3 year old not ready?

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Forum -> Children's Health -> Toilet Training

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amother ↓

Sun, Dec 30 2007, 2:11 pm

My oldest child is over 3 and has absolutely no interest in being toilet trained. All incentives dont work - he just cries hysterically and insists on putting a diaper on. He's very smart and advanced but could he still be not ready? I specially waited till he was 3 because I thought it would be easier!

chocolate moose ↓

Sun, Dec 30 2007, 2:34 pm

My kids were waaay over three. But don't worry, once he's ready, IYH you won't have accidents, like iwth younger kids.

rachel19977

Tue, Jan 01 2008, 5:04 am

That's why I started with the potty books, potty buying before age 3. I thought age 3 they have too many opinions of their own and will be scared to even try... IMO this is....

Have you tried a potty book?

I just simply left the diaper off, too bad. He peed, pooped all over the place but he caught on in the end.

I HAD to do it, otherwise no school would accept him. Besides, a child that knows how to say when he has poop/pee in his diaper, pulls down his pants and back up, and can talk - IMO is ready for toilet training.

I take care of a boy who will be 3 in Feb. He looks like he's 5. And talks like he's 3+. But he's #6 in the family and give his mother problems and me too when it's time to change. He is def. ready, but is a smart little cookie, and refuses it. I go over potty book with him, if you want to know the one I have, let me know, and he is interested, but it isn't followed up at home, so he doesn't want it.

Good luck!

Mama Bear

Tue, Jan 01 2008, 10:57 am

get the book 'toilet training in less than a day' and follow it.

happymom ↓

Tue, Jan 01 2008, 11:23 am

some three year olds arent ready yet, its normal

↑ happymom

Tue, Jan 01 2008, 11:24 am

ive also heard the smartert they are the more the resist (in some cases) hell let u know when hes ready...

GAMZu ↓

Tue, Jan 01 2008, 12:59 pm

Of course he is ready. He is resisting just the same as any 3 year old would if you decide to change an integral part of his life (take away favorite toy, stop giving him his favorite food, insist that he can never wear socks again...)
You shouldn't have waited so long. Now it's ingrained in him that he must wear diapers.
He probably thinks it's a punishment, what you are doing to him.

Explain to him gently that just as when he turned 3 he got a haircut and a yarmulke, he is now a big boy and will start using real underwear and going to the bathroom and wearing tzitzis.

Don't renege on the deal! If you let him have one diaper (besides for night), you lost- because he sees he has an option.

Is he in some sort of daycare?

↑ amother

Wed, Jan 02 2008, 1:12 pm

Thanks for the suggestions so far. I'm going to try buying a potty book for him . Also I dont know if it made a difference but I tried to get him to use the toilet without first using a potty so I mught buy one of those too.

↑ chocolate moose

Wed, Jan 02 2008, 1:27 pm

GAMZu wrote:

I don't think that's fair to say. Every child matures at his or her own schedule.

GAMZu wrote:

Is he in some sort of daycare?

The morahs helped us a lot.

↑ GAMZu

Wed, Jan 02 2008, 1:54 pm

chocolate, at such a late stage it is just fear of change, not non-readiness. Or it could be the mother isn't ready to tackle the job (which only gets harder the older the child gets.) Not saying that OP is in this category, just saying why training after 3 is hard. NOT because the kid isn't ready. If a 3 yo child's body really couldn't tell him when he needs to go, or hold it in until he can get to the bathroom, it is not normal and should be checked out by a Dr. immediately!

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