Strollerderby

Terrible Twos: Myth or Kicking. Your. A@!?

I always love these articles about "surviving" the Terrible Twos -- these giddy little paeans to automony and self-sufficiency.

"Every time your rambunctious little toddler throws a fit ... she's expressing her burgeoning personality!"

I'd rather she just put on the damn pants so we can get out the door in under a half hour.

By way of Shine, Jacque Grillo from Savvy Source, has an interesting article on the "not-so terrible twos," saying that yes, it's a frustrating year, but that it's all worth it.

"It might be that at two her only way of declaring her independence is with a loud "NO," but if you're patient and hang in there, in about ten years (sometime during adolescence) she'll almost certainly present you with a much more sophisticated and persuasive argument for why it is time for her to again venture out and assert her freedom and independence."

Grillo also shares an interesting glimpse into what your 2 year old might be thinking during this year, and it's worth a look, as she says, for a different perspective.

We just got out of the Twos last week and all and all, it wasn't actually so bad. There were a few weeks of hell here and there -- weeks we chalked up to developmental spurts and full moons. But overall, Two was a pretty sweet year.

Now Threes ... people tell me those make Twos look like a walk in a candyland forest of pixies and unicorns.

So tell me, are the Twos over-rated?


+ DIGG + STUMBLE

Comments

 

JeanneSager said:

If two is a candyland of forests and pixies, three is that forbidden forest in A Princess Bride with the quicksand and the flames that suddenly shoot out of the ground.

Welcome, my friend!

April 13, 2009 10:52 AM
 

Alyson said:

We've just begun our twos, and already I hear tale of what my friends lovingly refer to as the "Eff You Threes".  I'm not looking forward to it.

April 13, 2009 11:09 AM
 

Smartfathers said:

The twos? Please! That was a walk in the park. The threes squish the twos like a cockroach and calls them a little wussy. I've got one just starting to come out of them with another about to start his threes. It's good for reminding parents to not have too many kids!

April 13, 2009 11:13 AM
 

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) said:

*snort*

This is not good news to someone just entering the Threes ...

April 13, 2009 11:21 AM
 

Gigi said:

I have two year old triplets. Kicking my a$$ doen´t even begin to describe it.

April 13, 2009 12:01 PM
 

Twyla said:

I like both the terrible twos and the horrible threes. That was my favorite age of all my kids. They are so stinking funny. If you can look at the fits as extremely humorous, they are just that.

I love the expanded vocabulary, the independence and the personality. They finally do impressive "tricks" instead of just laying around and drooling. Love it, love it, love it!

April 13, 2009 12:26 PM
 

km said:

The "terrible twos" are misleading.  It doesn't start and end at 2, and it's not necessarily the "horrible threes" either.  Once you are done with the stage and you can look back (semi-)objectively, you'll see that it's really the "terrible/horrible 2 1/2 to 3 1/2" stage.

I have seen many parents (I work in a high-end children's boutique, plus I have 3 kids of my own) thanking their lucky stars when their kid turns two and is still sweet.  But they come back about six months later and that little sweetie is now a force of nature.  

But take heart--all kids aren't of the tantrum-on-the-floor variety.  Some are just stubborn, some are loud, some whine--all their own version of annoying.

I have heard from parents of older children that this toddler phase closely mirrors the behavior the child will exhibit as a teenager...awesome.

April 13, 2009 12:55 PM
 

maeby said:

i have a three year old now and i think he is the funniest guy ever. He brightens my day. He's articulate and kind and just a fun guy.most of the time. When he's not being my little bunch of heaven, he can be the biggest jerk ever.Especially to his baby brohter. 2 year olds are a breeze. had two of em. But three year olds really test you mentally..and physically...psychologically, definitely. I CANNOT wait for this phase to end. Sometimes i actually think he might be possessed.

April 13, 2009 1:21 PM
 

Ahhhhhhhh! said:

The twos were GREAT with both of my girls...it's the 3's that killed me...(are killing me) The tantrums...the arguing..the fighting...and they are sooo much smarter now...so I can't "fudge" things to avoid a temper tantrum....

April 13, 2009 1:28 PM
 

SeattleMom said:

I have a 3-year-old.  I am TIRED.  She was a colicky baby, and three is like colic on crack.  With a large vocabulary for making manipulative arguments.  The saving grace is that the "ups" are as extreme as the "downs" -- the sweet/cute/fun periods are incredibly adorable.  And the meltdowns are...well, YOU know....  

April 13, 2009 1:43 PM
 

Amy Kuras said:

When my daughter was two, everyone I know with older kids said "oh, you think this is bad? Three is worse." And I thought "That isn't a nice thing to say."

And damned if they weren't sooooo right. I have never been more happy to celebrate a birthday than when she turned four. Which has been its own kind of challenge. And if her adolescence is going to mirror the threes? I am calling boarding schools NOW.

April 13, 2009 2:18 PM
 

nic said:

I'll keep this in mind when my please and thank you 20 month old starts showing signs of tyranny.

April 13, 2009 3:05 PM
 

LogicalMama said:

Three and a half is when the incidence of child abuse rises! It's also when kids take what they learned while they were two and can put logic and forethought to their experiences! Have fun...!!!

April 14, 2009 1:13 PM
 

mamaspeak said:

You know what they say about 3?  It's 2 w/a year of experience.  Bada Bing Bada Boom, Thank you, I'll be here all zee week!

I have 2 girls and my first DD (the rule follower) was easy, actually FUN! at 2.  Three was tough w/her, but still, not earth shattering.  Now, my second DD, my "strong-willed" child.  She scoffs at the 2 and ups you a 13! She's turning 3 in a couple weeks and if it's gonna get worse, I'm going to end up committed and I'm not sure she'll make it through the year. ;-)  A friend once pointed out to me, "All the things we wish for in our daughters (children) to be independent, motivated, self-assured...not so much what you're looking for in your toddler.  

So True!

April 16, 2009 4:33 AM

in

GROUP BLOGS

  • Strollerderby

    The smartest, funniest, most exhaustive parenting blog in the blogosphere.
  • Droolicious

    Modern design for modern parents.
  • FameCrawler

    Your daily baby celebrity fix.
back to blog homepage