You Will Not Believe the Dumb Reason My Son Gave Me for Refusing to Wipe His Butt

BY DAN KOIS

I have an 11-year-old son, “David.” The other day I was in his room looking for something when I noticed a smell coming up from his laundry basket. Further inspection revealed disgusting streaks in several of his pairs of underwear. Later that evening, I spoke to him in private about it and asked if he was having any digestive issues, which is what I thought was causing this.

What I found out instead was much, much worse. He’s stopped wiping his ass, because he apparently believes that putting anything between his cheeks would make him gay. I am appalled at such a homophobic statement and I’m really at a loss for what to do here. I’ve always raised him to be accepting and friendly towards the huge range of human sexuality, and to see him apparently throwing away years of instruction and thinking that homosexuality is developed by wiping one’s rear has sent me into something of a tailspin. I don’t know how to get through to him, and I almost don’t recognize David anymore. What can I do to fix this?

—Skidding Out of Control

https://slate.com/human-interest/2024/02/parenting-advice-teenagers-tweens-hygiene.html