diff --git a/sleekxmpp/features/feature_mechanisms/stanza/failure.py b/sleekxmpp/features/feature_mechanisms/stanza/failure.py
index 5dd0de56..b9f32605 100644
--- a/sleekxmpp/features/feature_mechanisms/stanza/failure.py
+++ b/sleekxmpp/features/feature_mechanisms/stanza/failure.py
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ class Failure(StanzaBase):
 
     def get_condition(self):
         """Return the condition element's name."""
-        for child in self.xml.getchildren():
+        for child in self.xml:
             if "{%s}" % self.namespace in child.tag:
                 cond = child.tag.split('}', 1)[-1]
                 if cond in self.conditions:
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ class Failure(StanzaBase):
 
     def del_condition(self):
         """Remove the condition element."""
-        for child in self.xml.getchildren():
+        for child in self.xml:
             if "{%s}" % self.condition_ns in child.tag:
                 tag = child.tag.split('}', 1)[-1]
                 if tag in self.conditions:
diff --git a/sleekxmpp/plugins/xep_0060/stanza/pubsub.py b/sleekxmpp/plugins/xep_0060/stanza/pubsub.py
index 004f0a02..b2fe3010 100644
--- a/sleekxmpp/plugins/xep_0060/stanza/pubsub.py
+++ b/sleekxmpp/plugins/xep_0060/stanza/pubsub.py
@@ -77,12 +77,12 @@ class Item(ElementBase):
         self.append(value)
 
     def get_payload(self):
-        childs = self.xml.getchildren()
+        childs = list(self.xml)
         if len(childs) > 0:
             return childs[0]
 
     def del_payload(self):
-        for child in self.xml.getchildren():
+        for child in self.xml:
             self.xml.remove(child)
 
 
@@ -254,12 +254,12 @@ class PubsubState(ElementBase):
         self.xml.append(value)
 
     def get_payload(self):
-        childs = self.xml.getchildren()
+        childs = list(self.xml)
         if len(childs) > 0:
             return childs[0]
 
     def del_payload(self):
-        for child in self.xml.getchildren():
+        for child in self.xml:
             self.xml.remove(child)
 
 
diff --git a/sleekxmpp/plugins/xep_0060/stanza/pubsub_errors.py b/sleekxmpp/plugins/xep_0060/stanza/pubsub_errors.py
index aeaeefe0..59cf1a50 100644
--- a/sleekxmpp/plugins/xep_0060/stanza/pubsub_errors.py
+++ b/sleekxmpp/plugins/xep_0060/stanza/pubsub_errors.py
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ class PubsubErrorCondition(ElementBase):
 
     def get_condition(self):
         """Return the condition element's name."""
-        for child in self.parent().xml.getchildren():
+        for child in self.parent().xml:
             if "{%s}" % self.condition_ns in child.tag:
                 cond = child.tag.split('}', 1)[-1]
                 if cond in self.conditions:
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ class PubsubErrorCondition(ElementBase):
 
     def del_condition(self):
         """Remove the condition element."""
-        for child in self.parent().xml.getchildren():
+        for child in self.parent().xml:
             if "{%s}" % self.condition_ns in child.tag:
                 tag = child.tag.split('}', 1)[-1]
                 if tag in self.conditions:
diff --git a/sleekxmpp/plugins/xep_0060/stanza/pubsub_event.py b/sleekxmpp/plugins/xep_0060/stanza/pubsub_event.py
index c0d4929e..32f217fa 100644
--- a/sleekxmpp/plugins/xep_0060/stanza/pubsub_event.py
+++ b/sleekxmpp/plugins/xep_0060/stanza/pubsub_event.py
@@ -31,12 +31,12 @@ class EventItem(ElementBase):
         self.xml.append(value)
 
     def get_payload(self):
-        childs = self.xml.getchildren()
+        childs = list(self.xml)
         if len(childs) > 0:
             return childs[0]
 
     def del_payload(self):
-        for child in self.xml.getchildren():
+        for child in self.xml:
             self.xml.remove(child)
 
 
diff --git a/sleekxmpp/stanza/error.py b/sleekxmpp/stanza/error.py
index 809a74b4..8d9266bd 100644
--- a/sleekxmpp/stanza/error.py
+++ b/sleekxmpp/stanza/error.py
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ class Error(ElementBase):
 
     def get_condition(self):
         """Return the condition element's name."""
-        for child in self.xml.getchildren():
+        for child in self.xml:
             if "{%s}" % self.condition_ns in child.tag:
                 cond = child.tag.split('}', 1)[-1]
                 if cond in self.conditions:
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ class Error(ElementBase):
 
     def del_condition(self):
         """Remove the condition element."""
-        for child in self.xml.getchildren():
+        for child in self.xml:
             if "{%s}" % self.condition_ns in child.tag:
                 tag = child.tag.split('}', 1)[-1]
                 if tag in self.conditions:
diff --git a/sleekxmpp/stanza/iq.py b/sleekxmpp/stanza/iq.py
index 47d51b04..f45b3c67 100644
--- a/sleekxmpp/stanza/iq.py
+++ b/sleekxmpp/stanza/iq.py
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ class Iq(RootStanza):
 
     def get_query(self):
         """Return the namespace of the <query> element."""
-        for child in self.xml.getchildren():
+        for child in self.xml:
             if child.tag.endswith('query'):
                 ns = child.tag.split('}')[0]
                 if '{' in ns:
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ class Iq(RootStanza):
 
