This cheeky hack will help your kid learn how to wipe their own butt

Photo: iStockphoto

Potty training is hard. But once you get your little one to recognize when they need to go and hop on the potty in time to keep their diaper clean, you’re in the clear, right? Nope. There’s one last hurdle that can take a while to get over: getting them to wipe their own butt.

Before they give it a go on their own, you’ll want to make sure they can do one essential movement: the Reach-Around. This is pivotal in promoting front-to-back wiping, which keeps poop out of their urethras and avoids any sort of bacterial infections in the future. It’s gross to think about, we know, but it’s better to build these habits sooner rather than later—both you and your kid will thank us.

You’re probably wondering now how teach the Reach-Around. Do you hold their hand and do the motion while they’re on the toilet? This teacher has a brilliant idea. Take a look:

Genius. We’re not sure where the video originated, but this teacher should be given all the awards for saving us the struggle… and giving us a laugh. Although we think this is a great teachable moment, we noticed the balloons are positioned higher than their actual bum would be. So before you try this at home, move them down a little. You don’t want your kid to learn to just wipe the top of their bum.

The Wiggles have finally released a potty training song! Secondly, the video uses a chair with a back, which might have your child leaning back too much and relying on it to hold their weight while they wipe. Consider using a stool that lets them properly learn how to balance on the toilet and attaching the balloons below it.

One last thing you’ll want to teach them is how to hold the toilet paper so that they don’t get any poo on their hands. Check out the second tip in this video for another awesome hack:

Once they’ve got those two down, it’s all a matter of practice from there. Good luck!

Read more:
9 cool potty training products that are totally worth trying
Toddler afraid to poop? How to handle potty training poo anxiety