3 year old daughter still in diapers!?

Question

My 3 year old daughter is still in diapers! She refuses to potty train, and when I need to change her she runs away and hides in a filthy diaper. What do I do? She tells me she "likes her diapers" and "never wants to potty train".

Answer 1

Don't give her a choice. Simply do not put any diapers or panties on her for a week straight. she will use the toilet instead of pooping on the floor, I am sure of it.

Use a reward chart. Set a kitchen timer for every hour. Every hour that she goes without an accident she gets a star on the chart. When a whole row is filled on the chart, then you let her get a prize (something simple like stickers or stamps.. no food rewards).

You are currently in a battle of wills with a 3 year old. Do this and regain the upper hand.

Answer 2

I find this unusual for a girl. I have 4 children, 2 boys, 2 girls. The girls were the easiest to train.

She is probably using the diapers as an attention getter. I bet she is really smart.

You are going to need to be a parent and make the decision, not let her dictate what you do.

This what I did with the youngest girl: She was about 2 1/2 and didn't seem interested in the potty although she understood what was expected of her. I got fed up with her indifference one day, so I showed her the bag of diapers and told her that when they were gone I was not buying any more. She would have to grow up and wear BIG GIRL underwear and use the toilet. The next day the last diaper was gone and on went the panties. She didn't make a fuss and never wet the bed.

The worst thing you can do when raising children is to let them take control. Good Luck

P.S. Never use those pull-ups. They are still diapers.

Answer 3

Each child develops at her own pace, and your daughter may not be ready for potty training.

Does she have her own potty chair? Or are you expecting her to use an adult toilet? It might help her to have her own potty chair that is just her size, and give her lots of praise when she does use it.

For now, I would just let her be with her diapers for a couple of weeks and let her be the one to tell you when she is ready to continue the potty training. Let her know her potty chair is there for her when she is ready, and just let it go for a while. It sounds like she's feeling some pressure from you on this, and she's dealing with it in her own way.

When you do change her diaper, make it a pleasant time and don't fuss at her in any way. Enjoy your daughter being three years old!

Answer 4

If your girl is developmentally delayed this is not the right thing to do but........When my girl turned 3 - I knew she knew what to do - she just wouldn't take initiative - I simply took the diapers off - at first you have to really watch to make sure she doesn't pee on the floor - there will be some accidents and it does take time - but take the diaper off and let her run around butt naked. No child likes to pee and poop all over the place or have it running down their legs. You have to supervise this obviously in telling her what you're doing and what she should do when she needs to go. At first I sat her on the potty every 15 mins - then when she was ready - I asked her every 15 mins if she needed to go and if she said yes - I put her on the pot. This is what I did and it was the only thing that really worked - was the advice of a good friend. After 3 days of this at home - she was consistent - then we had to use the diapers still in going out until she could tell us she needed to go. She used them at night for awhile just in case. Once she was consistent at home and away we took the diapers away completely. It's a process and it's a big transition for a kid - but really - it's more work on mom's part and a much bigger accomplishment for YOU. She had accidents - fewer and fewer as time goes on - now that she's almost 4 - she hasn't had an accident in months!!! Give heaps of praise when things go well and when she takes the initiative to go on her own. Try not to get angry or frustrated about accidents and such. Yeah - who wants to go on 4 years of changing a BIG KIDS POOPS - ewwww??? Pull Ups are a total waste of money if your daughter just treats them like any other diaper like my girl did!

Answer 5

People seem to really push kids to potty train, but this will come in its own time. I would suggest the following tips to help her along.
*Offer stickers or other reward if she will sit on the potty, even if she doesn't go. This gets her used to the idea of evacuating there instead of in the diapers
*Get the pullup diapers. They are the in-between type diapers.
*Offer to get her some new 'big girl' underwear with the cool characters on them. She can wear them with rubber pants or 'practice' wearing underwear at certain times during the day.
*Tell her on no uncertain terms, however, that she needs to be changed when dirty. This should be a non-issue. Filthy diapers is unsanitary and she needs to listen to her mother on this matter. A time out would be in order if she refuses to cooperates
Signs she's ready to potty train is if she poops in her diapers in a quiet, private place. If she recognizes she is going to go to the bathroom.
Also, try to get her to sit on the potty BEFORE she messes in her diapers. She can wear the diapers, but she still needs to consider the potty before she messes them.
good luck

Answer 6

Dont rush her , some kids are in diapers untill they are 4 years old . My cousin was not ready to use the potty untill she was 4 years old . Just wait another month and them try again . Soon she will realize that she doesn't want diapers anymore . Its not good to rush kids into potty training cause then they might be scared of the toilet . Good luck !

Answer 7

My niece did the same thing, except it was in pull-ups. She had been trying for a while, but she had an experience that she didn't like. She was constipated, one time, and then after that didn't want to use the potty. My brother and her mother, gave her insentives, for going on the potty, like going to fun places, or getting a lollipop. They also bought, as we call it, Big Girl Underwear. It took about a month, after that, til' she was fully potty trained. If she is a little nervous, just be persistant, and she will get it. Good Luck.

Answer 8

alot of kids have a problem potty training and leaving the comfort of their diapers, there are many ways u can try , there are pottys that have music and others that can just sit on the floor, u can also let her run around with out a diaper on, but be ready to clean up as well, but it is also time consuming u have to take them to the potty every 15 mins...u can also do a sticker chart that i thought worked well with my son, which is every time they made on the potty the he got to choose his sticker and out it on the chart, when he went 3 time he got to do something special, like get a new toy got out for ice cream ect... hope that helps a bit

Answer 9

It sounds strange and silly I know but you need to make her feel like going to the potty is fun and exciting.

Try getting a fun potty that makes a noise or something when something hits the bottom of it. Bring her toys into it, try getting her one of the dolls that goes on the potties and praise the dolly for doing it. Remember to praise her loads when she does go to the potties.

Even throw her a party when she does finally do it.

It will take time and a lot of patience but you need to teach her.

I nearly forgot, you could also set her a limit to go by. Try telling her the nappies are nearly running out and once they are gone there will be no more nappies.

TIP: Buy pretty panties to encourage her to wear them - however make sure they are cheap so you don't get upset if there is an accident.

Answer 10

Is your daugther around older children who are already potty trained? I would suggest letting her spend some time with a girl who is already potty trained ( cousin, friend?). This may make her want to go on the toilet just like the others.