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Your Toddler: Welcome to the Terrible (& Terrific) Twos!
Parenting a 2-year-old toddler can be one tough gig. Crankiness, mood swings, tantrums, eating problems, potty training uh-ohs ... all within the same hour. That's the bad news. The good news is the terrible twos aren't all terrible. In fact, the twos can be quite terrific! Your toddler is learning incredibly quickly, is super-affectionate (moments after he bashes you over the head with his sippy cup, of course), hilariously funny and mucho enthusiastic. If nothing else, this year will be anything but boring! What you're thinking:"The twos can't be that terrible, can they? CAN THEY?!"
Ideally ...
Believe it or not, most of what makes your 2-year-old so impossible is helping him grow into an independent, awesome person! (OK, maybe not the biting and hitting ...). So even if you don't love your toddler's behavior, you can take heart that it is, ahem, purposeful.
Read more of What to Expect in Your Child's Second Year.
Really ...
"I think the terrible twos are a myth. And I am so, so tired of the knowing looks of grandparents and childless friends as they give voice to their sage insight: 'Ah, the terrible twos.' A child waking up grumpy from a nap is not terrible—she's only 2." Read more of "I Don't Believe in the Terrible Twos" by Roberta Brown!
Everything you ever wanted to know about your 2-year-old ... and more!
- 10 ways to make the terriblist-two day less terrible!
- Understand your toddler's incomprehensible (at least to you) behavior!
- How to cope with your kid's aggressive behavior.
- "I survived a public tantrum!"
- "I didn't screw up my son too badly, did I?"
- Nanny Deb from Nanny 911 has the 411 on major meltdowns.
- Great books for coping with temper tantrums!
- How to deal with hitting and biting.
- How to pick your battles with your kids.
- How to deal with temper tantrums, Nanny 911-style!
- How to use distraction as a discipline technique!
- How to handle public tantrums without dying of embarrassment.
- Chat with other mamas and papas on our Toddler Message Board!
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All kids grow and develop at different rates. So please don't compare your toddler with so-and-so's from across the street—you'll just drive yourself nuts. If you have any concerns, bring them up with your pediatrician at your kid's next checkup.
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