of the bathroom during graduation screaming wipe me. Oh the things teachers put up with, lol.
We love KANDOO and I love not having messy laundry loads. This is a topic not discussed often but a skill parents have to learn to tackle!
I can still remember these days. It wasn’t always easy teaching them to wipe right. It’s nice to have these kinds of products that are great for helping.
I admit, my son just turned 5 24 hours ago and I still wipe his bum with wipes. I just dont want to risk him being unclean.
I am so glad my kids are out of the potty training stage, but if they were we would definitely use these wipes!
Flushable wipes are a great tool for kids to clean themselves. It can be a hard skill for them to manage.
I remember those days! Those are perfect tips for moms of toddlers.
I always dreaded the “teaching to wipe” portion of potty training. Having wet wipes definitely makes the process much easier!
Elizabeth, this is such an unexpected, yet important, blog post. We don’t have this product you are endorsing where I live, but toilet training is one of those things parents tend to fumble through on their own! My little one is very independent, and I appreciate your tips. I would just like to note that some flushable wipes can clog toilets as much as non-flushable wipes. So parents should beware.
Thanks for all the tips,it’s so important to learn correctly.Your daughter has a lovely smile!
Oh i haven’t seen these in the stores yet! I will have to find this for my daughter as we currently doing the same in our house!
These wipes would have made it so much easier when I was potty training my daughters. Teaching the proper wiping technique is so important.
The wipes weren’t around when my oldest was training but I did use them with my son. Thank goodness for Kandoo.