     def del_query(self):
         """Remove the <query> element."""
-        for child in self.xml.getchildren():
+        for child in self.xml:
             if child.tag.endswith('query'):
                 self.xml.remove(child)
         return self
diff --git a/sleekxmpp/test/sleektest.py b/sleekxmpp/test/sleektest.py
index 7a3bef24..cac99f77 100644
--- a/sleekxmpp/test/sleektest.py
+++ b/sleekxmpp/test/sleektest.py
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ class SleekTest(unittest.TestCase):
                             known_prefixes[prefix],
                             xml_string)
                 xml = self.parse_xml(xml_string)
-                xml = xml.getchildren()[0]
+                xml = list(xml)[0]
                 return xml
             else:
                 self.fail("XML data was mal-formed:\n%s" % xml_string)
@@ -517,9 +517,9 @@ class SleekTest(unittest.TestCase):
         if '{%s}lang' % xml_ns in recv_xml.attrib:
             del recv_xml.attrib['{%s}lang' % xml_ns]
 
-        if recv_xml.getchildren:
+        if list(recv_xml):
             # We received more than just the header
-            for xml in recv_xml.getchildren():
+            for xml in recv_xml:
                 self.xmpp.socket.recv_data(tostring(xml))
 
             attrib = recv_xml.attrib
@@ -698,7 +698,7 @@ class SleekTest(unittest.TestCase):
         if xml.tag.startswith('{'):
             return
         xml.tag = '{%s}%s' % (ns, xml.tag)
-        for child in xml.getchildren():
+        for child in xml:
             self.fix_namespaces(child, ns)
 
     def compare(self, xml, *other):
@@ -741,7 +741,7 @@ class SleekTest(unittest.TestCase):
             return False
 
         # Step 4: Check children count
-        if len(xml.getchildren()) != len(other.getchildren()):
+        if len(list(xml)) != len(list(other)):
             return False
 
         # Step 5: Recursively check children
diff --git a/sleekxmpp/xmlstream/matcher/xmlmask.py b/sleekxmpp/xmlstream/matcher/xmlmask.py
index 40827312..a0568f08 100644
--- a/sleekxmpp/xmlstream/matcher/xmlmask.py
+++ b/sleekxmpp/xmlstream/matcher/xmlmask.py
@@ -151,8 +151,8 @@ class MatchXMLMask(MatcherBase):
         """
         tag = tag.split('}')[-1]
         try:
-            children = [c.tag.split('}')[-1] for c in xml.getchildren()]
+            children = [c.tag.split('}')[-1] for c in xml]
             index = children.index(tag)
         except ValueError:
             return None
-        return xml.getchildren()[index]
+        return list(xml)[index]
diff --git a/sleekxmpp/xmlstream/matcher/xpath.py b/sleekxmpp/xmlstream/matcher/xpath.py
index b6af0609..3f03e68e 100644
--- a/sleekxmpp/xmlstream/matcher/xpath.py
+++ b/sleekxmpp/xmlstream/matcher/xpath.py
@@ -77,10 +77,10 @@ class MatchXPath(MatcherBase):
                     # Skip empty tag name artifacts from the cleanup phase.
                     continue
 
-                children = [c.tag.split('}')[-1] for c in xml.getchildren()]
+                children = [c.tag.split('}')[-1] for c in xml]
                 try:
                     index = children.index(tag)
                 except ValueError:
                     return False
-                xml = xml.getchildren()[index]
+                xml = list(xml)[index]
             return True
diff --git a/sleekxmpp/xmlstream/stanzabase.py b/sleekxmpp/xmlstream/stanzabase.py
index 766bdb01..a653034e 100644
--- a/sleekxmpp/xmlstream/stanzabase.py
+++ b/sleekxmpp/xmlstream/stanzabase.py
@@ -445,7 +445,7 @@ class ElementBase(object):
             return
 
         # Initialize values using provided XML
-        for child in self.xml.getchildren():
+        for child in self.xml:
             if child.tag in self.plugin_tag_map:
                 plugin_class = self.plugin_tag_map[child.tag]
                 self.init_plugin(plugin_class.plugin_attrib,
@@ -1050,8 +1050,7 @@ class ElementBase(object):
                 if parent is None:
                     parent = self.xml
                 for element in elements:
-                    if element.tag == original_target or \
-                        not element.getchildren():
+                    if element.tag == original_target or not list(element):
                         # Only delete the originally requested elements, and
                         # any parent elements that have become empty.
                         elem_lang = element.attrib.get('{%s}lang' % XML_NS,
@@ -1491,7 +1490,7 @@ class StanzaBase(ElementBase):
 
     def get_payload(self):
         """Return a list of XML objects contained in the stanza."""
-        return self.xml.getchildren()
+        return list(self.xml)
 
     def set_payload(self, value):
         """Add XML content to the stanza.
diff --git a/sleekxmpp/xmlstream/tostring.py b/sleekxmpp/xmlstream/tostring.py
index 379ea09a..2480f9b2 100644
--- a/sleekxmpp/xmlstream/tostring.py
+++ b/sleekxmpp/xmlstream/tostring.py
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ def tostring(xml=None, xmlns='', stanza_ns='', stream=None,
         if xml.text:
             output.append(xml_escape(xml.text))
         if len(xml):
-            for child in xml.getchildren():
+            for child in xml:
                 output.append(tostring(child, tag_xmlns, stanza_ns, stream))
         output.append("</%s>" % tag_name)
     elif xml.text: