When (at what age/point) and how do you teach little girls to wipe themselves?

My 3 yr old has been using the potty well by herself for quite some time now. We did away with the potty chair long ago. She uses the regular toilet now.

Now, I have 4 other children that need my attention in this house, as well as 675 other things that need done each day ;) And in the beginning, this girl went to the bathroom ALL the time. ALL the stinkin' time!! So, even when she was still using the potty chair, I encouraged her to do so independently. Which she did, well. The thing is, see, she went ALL the time LOL I wouldn't get anything else done around the house if I had to go and wipe her everytime she went. So, I admit it, she 'drips dry' much of the time.

Now, she's on the big potty and, well, I just don't see it possible for her to wipe herself. She has attempted to a few times..uh, she barely reaches the TOP of her hiney. Rarely ever reaching anywhere near 'business' I want to teach her to wipe from behind. She *could* wipe the front from the front, but I really don't want to teach her that way. But, not sure I have a choice right now. If I want to her wipe at all that is.

Is my girl just too chunky/short armed that she can't make that stretch/reach from behind? LOL
My boys were starting to wipe on their own around 3. But that was just the back side. That didn't have this front issue to worry about LOL
I can wipe the girls backside, it's just as often as she pees...good gravy! She's gotta help me out there ASAP!

Ideas?

Oh now come on ... am I the ONLY one here who's ever potty trained a girl? LOL

I mean, I know some are in process at this very moment, but geesh....

Anybody?

Even if you haven't trained yet or are in training .. ideas here? Pwease? *sniff*

OK wiping the front FROM the back? Does anyone else do this? LOL I wipe "front to back" like you're supposed to but I wipe the front from the front and the back from the back, both going towards the back. OK you all are probably not interested in my bathroom habits, but I'm not sure my arms are long enough to do the whole thing from the back!

It might help her to learn to wipe her pee from the front, because she can *see* where her hand is going... instead of just having to feel around back there you know? If she can watch where she's going she might do better until she gets used to navigating back there. Plus if she wipes from the back, isn't that more of a potential for her to.. touch yuckies?

Of course they probably touch yuckies anyway while they are learning, and will wash their hands anyway (i hope...?) But if they go #2 and they are trying to wipe from way up front from the back, that could just cause a real disaster in my thinking.

Obviously I don't know what I'm talking about. I'm hoping Katherine just has some natural instincts about the bathroom and magically knows how to use the potty when it's time. LOL

LOL

You sound as equally confused as I Cheese.

I wipe completely from behind. I had always heard to not wipe toward the front for risk of 'nasties'. I hadn't ever thought of still reaching through the front, but wiping to the back. I just always did it all from the back. The only time that even remotely seemed 'non-doable' was when very pg LOL It IS hard to reach that far.

I just wonder, if she's capable of understanding/doing the from the front but TO the back concept. KWIM? I mean, well, Cheese does it naturally, but I don't, so I don't know how 'natural' that method is LOL

Oh boy, what a topic we have spun off into now. And they thought the crunchy one went astray LMHO

OK now I feel weird like maybe I am in a minority wiping in the front, quick, somebody validate me. LOL

i did a google search but all it says is teach them to wipe front to back, doesn't say whether to do that from the front or from the back.

And yeah you don't want her wiping the wrong way and getting an infection or something b/c of that.

So here's a question, do you let them wipe with baby wipes to get cleaner or just regular toilet paper? I saw special flushable wet wipes for potty training at the store. Would you say they are a waste of money? I thought it might help them get cleaner since little kids sometimes have trouble w/ that.

I *did* get the flushable wipes at one time...but she went through them VERY quickly and I'm not so sure she really 'used' them. It was just kinda obnoxious at the time.
But I would like to get some more. I know I know..there goes my crunchy factor again LOL Sorry. But, I just think these wet wipes would be more efficient for a beginning wiper, kwim? ;) And I certainly can't expect her to be able to reach the sink and wet a cloth one by herself hehe And I *am* trying to achieve some independence for her here.
Oh and I went with the flushable wipes rather than the regular baby wipes, again, for convenience. I figured the chance was high she'd drop a wipe in the toilet, on accident, often...so why bother with that. Go ahead with the flushable ;) You can find relatively cheap ones.

Gee, yeah, I do wish someone else would jump in on this conversation .... we're dying to know here...how DO you wipe? LMHO
Poor Cheese here...haha...somebody save her. Me, I'm secure in my wiping habits LOL

OK now I feel weird like maybe I am in a minority wiping in the front, quick, somebody validate me. LOL .

Doesn't sound weird to me - I do the same. I don't think my arms would be long enough to do it comfortably either.

Not sure how to teach a little girl to wipe towards the back though...I would probably teach her to 'dab' at the front :? .

BTW Cheeseburger - the photos of your little girl look a lot like my little girl (sorry to get off the topic Tara).

Pat the front after doing #1. After doing #2, reach around back, starting from as far towards the front as you can, and wipe backwards.

I let my daughter wipe herself, when she only peed, from the start. I supervised or helped her wipe after bowel movements until she was 4, I think. If they don't wipe well and get stuff on their underwear, that could be as bad as wiping the wrong way.

DABBING .. duh ... thanks! hehe

We can do that. I can teach dabbing. Oh and I'm not rushing the rear end wiping, no worries there. But she can certainly start wiping the front. Dabbing. hmmp

I knew there had to be SOMETHING. Thanks you gals rock!! LOL

See, I just don't 'get' this girl thing yet LOL I am so accustomed to my wiping from the back that I hadn't given any thought to alternative methods (LOL that just sounded hilarious ... was it just me?) Having all those boys...there was only one way to do things *shrug*

Sorry I didn't see this! I've been in teething hell for the past few days. *sigh* The only thing that keeps me sane is the knowledge that she can only teeth for so long before she runs out of gums for the teeth!

My mom taught me to wipe from the front, to push the toilet paper down towards the toilet and let it drop. I was in my 20's before I realized that I was in the minority about that, lol! And that was only because I read in a book that you should wipe front to back to avoid infection! Honestly, though, I don't think it really makes much of a difference, as long as the wiping motion is done from front to back.