You’ve heard the talk about the challenges of parenting a two year old, and perhaps now you find yourself living with someone of the two year old variety.
But how do you know if you’ve arrived in the land of the terrible two’s? Read on to find out.
Plates
Who would have thought it, but the wrong colour of plate or cup that you place your child’s lovingly prepared food or drink in can literally ruin their day. You might even find yourself with some Weet-Bix thrown into your hair.
Crackers
All of a sudden they realise there are choices available in their life, so they LOSE THEIR MIND when you say that they can’t eat crackers for every meal (insert preferred food of choice here).
MINE
Any item in their sights is theirs. If they had it once, it’s theirs. If they want to use it, it’s theirs (even the slide at the park is theirs it seems). That sandwich you’re about to put in your mouth? MINE!
NO!
Every boundary that you so carefully constructed to keep them safe and well is pushed to the limit. Even asking them something that you KNOW they will want to do (like ‘shall we go to the park?’) might be responded to with a firm NO.
Independence
All of a sudden they want to do everything themselves. Even things that they have not quite mastered yet, like drinking from a cup without a lid or brushing their own teeth.
They may also decide now is the time for them to be doing whatever their older siblings are doing. Usually this involves them carrying around a backpack filled with all sorts of random things – everywhere you go.
Whack!
Communication is still limited, so generally involves hitting, throwing or biting to get their point across. If the same thing happens to them (for instance in a play date situation) they will be frightfully appalled.
Yuk!
Things that didn’t bother them before suddenly do. Food colours, textures and types become BIG DEALS that can lead to…..
Waaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Tantrums can occur daily or even hourly in some cases. The smallest thing can set them off and nothing you do seems to settle them down.
Usually they will save the worst of these for the lolly aisle in the supermarket, or the public toilet at the library.