Embrace the Terrible Twos, No Seriously
Remember when your biggest concern as a mom was how to schedule pumping throughout your workday or making sure you had enough formula to last your newborn until daycare pickup? Ah, those were the days. We looked forward to when our little ones could communicate more with us and share their thoughts, all while we celebrated their physical milestones of crawling, sitting up on their own, and walking. Little did we know the communication tactics and motor-skill dominance on the horizon.
Cue the toddler lying on the ground forcefully kicking their legs and bawling their face off. You go from your LO playing joyfully with their toys one minute to a raging 3-foot tall ball of emotions the next. You might want to fast forward to a time when this isn’t your daily reality, but take a deep breath and take it all in because this reality is pretty amazing.
You Know Exactly Where you Stand
Two-year-olds generally aren’t shy when it comes to sharing their feelings, which means they are going to let you know what they think. Whether that’s what they want to eat, or better yet what they don’t want to eat. Or how they feel about taking a nap, bath, basically anything you are asking them to do. They are going to let you know what they want, when they want it, and how they feel about your response to their desires.
You Can Use Reason…For the Most Part
Two-year-olds can understand cause and effect to a certain extent. For example, they know if they throw food at dinnertime, they will go in timeout. Now, because they know this doesn’t mean they won’t throw that food. They are learning to test boundaries, all while living in a glass case of emotion. Setting the expectation that your LO will respond directly to logic isn’t a good strategy. Although challenging, when it comes to reasoning this age still has to be better than parenting a teenager. As a one-time teenager I feel like I can say this, and if you don’t believe me just ask my parents.
You Know Exactly Where They Are
Two-year-olds aren’t texting their BFF to make plans or swiping right to plan a date. You know your LO will be right in their bedroom throughout the night and when you wake up in the morning. At this age, you aren’t worried about who they are out with or what they are doing because you control all of that. Enjoy it, because a new type of sleepless night lurks around the corner.
You Know How Much You’re Loved
Two-year-olds can look you in the eye and genuinely say, “I love you, mommy.” And this is where you turn into a puddle. It makes you feel like a million bucks and even removes the memory from earlier in the day when that same adorable LO looked you straight in the face after you asked them not to do something and defiantly did just that. At this age, they will greet you excitedly after not seeing you all day like you are the most amazing person on earth. Ever pick up your child after a stressful workday? It puts things in perspective.
You Can Remove Them From a Situation
Two-year-olds are still at a size where you can pick them up and physically move them to where you need them to be or are asking them to go. It's good when you allow your LO to prove they can listen to what's being asked, but as a parent, you might have to pull your adult card and take charge of the situation. Be prepared for kicking and screaming, but remember you should be able to outwit, or at least distract a two-year-old, and move on.
Keep in mind, when all you feel like you’re hearing is, “no,” your two-year-old is learning how to maneuver their new-found independence and the boundaries you’ve put in place. Soak it up, encourage always, and give yourself a pat on the back because you’re surviving the terrible twos, and hopefully loving every minute.