Is There Hope for My 7-Year-Old in Diapers?

There’s a kid who will instantly take an affinity to their potty, never wearing another diaper again the moment they first sit on the bowl. Another will have no desire to get out of nappies even as their age progresses past the stage where it’s okay. However, it’s not a question of when to step in but of how you’ll find lasting solutions when you have a 7-year-old in diapers.

One of the most essential and sometimes difficult stages for parents is potty training. You may have gone in without an end in sight, resulting in a never-completed process of getting out of diapers. If your seven-year-old doesn’t have a medical or special need disorder, it may indicate psychosocial issues.

However, especially if you’re only diapering at night, your child may be a late bed-wetter and will grow out of it. I’ve put together some handy tricks that will keep diapers off your shopping list while setting your worry at ease.

Why Isn’t My Seven-Year-Old Ready to Ditch Diapers?

Every child is different. That’s especially visible when it’s time for potty training and how long it takes them to ditch diapers for good. Some toddlers will start using the bowl exclusively from 24 to 36 months, which is typical. It’s not uncommon, however, for older kids to show no signs of being ready to spend the day or night without nappies.

It could be your boy or girl is stuck in the transitional stage of pull-up diapers and training pants. But you also can’t compare both sexes’ speed at adapting to the potty as female children are often quicker. Toilet teaching relies on developmental readiness, and you must capitalize on any interest your child shows in stopping the use of nappies.

You’ll be surprised to learn that your role as a parent enables your seven-year-old to stay in diapers longer. If you’ve made diapers available for them all the time without leaving them option less, they won’t eagerly jump on a potty. You must also create a space to discuss this issue with your child, ensuring to state the criticality of not staying in nappies by their eighth birthday.

Can I Potty Train My Seven-Year-Old in Diapers?

Various factors will affect when a child stops using diapers, including staying dry during the day but occasionally wet the bed. That’s normal even at seven years old; a condition termed nocturnal enuresis experienced by 10% of American children.

Furthermore, there may be aspects of your child’s life that create emotional barriers, making them seek the comfort of diapers. Changes that can impact your 7-year-old include break-ups of parents, moving house, or losing a loved one. By approaching such issues, you can work out if there are other deep-rooted problems your child is dealing with.

Your older kid in diapers could also be having a medical-related problem. That includes a small bladder capacity, urinary tract infection, or frequent bowel movements. It’s best to see a pediatrician for clinical or specialist solutions.

What Can I Do Differently So My Seven-Year-Old Can Ditch Diapers?

Before seeking external help, however, it makes sense to give potty training one more try. Since you want your older kid to stop wearing diapers for good, you’ll need a different approach to guarantee lasting results.

Some helpful tips to consider while along this path include;

Keeping diapers out of your seven years old reach and sight. Be sure to send your child a clear message that you’re clearing out all diapers. Otherwise, they’ll keep coming for them. Your tot will start to realize that they’re no longer babies and should start to use the toilet permanently.

Training Pants or Pull-Ups Come Off Soon After Waking

Your seven-year-old could only be relying on pull-ups for the night, which they should take off immediately they wake up. That makes your child depend on the toilet or potty during the day, a reliance that’ll later become nocturnal.

Switch up Gears with a Toilet Crash Course

It could be you’ve been using positive reinforcement and doing everything by the book, but your seven-year-old is still in diapers. A potty-training crash course could reestablish their learning pattern, reminding your child of aspects they might have ignored earlier.

Talk About Their Fears

Your seven-year-old in diapers could be only afraid of the toilet. As silly as it might sound, a highly imaginative child won’t go near a bowl if they fear what if, however, baseless. Talk to your kid to reassure them while demonstrating potty use’s safety, fun, and independence.

Avoid Pleading and Comparing

It would be best if you didn’t resort to pleading with your seven-year-old to get out of diapers. Whatever the case, you’ll only be empowering your child, and that’ll later makes it difficult to renegotiate. In the same instance, it’s easy to verbally compare your tot to siblings, cousins, or other peers. It may be that your boy or girl is slower than the rest, or it’s the big scheme of things.

Stick To a Routine

Children benefit from concise routines, and you can use this to get your seven-year-old out of diapers. A bedtime or other time routine will subconsciously prompt your child to visit the toilet. Soon they’ll start to do so automatically.

Buy Some Big Kid Underwear for Your Child

Show your seven-year-old what’s in store for them if they stop using diapers with some big boy or girl underwear. That, together with encouragement, will build their confidence enough to want to use the toilet exclusively. You can also tell friends and relatives that your child is no longer using nappies, a lie they’ll want to make a fact.

Conclusion

A seven-year-old in diapers requires your undivided attention and time where you’ll play an active role in their potty to re-training. Your child also needs to learn about their situation and having play dates, or sleepovers can cause them to emulate peers. If they’re in preschool, involve the teachers to know about the diaper-ditching journey and remind them to use the toilet regularly.