What do you do with a child who won't wipe her bottom well when she goes to the bathroom?

== == * This is very common. It takes a little practice. We all know to wipe from the front to the back, but she's just 7. Be patient. The more of a fuss you make over it the more she won't do it. Just quietly say that her friends do it that way and so do you. Other than that ignore it and be sure she has a bath every evening so her private areas are clean and she doesn't get an infection. There is also "wipes" you can get in your drug store for kids (and adults) and you can put those out on the counter. It's interesting and intriguing for someone her age. Be sure she knows they are for you and say nothing else. You can bet because they are yours and are interesting she'll start to use them. * Most people in Western cultures have this practice and males usually use a tissue and wipe from back to front. Since women are more prone to yeast infections from normal fungi in their digestive systems and since their vagina's are so close to their anus, they usually wipe front to back. Not all people in all cultures wipe their behinds, or anus as we call it in the US. People in Asian cultures prefer to use a spray nozzle that shoots out water. Animals do not need to perform this act of hygiene at all. It mostly has to do with the fact that their digestion systems are working properly and they form feces that leave little, if any, trace on their anus. Most of us humans have digestive irregularities and our feces are usually not properly formed, thus we are obligated to either performing wiping with tissues or spraying with water to cleanse the residue.