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Home > Services > Occupational Therapy for Children > Children’s Occupational Therapy Services > Bobby’s Top Tips > Bobby’s bottom wiping practice

Bobby’s bottom wiping practice

Bobby's Top Tips to help and encourage children to improve their bottom wiping skills

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Introduction

We have written this information to help and encourage children to improve their bottom wiping skills.

Sensational Thinking Project's Mascot Bobby with magnifying glass
Image of a child on the toilet scrunching toilet paper

Bobby’s Top Tips

  • At first some assistance may be needed. You may need to guide the child’s hand through the movement (hand over hand). This may be needed quite a few times so that the child can feel the movement and feel the reach that is needed
  • When moving onto paper, show them how much is needed and either the folded paper or scrunch technique
Image of a child on the toilet reading a book
  • As they improve you may then just give verbal prompts for the sequence of what is needed
  • Following this, visual prompts may be useful eg. a picture list of what needs to be done. The child can look at this when wiping themselves
  • Ensure they are safely seated on toilet
  • Try not to rush!
  • Include prompts for washing hands
Image of someone washing their hands
  • Consider if your child is ready to try this activity. You may want to wait until they are feeling more confident generally and you may want to try some of the other activities that develop balance, grip and awareness of “behind” first.

Getting ready to try

It may be difficult for your child to realise and know where their back and bottom is.

To help increase this awareness you may find it useful to play with bean bags, balloons, quoit, small teddy’s etc.

Pass them between the legs, passing from hand to hand behind and around the body etc. This requires the sense of touch to be used rather than vision.

Equipment

Image of person on toilet using supportive equipment

Depending on how things progress you may want to consider the use of equipment such as long-handled wipers.

These are available from various outlets and a search on-line will give you an idea of what is available.

Should you require additional support please consider a referral to our team:

Community Children’s Occupational Therapy

Level 3, Regent Point, Regent Farm Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE3 3HD

Tel no:  0191 282 3452

Information produced by the Community Children’s Occupational Therapy Service
The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Produced: Review Date:
September 2022September 2024