DD starting Pre School next week but still babyish

[Lauren1983]

DD (3.5) starts pre school next week but I'm concerned about how babyish she is in some regards.

She still drinks out of a baby bottle (night and day). I have lost count of how many different types of cup we have tried her with. She just refuses to drink or tips the drink on the floor or in the sink. At pre school they will obviously give her her drink in a cup but I know she will kick off and keep demanding a bottle.

She is also still in nappies. Again, I have tried every tactic I can think of to potty train her. We did have some success but it was very stressful for both of us and she ended up pleading for nappies and was in great distress.

The pre school don't have an out of nappies policy luckily but it is again something that will make her different to most of the other children.

I am feeling quite stressed and embarrassed over both these issues and worry the pre school will see me as a lazy mother. I have tried so hard to get her off a bottle and out of nappies. It just seems to be easy for other children (her cousins were potty trained by 2.5 and in 1 week).

Can anyone give me reassurance?

My friend had the cup issue but once her son got to preschool, he just accepted the plastic beaker thing...basically an open cup...and drank from it happily!

The nappy thing..you won't be the only one. Have you noticed how her language development is? Sometimes these things are tougher for children who'se language isn't "in" properly yet.

You will probably find that she comes on leaps and bounds at nursery. As she will see others doing things and will want to copy.
Both my boys potty trained around 3.5, there is no embarrassment at all and my youngest speeded up with potty training when he want to preschool as lots of his friends were in pants.

Thank you both.

Her language seems to be fairly average for her age. She speaks clearly and in sentences of 7/8 words, asks questions, understands questions and requests.

I think it's mainly a comfort thing. I was the same as a child (not with bottles and nappies) but not liking change. In a way that held me back and I don't want the same for her.

In a completely different environment and seeing other children do it there is a strong possibility she will just go along with things and drink out of a cup. She may also potty train by copying the other children. If you are having a word with the staff about the cup thing I would probably tell them you'd really prefer them not to offer a bottle at all or even mention it, just treat her like all the others, as this might break the habit.

Your Dd will mature a bit once she goes you just need to wait she will drink out of a cup or not drink im guessing she will drink because the rest are. the nursery might help with toilet training if you havn't been able to get her pull ups she might see others going tothe toilet and want to use it instead of nappies.

You'll be surprised just how quickly she ditches the insistence on a bottle when one isn't available and all the other boys and girls are drinking happily from a cup. In DS's preschool they have a tap and a pile of plastic cups which they can use whenever they feel like it. The novelty of getting your own is a huge pull.

The nappy thing will come in good time. The preschool staff will help when you decide it's time to try again. In the meantime don't worry about it.