3 Year Old - Undoing Potty Training?

This is happening because the 3 year old is feeling neglected. This is so unbelievably common. Anytime a new baby comes home, the older sibling is no longer the center of attention. What is the absolute one thing a small child can do to get a little bit of undivided attention? Easy. She just needs to stop using the toilet. Then she gets all of that one on one attention to get her diaper changed.

When my twins were born and BEFORE my son had a chance to regress in the potty training area, I used to change the twins' diapers with a big and sad sigh and would say things like "Babies, I wish you were a big boy like your big brother Alek and could go in the potty all by yourself." Or, when one of the twins would start fussing I would say things like "Baby, I know you want Mama to come and change your diaper, but I'm a little busy reading your big brother a book (or whatever else I was doing) so I need you to wait a couple of minutes."

My oldest really enjoyed the positive attention, and every time I would change a diaper during those early months he would tell the babies that they could be big boys and learn to pee in the potty like him.

Hi there M.,

My 3 1/2 year old went through something similar. She was only wearing pull ups while sleeping. Then for a couple of weeks, she just started having accidents. It was everyday she would pee in her pants. Ak! I just ended up putting her in a pull up again. Eventually she got it and it's no longer a problem. When you are in the situation it seems like it takes forever to get them trained! Just remember that they won't be in pull ups forever. They will train when they are completely ready. I think that small relapses are totally normal. :)

Good luck!

C.
www.EnhanceYourWayOfLife.com

Sounds like this is due to the new baby. She is probablly having issues that she is no longer the center of attention, and someone else is getting all the attention. Needing to have a diaper change is something that will get her needs tended to as well as the kind of attention the new baby is getting. Mom will have to work with her and assure her of her still being important, and eventually it should pass.

THIS is so common of a resoponse for a kid adjusting to a new sibling! Encourage your sister to spend just a little bit of extra time with her daughter, even if it means to read a couple of extra books to her each day. Small rewards for using the toilet - keeping a small jar of candies like skittles or m&m's near the toilet - and she gets three (she's three years old, and have her count them out with her). Stickers on the calendar for each day she has no "accidents" and a prize after 7 days of stickers. And lots of encouragement - positive praise when she does good.. but not making too much of a big deal when she fails.

another idea might be buy an inexpensive baby doll with diapers for the little girl. her own baby to take care of.. and let her pretend she is the mommy and remind her the mommy doesn't wear a diaper and goes in the toilet.

a big key is patience... set backs like this are normal.... so making a negative fuss will only hurt her self-esteem.

best of luck...

I am the youngest of three sisters. My mother told me when she had my sister (middle one) my oldest sister undid her potty training and she had to do it again. I think it is for attention whether it is unconcious or intential I do not know. But my youngest son went back and forth in his potty training till he got it.