3 year old still in nappies

Some kids are just ready to toilet train later than others.

My eldest was just over 3 when he was ready (and took 2 weeks), my 2nd was a few months shy of 3 and just seemed to decide that she was ready and literally seemed to take 2 days

I know of other kids who are ready before 2 and I know some parents seem to prefer to do it when they (the parents) are ready. Like anything, all kids/parents/familiies are different

That was the one thing I never bothered about. I left it up to my kids & not an "age".

My FIL went on & on about it with DS1 saying he should be toilet trained, he was 2yrs, he wasn't ready & I believe in letting the child do it when ready. DS1's cousin who is a few mths younger was out of nappies so FIL thought DS1 should be. When DS1 was ready we had no accidents in his pants & when he was out of night nappies we had no wet beds...same for all 3 of my kids. But DS1's cousin had accidents in his pants several times a day & wet his bed for yrs...so I did throw that in FIL face when he started up about DS2 & toilet training.

The other thing with all my kids was they did not use the potty for long as they preferred the toilet.

I never parented out of a book so ages & stages never bothered me, I preferred to let my kids lead & I think that is why they are more laid back & less stressed...than say compared to their cousins.


Edited by jazzy

My niece was still in pull ups at night till she was 4 everyone is different and its when they're ready and able. Some kids still wet the bed till they're 6 or 7

James was 4 and a half when he toilet trained himself for day just asked one day for nappy off and he had very few accerdents night tranning was a coulple of months later were as his cuzzy was tt at 2 and night by 3 each kid in there own time

My daughter and most of her friends toilet trained after 3. Most were pretty much there by 4 but not all. I never worried about it personally. I figure so long as they can do it by the time they go to school what's the problem

I think one of the main reasons it has become later is to do with disposable nappies to be fair....it's too comfy for them after they wee! I want to TT my son when he is 2, I hope it works as I would be really gutted if I was still changing a 4 year old's nappy but that's just my opinion.

I think it's become later now because these days parents are waiting until the kid is ready to learn.
In previous times it was the the parent training the the kid at an earlier ( expected ) age, and not necessarily at the age when the kid was showing signs.

My 4 year old second cousin who is very strong willed just wouldn't until after she was 4, and it wasn't through want of trying on her parents half. Until one day the penny dropped and she wanted to wear knickers. Some kids just aren't ready.

It does cost lots with sposies. We tried several times because I was sick of nappies but having to change clothes 10+ times a day gets rather tiresome when they just aren't ready/willing to TT and you see no improvement. I'd rather pay the cost of the nappies than do all that washing and cleaning up of pee personally

DD is 3 at the end of January and has just become toilet trained over the holidays.  We did want her trained last summer, but she was showing no signs of being ready.  Nobody likes an uphill battle.  DD is ready now, there's only been one accident in about 10 days, and it has been so easy.  Better to wait until the child has shown signs of being ready, I think.