My daughter is 5 years old and has been potty trained for 2-3 years now, but I'm still not comfortable with how poorly she wipes after she urinates. She's not an ace yet with wiping her bum, but that's easier to tackle because you can see feces. But after she pees, she just dabs herself or wipes the outside and doesn't really get in there to get fully clean. I've tried explaining his to her and the ramifications of not wiping properly, and I've done it for her many, many times. But she just refuses to be thorough on her own. All the advice for wiping has been addressed towards pooping, but I don't know how to get her to clean herself well after just a pee. Is this something she'll just figure out on her own if I continue to explain it or does anyone have any ideas that are more proactive? Many thanks.
I actually think that you wouldn't want her to wipe inside the vagina (or the vulva, as someone explained). That way she actually could push "stuff" into it, like toilet paper could stick, or if she had a bowel movement, there may be (invisible) traces.
My daughter just dabs the area.
H.
If she isn't irritated and doesn't smell like pee, then don't worry about it. It's her body and she'll figure it out eventually.
Hi C.:
I would try to not worry about it. She will figure it out. Most important is that she wipes front to back to prevent bacteria from rectum to vagina. Dabbing is sufficient. Take care.
Hi C.,
I don't think she has to "get in there" to clean herself. We have taught our 5 1/2 year old how to wipe herself, but I think that I was so hygiene spaz like that we now have another issue that she wipes herself too much and too rough that she gives herself rashes. We tell her just give it two gentle wipes and if there is a little "dribble" that is OK. You don't want your child becoming afraid of it, or have her hurt herself because she feels so much pressure to make sure she gets every drop. She'll figure it out like we all do, just don't make it a bigger issue than it is. :) Good luck.
If she hasn't had any irritation, I wouldn't worry about it. Urine is sterile.
Hi C. - I'm not sure how to help you with your question, but I want to commend you on teaching your daughter the correct words for body parts! So many parents don't and I jusat think it's silly - why not teach them correctly from the beginning...? It lays the groundwork and sets the precedence for those difficult conversations in the future.
After a while, we have fun and silly names, but the foundation is so important.
So along that line, I am hoping you will appreciate that the part of the body you are referring to is actually called the vulva. The vagina is inside... (A very common error, but one of my pet peeves!)
Enjoy your day - and your daughter.
Hi C.,
I think dabbing is ok. Your daughter is more likely to irritate herself by rubbing around in her genitla area. If she has a messy bowel movement then you would want to make sure she gets all the stool from her genitals because she might get a urinary tract infection however, regular bathing will remove any residue of old urine as needed.
J. L.
Hi, my daughter is 7 & i think /hope this is something that will come in time. She will be in such a hurry, she wipes so fast that sometimes she wants new underwear because they get wet. However i think that maybe they shouldnt so much wipe, as to just press with the tissue getting any drips or moisture away from them. Its hard to get it across to them. Shes even complained during her bath/shower that the soap "hurts" when shes washed there & i know darn well its from improper wiping. Let me know if you figure out any good ideas, i'm curious to see what other moms wrote.
Hi C.,
What about using a diaper wipe, or something like Kan-Doo. She might view it as fun to get something out of a container vs. toilet paper. We buy the Berklee and Jensen unscented brand from BJ's.
PS: My daughter is also 6, and she uses very little tp and I have to admit I wonder if she is really getting herself dry too!
HI C.- I can't say that I have any advice, but just empathy, as my 9 year old can't/won't do a thorough job either. I've tried demonstrating on myself-while fully clothed. I've discussed just where the pee comes out of her body, so she has a better idea of where she needs to wipe, and why. We've told her that sometimes she's pretty "smelly", and if she wiped better that wouldn't happen, make her take baths to clean herself, advise her that her friends may make fun of her because of her odor, but nothing has worked. Oh yeah, even her doctor has told her how important it is, so her skin doesn't get sore and hurt. So, good luck. If you come up with anything that works, let us know!
I would suggest keeping a small squirt bottle in the bathroom so she can spray some water on her crotch after peeing. then she will have to dry herself really well, therefore cleaning herself each time she goes.
We have a similar issue: our almost-5 year old isn't getting herself dry. For us, moisture is a bigger problem than cleanliness because she gets irritated from too much moisture, whether it's after going to the bathroom, or just being in a wet bathing suit. The doctor's office told us (after about our 100th visit for suspected UTI when it turned out to be nothing more than irritation from not being dry enough) that she ought to be patting herself dry, rather than swiping/wiping, which can also irritate. It can be difficult to really get everything dry but if your daughter has had "the itchies" as we have had here, then avoiding that is a good incentive to try to pat herself dry really well. The MD also told me that at the first sign of irritation, use lotrimin cream twice daily for 10 days to avoid yeast infection. It's really hard to let them have independence in the bathroom when you're worried about their health, isnt' it?! Good luck!
