Potty Training & Getting 3 Yrs Old to Sleep in Own Bed

M.,

I think you are doing a wonderful job and need to not worry so much about your son. If his father is away more than at home right now, he needs the comforts of his mommy's arms. Children carry stress much differently than we do. They are unable to process it and sometimes it shows in developmental milestones. Maybe your son is making a statement with the potty training. Mommy, I am not ready to grow up. I need to be held and told everything is going to be alright. Maybe the best thing you can do in order to push him over that last hump of ditching the diapers is to absolutely hold him and sing to him during the day. I mean really hold him and love on him. Tell him that he means the world to you. Tell him that Daddy thinks of him all the time and can not wait to see him. Tell him Mommy absolutely loves spending every waking moment with him. Tell him all the most wonderful positive things you feel about him. Then, keep putting him on the potty for sit time. Don't force it, just give him every possible opportunity to sit on the potty throughout the day.

Again, the needing Mommy because of underlying stress could be causing the sleeping by self more difficult. My son is 28 months old and he sleeps half the night in his bed and half the night in ours. This does not bother my husband and I. We are sleeping anyway and by him sleeping in the early mornings we all get a restful sleep. If you want to transition him to his room, just keep putting him back in his bed over and over again. It takes about 2 weeks to a month in order for them to finally get used to the new sleeping arrangement.
Hope this helps.

Find him a potty DVD or VHS. Let him watch as many times as you or he feel is right and the rest is history. Sleeping with you well you created that monster, same thing happened with my son and daughter in law and 6 years and 2 kids and one on the way they will all be sleeping in the same bed.

I highly recommend reading the book Making the Terrible Twos Terrific by John Rosemond. It would still very much apply even though he's three now. Kudos to you for being a loving Army wife (so am I).

Our oldest was 2 1/2 when we let him go naked at home for couple of days and he potty trained himself. Our youngest will be 3 tomorrow but with him it's hit or miss, he is not interested. I do not want to push him since I know that it can be easy when a child is ready.
Cosleeping.....Our oldest who is almost 5 still comes to our bed in the middle of the night. The way I look at it, he will not be coming to our bed when he is 10,in fact he might pretend that he does not know us when he will be with his friends......so I am enjoying it now. My 2 cents:)

I never wanted to be one of those moms who let their child cry but I seriously read the books and tried everything but CIO. I was going crazy and one night I finally did it. She cried for probably 45 minutes. The next night it was like she just got it. "ok, mommy is not going to come get me out of the crib." Not to say that I don't still slip up from time to time and bring her in my bed at 5 am when she wakes up hoping she will go back to sleep. At that point I just have to start over and just let her cry the next morning/night/naptime or whenever she doesnt want to stay in her bed. She goes back to the old routine in no time. Its really not pleasant to her your child scream one night but its alot more pleasant for you when your child slleps in their own bed. So I say give it a shot. I promise he won't die from holding his breathe or crying for awhile and you will be a lot more rested. Its not as traumatizing as you have it built up in your head.