Mercy Network
Mercy Family Clinic
Pediatric and Adolescent
Three Years
Sleep
- Your child may discontinue taking naps.
- After discontinuing naps, he may become irritable when he
is overtired.
- Switching from a highly active to a more sedentary, restful
activity can be helpful before bedtime.
- A regular bedtime and bedtime ritual remain important.
- You might consider an earlier bedtime when your child discontinues
napping
Parenting
- Each parent should spend some time alone with each child
every day.
- Provide opportunities for your child to develop social skills
in preschool, play groups, or other community activities.
- Give your child opportunities to make choices (e.g. which
clothes to wear, books to read, places to go).
- At this age, children are curious about where babies come
from and about the differences between boys and girls. Answer
these questions honestly. Great detail is not needed. He will
ask questions until his curiosity is satisfied. Use correct
terms for the genitalia. Your child’s sexual curiosity
and explorations are normal.
- Children do not understand “tongue-in-cheek” comments
and cannot always tell when you are joking. Never threaten
to leave or abandon your child.
- Spend time playing with your child each day. Focus on activities
that he expresses interest in and enjoys.
- At this age children enjoy sand and water play, books, and
reading.
- Play with blocks, simple puzzles, beads, and pegs should
be encouraged. Pretend play, using both toys and household
objects, is developing.
- Language development is made easier by direct conversation.
Children do not learn language in the early stages from television
or radio.
- You should provide opportunities for your child to talk
about his day or other topics of interest to him. Encourage
him to talk with you about his preschool, friends or observations.
- Many children have a period of stuttering between ages 2
and 4. This is usually self-limited. Do not imitate or make
fun of your child’s speech.
- Reinforce limits and appropriate behavior.
- Try to be consistent in your expectations and discipline.
- Use time out or remove the source of conflict for unacceptable
behavior
Nutrition
- Serve your child meals with the family and give him two
to three nutritious snacks of fruits and vegetables per day.
- Offer him nutritious foods and let him decide what and how
much to eat.
- Serve a variety of healthy foods and model for your child
how to eat them.
- He should be feeding himself using utensils.
- Ensure that your child’s caregiver feeds him nutritious
foods.
- Do not give him nuts, hard candy, and chewing gum.
- Encourage your child to brush his teeth after meals and
before bedtime.
- Schedule a dental appointment for your child.
- By age 3, approximately 90% of the children are bowel-trained;
85% of the children are dry in the daytime and 60-70% are dry
at night. No treatment is necessary for children who are not
yet dry at night.
Injury Prevention
- Continue to use a properly secured car safety seat until
at least age 5.
- Teach your child the danger of chasing a ball or a dog into
the street. However, because he may not remember such instruction,
he must be closely supervised when near a street.
- This is the earliest age to begin organized group swimming
instruction. Inflatable flotation devices or “knowing
how to swim” do not make a child safe in the water. Adult
supervision is necessary whenever he is in or near water.
- Teach your child not to follow strangers and not to allow
himself to be touched by others in ways he does not like.
- Keep medications and poisons safely capped and out of sight
and reach of children. Call the doctor or the poison control
center if he puts something poisonous in his mouth.
- Do not expect young children to supervise your 3 year old.
Know where your child is at all times.
Return to Health Care Tip
For physician referral or health
information call:
Mercy Family Health Line
641.422.7777 or
1.800.468.0050
