Ask Dr. Mona

It’s realistic to expect that a 3.5-year-old can learn to use a tissue and wash their hands. But it’s also realistic to know that it won’t happen every single time. At this age, kids live in the moment. If their nose is running, wiping it on their hand feels quicker than pausing life to find a tissue and wash up. What feels gross to us doesn’t always even register to them.

Think of this stage as practice. The skill you’re working toward is connecting the sensation (stuffy or runny nose) with the action (grab a tissue, wipe, wash hands). That takes time, repetition, and lots of reminders.

Two things that really help here are modeling and play. Narrate what you do: “My nose feels stuffy, I’m going to grab a tissue, blow, then wash my hands.” Kids learn so much from watching us. You can also make it fun, like “Let’s blow like a dragon!” or “Can we gallop like a horse to the sink?” Play often gets better results than pressure.

And when he does it, even once out of five times, praise it: “I love how you grabbed a tissue, that’s exactly what we do.” Those small moments of positive reinforcement build the habit.

One other tip: make tissues easy to grab. Keep a box in the playroom, bedroom, and car. If there’s only one box tucked away in the bathroom, it’s less likely he’ll bother. The easier you make it, the more consistent he can be.

With time, kids this age become more skilled and independent with tissues and hand-washing. And yes, there will still be plenty of “shirt sleeve tissues” and nose-picking along the way, but that’s part of being three. What you’re teaching now lays the groundwork.

This is very common. At 5-6 months, babies start to wake up to the world in a whole new way. They’re more social, more alert, and suddenly their own voice is the coolest toy they’ve ever found. Add in a big developmental leap, rolling, scooting, grabbing…and you’ve got the perfect recipe for nap resistance.

The tired cues you’re seeing (yawning, eye rubbing) are real. But once you head into the nap routine, his brain might be saying, “Sleep? Noooo thanks, I have things to say!” Think of it like when you’re exhausted but also scrolling your phone at 11 pm, you know you should close your eyes, but your brain is busy.

So what do you do? First, know you’re not doing anything wrong. Nap resistance at this age doesn’t mean you’ve messed up your routine. It just means his brain and body are changing. Stick to the basics:

• Keep your routine consistent. Dim lights, quiet environment, same order of steps every time. Babies thrive on predictability, even if they protest.

• Watch wake windows. Around 22 weeks, most babies can handle about 2–2.5 hours of awake time between naps. Too short or too long can both make naps harder.

• Don’t be afraid to reset. If he’s really not settling, step out, do a short “reset” play, and try again in 15 minutes. Some protest is just part of the process.

This stage can feel exhausting, but it usually evens out as babies adjust to longer wake windows and more predictable nap patterns. For now, know that the protest is part of his development, and not a reflection of anything you’re doing wrong. Staying steady with your routine helps him learn, even when it feels messy.

Have other sleep questions? Check out this PedsDocTalk Newsletter, with every PedsDocTalk sleep resource in one place.

Ask Dr. Mona

Ask Dr. Mona all your parenting questions!

Dr. Mona will answer these questions in a future Sunday Morning Q&A email. Chances are if you have a parenting concern or question, another parent can relate. So let's figure this out together!