My Three Year Old Is Regressing

Well if you have tried everything and are open minded here is what I suggest. I would let him sleep with you. I suggest reading the Family Bed. You may have pushed him too hard (don't feel guilty). He sees his two younger sibs get different treatment and he is PISSED. He did not get enough babying from you and now wants to be babied. Instead of pushing him forward or trying to maintain what you have done LET HIM REGRESS, he needs to. Trust him, he knows what he needs. Life is not linear.

Hope this helps, I know it is frustrating. I went through some of the same things when my kids were little.

G.

wow. its tough. i'm a 29 year old mom with a 2 and 3 year old (irish twins). i couldn't imagine adding a 7 month old into the mix. peolple don't say enough good things to moms these days...what you're doing is tough, but in a good way and stay strong.
as far as the regressing, my son had that problem when i lost my job and both of them were taken out of daycare. i just let him go into a period of regression for a few weeks, mostly it was the potty, then we just casually started bringing it back in. he still sleeps in diapers at night and durring naps. don't force it on your son. when he's ready it will happen. i highly suggest the video "elmo's potty time" this got him back into the potty swing after a few days of watching it. also a few chcolate chips as incentive to him on the potty work as well. we reserve them as a reward for him. he stll has accidents sometimes, but its ok. when he does go potty, clap and say yeah. it reassures them and gives them some sense of accomplishment. when my husband is home, he proudly announces it to his father once he's done going. the "nanny 911" book is a good also. if you can afford it, getting him into a family daycare (smaller number of children) or pre-school for even one day a week would help him and you alot. i find that the social stucture and rules helps them better understand the rules at home. check with programs for parents for part-time school refferals. also they can give you the business that charge based on income. drawing on things and the toilet paper thing is normal. keep the t.p out of reach. my daughter is a little picasso and has done a number on our walls. i use the magic eraser to get it off. works wonders! let him discover and learn things on his own and with his sister. introducing new types of play time things works also. i picked up a drawing easle for them from ikea and a boat load of playdough. this keeps the two of them occupied for quite sometime.

I have two sons myself age 4 and 2 and I did not go through this issue however I do work in the child care field and I deal with this all the time. This is normal and it affects many children. This is way to try to relate to his siblings and also get some of your attention. I can see that you was giving him attention but the little one require a little more attention. I would suggest to try to not respond to his behavior and see what happens. Try to only praise him when he does something positive for awhile if you see any difference then when he does something you disapprove off let him know clamly which I know can be hard with other children and a husband I know. This is just my suggestion and I hope it works for you and your family. Good luck.

Hi, Relax. It seems that your son may experiencing anxiety because of the 7 month old. Maybe he wants to be the "baby" for a bit longer and not a "big boy".

Also have you talked to your pediatriacian. Before you say "That's foolish". I know that there are a few physical reasons why your son could be acting this way. There are physical reasons that you should check out because of regression.

The worst that could happen is that your doctor tells you that it is anxiety and that you should just humor him for a few weeks.

I know how frustrating this must be for you. You have to take care of you. Being exhausted isn't good for you or your children.

Good luck