Finish Potty Training

[MrsWeasley]

All of my kids have been able to tell me relatively young when they needed to use the potty and use it pretty much exclusively. Wiping and dressing themselves again happens literally years afterwards. Any tips on teaching toddlers to wipe well and pull up their clothes? My toddler (almost 2.5) currently takes his pants and underwear completely off when using the potty unless I help him onto the toilet, even with a stool and seat reducer - he doesn't get sitting back, but mounts the toilet like a horse, so I guess we need to figure out that, too.

[bolt.]

I suggest simply teaching him to dress himself.

 

Underwear:

Sitting down, pick up underwear and look for the label/printing. This identifies the waist opening. Rotate until the printing is at the back, (and flip to the inside, if needed). Insert both feet through separate holes. Stand up. Pull to waist. Clap and look at yourself in the mirror.

 

Pants:

Sitting down, pick up pants, look for the label/printing. Rotate to the back (and flip to the inside if needed). Insert both feet into separate pant-legs. *Pull until you see your feet* (Say hi to your feet.) Stand up. Pull to waist. Clap and look at yourself in the mirror. Find a parent for any fasteners.

 

T-shirts / sweaters / stretchy tops:

Place shirt tummy-picture-down on a bed. Insert both arms until hands extend (allowing the shirt to bunch in front of the body). Using hands, riffle through the bunched material to find the head hole. Open the head hole, lift it over your head and pull. Pull the rest of the shirt down your body.

[eternalsummer]

This is how mine does it too.  I think he feels more secure because he can see what is happening (and I don't mind because the pee mostly goes in the toilet; if he sits normally it has a tendency to spray about).  I just spend all day putting his pants back on.  Usually this resolves around 3; I potty train before 2, but I am content to put pants back on for a year (and occasionally help with wiping or cleaning the toilet) in exchange for getting rid of the diapers earlyish.

[SKL]

My kids dressed themselves each morning before age 2.  I would give them the clothes in a certain way so they didn't have to figure out which way they went on.  Because we did it every day, I don't remember them having to separately learn it after pottying.

 

The wiping, I would be the wrong person to ask about that.  :P  I didn't even attempt it until my kids were around 3, and then only one of mine actually "got it."  I won't tell you how old a certain child was the last time she asked me to wipe her butt.  :P

 

(I didn't push wiping after pee, only poo.)

[heartlikealion]

No advice, but when I briefly worked in a daycare I had to assist at least one child (I think he was 3?). It didn't occur to me at first but they have short arms and it's physically very difficult for some of them to reach. So keep that in mind :)

 

I'm in the midst of potty training my 15 month old. We didn't start this early with ds, but she keeps removing her diaper!

 

Ds still has trouble with clothing and he's 7! Tonight I pointed out to him that his shirt was on inside out. I have no advice LOL

[LibraryLover]

Effective fine motor skills often lag well behind potty usage, and certain intellectual development. That's perfectly normal and natural. Nothing to worry about. Be available to help. 

Edited March 15, 2016 by LibraryLover

[Luanne]

Your child will be old enough to take care of himself before you know it. Small children have difficulty with these tasks. It is normal for their age.

[ThursdayNext]

Should I say this on the Internet? I wipe my kids til age 4, then start phasing it out. I figured that kindergarteners don't get help wiping, so that was my low target. There has STILL been ineffective #2 wiping. Google how to teach your kid to wipe and you will get some hilarious results.

[Tsuga]

All of my kids have been able to tell me relatively young when they needed to use the potty and use it pretty much exclusively. Wiping and dressing themselves again happens literally years afterwards. Any tips on teaching toddlers to wipe well and pull up their clothes? My toddler (almost 2.5) currently takes his pants and underwear completely off when using the potty unless I help him onto the toilet, even with a stool and seat reducer - he doesn't get sitting back, but mounts the toilet like a horse, so I guess we need to figure out that, too.

 

I would treat this as a getting dressed problem and not a toilet training problem. As for the position: if pee goes in the potty, great. 

 

My kids dressed themselves early but only when they wanted to. As DD2 is a nekkie-butt, that was rarely. So she was just pretty much naked.

 

If you want him to dress, I say just dress him but count training as done.

 

And wiping... yeah, some kids have shorter arms than others, LOL.

[eternalsummer]

Mine "wipe" - in a technical definition sort of way.  They use some toilet paper (sometimes rather a lot of toilet paper), and it usually goes in the toilet afterward.  At 2 (and 3 and 4), though, they seem relatively unconcerned about the effectiveness of their technique.