Wipe Your Own Kid's Butt!

Wipe Your Own Kid's Butt!

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

filed under: meanest mom

Guest blogger Jana Mathews: I wiped three butts yesterday, only one of which belonged to a member of my family ... and that family member is four months old. The other two rear ends belonged to my six-year-old daughter's friends.

I was making lunch when I heard someone call my name.

"Camber's mom?"

I turned around to find a naked kindergartner standing in the middle of my kitchen with her pants around her ankles.

"I don't know how to wipe," she said.

"Seriously?" I asked.

After friend #2 also went number 2 in my bathroom -- and required similar assistance -- I began to ask myself: A) At what age do children master this valuable skill? and B) What is reasonably expected of us (i.e. someone who is not the child's parent) in the meantime? I, for one, am not super wild about my own kids' poo, and am more than a little grossed out about the thought of having to get so close to a stranger's ... especially when that stranger theoretically has been potty-trained for four years.

So what's a girl to do? Pony up and wipe away, or let the poor kid sit in her tread marks until she gets home?

Inquiring minds also want to know: Should a six-year-old be able to wipe her own butt?

Jana Mathews is the mother of "four under five" and the author of The Meanest Mom blog.

15 comments so far | Post a comment now >>

Sometimes my son (who will be 7 in April) wants me to wipe his butt. And I do it because I know if I don’t then he’ll be walking around scratching all day. Lucky for me, his body has kind of got this routine now where every night when he’s in the shower he has to get out and go poop so I don’t have to wipe for him. I don’t know about someone else’s kid, I would gag.

- ashley

Posted 02/11/09 07:39 AM

2 words: flushable wipes!

- ame i.

Posted 02/11/09 09:26 AM

flushable wipes!…yes, ame i., and yes, at 6 these kids should be able to wipe themselves….and if they don’t get clean enough, they will LEARN to clean better the next time after they’ve scratched for 3 hours…lol

- vicky

Posted 02/11/09 09:49 AM

all children should wipe ther own butts if they dont clean it good the first time they will the next when all their friends tell them they smell like poop i went through that with my 9 year old stepson he was to lazy to wipe his own butt so i told him i was not going to do it so he went out to play and his friends told them him he smelled guess what now he wipes his own butt and really clean too

- debbie

Posted 02/11/09 10:01 AM

They should at least know how to do it by kindergarten so the teacher won’t have it.

- Lindy

Posted 02/11/09 11:05 AM

IMO: it isn’t even so much of a question as to whether or not a child of that age should be able to wipe themselves (though, i do have my personal view). it’s more of a question of parental responsibility. as a parent of a child who will not or cannot wipe themselves, why would you see it acceptable send your child solo to social events (playtime, etc)? not only is wiping/potty something ‘personal’ that should be left to the parents, and family, and those close to a child, but it’s rude and irrepsonible to assume that other childrens’ parents should be willing to take on the task.

- dayna

Posted 02/11/09 12:15 PM

You hit the nail on the head Dayna. As a parent, you would know whether or not your kid could wipe their own butt, so therefore, if they can’t then they shouldn’t be going over to a friend’s house alone. I would never have expected someone else to be wiping my kids bum.

- Lisa

Posted 02/11/09 01:54 PM

I also felt compelled to mention that a rear end is considered a “private” in my house and I would not want a stranger messing around with my kids rear end. It can be a sick world out there and you don’t always know who is at someone else’s home .

- faye

Posted 02/11/09 03:40 PM

I was a preschool teacher for 2 years before I became a stay at home mommy. All of my kids were 4 years old and potty trained (because it is required in order to even go into the 3 year old class). There are some kids that are a little less capable of doing the wipe thing themselves but I refuse to do it FOR them. I WILL however talk them through doing it on their own. WHY? There is such a funny line these days of what is appropriate and what is not. Is helping a 4 year old wipe his butt okay? Probably, but I do not want some crazy parent accusing me of ANYTHING. You never know who is out to “get you” or see something the “wrong way”. So, I stand at the bathroom door where any teacher or parent can see me and tell Suzy or Johnny what to do, or that they need to wipe a little more. Soon enough they have it under control and don’t need me anymore.

- Queen Bee

Posted 02/11/09 04:12 PM

I would never refuse to wipe a child’s rear if they asked me. That would be just plain mean! You know you would obviously do a better job than them and if you agree to have a bunch of kindergarteners over to your house then you better be prepared for the worst!

- Anonymous

Posted 02/11/09 05:24 PM

smelly butts and skid marks. hee hee

- Anonymous

Posted 02/11/09 09:30 PM

What kind of dumb name is Camber?

- Anonymous

Posted 02/12/09 03:49 PM

my son is 3 and we go back and forth with this, i’m trying to get him more self sufficient because soon he will be in daycare and pre-school and i know they wont do it for him, and he is capable, jus sometimes if its exeptionally messy, or he’s being especially stubborn i’ll lend a hand, though usually i’m only needed for a cleanliness check.

- Anonymous

Posted 03/02/09 12:57 AM

By 6 years of age I think a child should be able to wipe their own bottom. At this age they should already be in Kindergarten, and their teachers will not do it for them at school. Personally I think I would be in a really awkward position if that happened to me because I have boys and therefore most of their friends are boys, and I would not be comftorable wiping another boys bottom.

- Cassandra

Posted 03/04/09 06:32 PM

You wiped 2 more butts than I would have that day. “Um, no thanks. You go ahead and finish up in there and wash your hands when you’re done.”

- Leslie

Posted 03/27/09 10:30 PM