Can your 3 year old do this??

Question

For those that just turned 3 in the last 6 months...

Can your child:

Put on with minimal to no assistance:
Slip-on shoes
A pull-up or undies
Pants
T-shirt

Count to 10

Recognize primary colors

Name charaters from favorite movie

Open a bedroom door

Use the potty consistently

What other things can your 3 year old do?

The reason I ask is that I have a 3 year old in my in-home daycare that is severely behind and can't do basic things...my son is 4 and very advanced and did these things before he was even 2 (except potty train, he did that at 26 months) I just wanted to see where other 3 year olds are. I'm concerned about this child, he just isn't learning at a normal pace.

OH, and by very advanced, I meant compared to this child...my son is right on target for his age, and has been evaluated at preschool and child check. I am thinking of suggesting to the parent that she have her son checked at child check this spring...I think he is going to need help.

Answer 1

As a preschool teacher I would have to say that on average, yes. Most children his age can do these things. But it does depend on how much parents work with their children. Some children this age have difficulties dressing themselves because they have parents who do it for them and have little experience doing it themselves. Some children cannot count to 10 or recognize primary colors because it has not been practiced. Most children use the bathroom consistently but there are occasional accidents, usually when the child gets caught up in what they are doing. I have even had some students stand in front of a door clueless about how to open it. Do you think this child is not able to do these things because he has parents who do not work with him? Is he trying to do these things and failing? Could it be that he is being lazy? Over the years, I have had several children like this. Sometimes parents see their child as younger than they really are and have little expectations of their child. If you feel this may be the case, try and work with him with these things when he is in your care. If you feel there is some sort of delay, give it some time and then speak with his parents.

Some other things that 3 year old can commonly do:
Recognize their name
Verbalize first and last name
Recognize some letters and numbers
Can identify general body parts (foot, head, hands, arm)
Can identify objects in terms of large/small, big/little
Run, jump, climb, hop

Hope this helps!

Answer 2

My son just turned 3 in Novemeber

Yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
All of the above to well he works my nerves taking off and putting on clothes for no reason!!

Count to 30...to 20 perfectly but to 30 he sometimes leaves out a number.

He has been recognizing primary colors probably since 1 1/2 he is now recognizing diffrent shades of colors

He has favorite movies and tv shows and he can name the characters and sing the songs

He had been opening the doors for ever I guess since 1 1/2 or 2

potty trained 100% no accidents at 2 1/2

He can trace well and free hand somewhat the begining of the Alphabet (A-H) is better that the rest both upper and lower case and can write and trace numbers 1-20 again his writing is not perfect but recognizable.
He is also learning to count objects next step addition!

Answer 3

My child is able to do those things, but be advised that it is never a good idea to decide a child is severely behind based on what other kids are doing. Several of the things listed here will come to different kids at different times. Potty Training, dressing self, opening doors, for example, these are kinesthetic skills and are not in any way associated with counting, or color recognition. They are learned in different ways and for many children at different stages of development. Can the child speak well and be understood? Has the child's hearing and vision been assessed? If the child is failing to thrive in all of these areas, there may be a problem, but comparing him to other children is probably not the best way to judge. Other kids have different experiences, coaches, gene pools, and health issues that all play in to their personal development, regardless of their age.

Answer 4

I think those are pretty basic things for a 3 year to be able to do. I have a day care in my home as well and I state in the contract that I sign with the parents of the kids I watch that I will always inform them if I feel there is a developmental issue or concern that I have noticed in their child. I think you have an obligation to tell the parents your concerns, whether or not they act on it or seek medical attention for their child is up to them, but you need to express your concerns to them. Parents are often blind to things that their children are doing or not doing and all it takes is for one person to say something to them to make them realize they need to seek the advice of a doctor, or in the very least pay a little more attention to the issue to see if they can resolve it at home. You need to speak with the parents and tell them exactly what your concerns are. I have done that on a number of occasions and some parents have acted on it and tried to find a solution and some simply choose to ignore the problem. But you have to speak up, you deal with their child in a very different setting than their home and they honestly may not see the problems that you are seeing. Good luck.

Answer 5

My 3 yr old does all that except count to 10 she counts to 20. She's very good at problem solving. Using the thing that turns the blinds to get something from under the couch. She's a typical three year old. My son on the other hand turned two in november and I'm watching him closley because he doesn't seem to pick things up as quick as she did.

Answer 6

This might not help much b/c my child is not 3. My son will be 2 in February and is able to do all that you have listed above except we haven't mastered the potty training yet (it will probably be a while on that one).

Answer 7

our baby won't be 3 until end of may and she is doing all those things........she also sings kids songs and some words to some grown up songs she has pooped on the potty since 2 years old but still have trouble peeing on the potty. she can count to 15, sometimes with out skipping a number....lets just say she does most things you or i do but obviously baby style .2,3,4 years old is an amazing age 'cause they're not babies anymore, they're more like little humans developing their own personalities and doing things you really don't expect them to do...like put a towel in the bathroom sink and leave the water running.....caught that one in time

Answer 8

I could do all of that at 2. Actually, more. I could turn on lights, get a drink, and was fully potty trained at 12 months, so by 3, i was a pro. Dont forget ABC's and singing favourite songs. I was talking full sentances and able to recount stories, make toast (with supervision), i had tied shoes, and was starting to learn. I did buttons, zippers, snaps. It is not hard to do, you just work with them and teach then, not sit them in front of the TV.

Answer 9

Does this child get the opportunity to do these things at home? Some parents, especially those with only one child and little expereince with small children, do everything for them, so they get behind simply because they don't get to practice self-help skills. I'd let the doctor do the suggesting. Unless you are seeing social withdrawal, I wouldn't mention it to the mom. Been there, done that, and not only did I lose a client, the parents got divorced because the dad took my side...

Answer 10

apart from my 3 yr olds speech being behind, he can do all that and more. he can set up the play staton and play it (bad i know), work the tv and video (another bad habbit) and ride a bike. these things you have listed seem 2 be the things for 18months+ as my son has been out of nappies and on the toilet since 2. but hey all kids are different and thats what makes them all unique.

dont compare our answers to him. he is his own person and as long as he is happy then that is the main thing and the rest will happen in time with help and encouragement frrom family, friends and health professionals :-)