I spent a summer in West TX in 100-110 degree heat. It was rough. I can't imagine doing it with a 3 year old. We (my college roomates and I) lasted until mid august before we bought a little 6000btu. We put it in the living area's window and all basically lived in that room until late September. I'm not sure there really is a "good" answer to this one unless you have a large body of water nearby for frequent swimming. I certainly wouldn't hesitate to put my 3 year old son in a cool bath several times a day if that was the only option. It will work very well, but you have to do it frequently and after a month of that, the money you spend on the water bill could have bought you a 6000btu window unit. <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />