I can't, for the life of me, figure out why people call the toddler stage 'The Terrible Twos'. This has got to be the biggest parenting lie out there. I don't know if other parents have lied to us on purpose...I can just see all the parents before me laughing as I breeze through toddlerhood with ease. Or have they lied to us simply because they have amnesia?
What I'm trying to say is that the twos are easy. Two-year olds rarely fight back and if they do it's pretty easily remedied with a quick time-out. Two-year olds listen when you say 'Eat your vegetables', 'Stay right here next to me', 'Get dressed'. They actually love doing what you ask and helping out. To all those parents who are either in the two year stage or are about to be there, I am an honest parent who wants you to know that you should enjoy every moment of this stage. And if you think it's hard...well then you may not survive the three-year old stage!
Heaven help me survive the third year! I beg of you...give me patience...give me strength.
The third year has so far been quite difficult (and we're only a month in). Selective hearing has begun. If you say get your shoes on because we're going to the store, it could take up to 30 minutes to get out the door. But if you say get your shoes on because we're going for a bike ride, well then the shoes are on in a mere 30 seconds. The art of delaying everything has also begun. Some methods used to delay going to bed include: asking for a drink of water, needing to go potty, asking for a back rub, asking for another book, asking for another hug and kiss, asking for anything and everything that comes to mind. Self-expression has developed into a vocabulary that includes NO, poopy head, fine-whatever, NO, nanananabooboohead, and more NO. And last but not least, three year olds do not listen. They do not listen when you ask them to do something. They do not listen when you say NO. They do not listen when you say 'That's enough' or 'Stop' or 'Please don't wake your brother'. They simply do not listen. Oh and I forgot...three year olds do not have an inside voice. They seem to yell everything. Oh yeah, and they act crazy. Like they've had 16 candy bars crazy. Out of control crazy.
Three year olds are truly exhausting. I'm not saying I don't love my daughter or appreciate the gifts I've been given. I'm just saying it's hard. And I'm trying to make the best of it and keep my sanity. I often chant 'this too shall pass' over and over in my head. Because I know it will. And one day I'll wish she was still a little girl and I'll wonder where all that time went. But for now, I'm tired.
4 comments:
Hang in there! All I can stay is stick to what you say! Don't give in and eventually, they catch on.
HAHA! I can relate to many of the things you just mentioned. Talon is not yet 3, but close and has already started doing some of those same things. It is hard and exhausting at times! The two's are a blessing and fun. It will be interesting to see what lies ahead!
WAIT! You mean it gets worse!!:O)
I'm already doing the chant in my head!!!!
Ugh...it's so true! I thought Ian's terrible two moments were bad but it's just so different at 3. It's even hard to explain but it's so tough at times.
We WILL get through it! Do you think it will be a little easier next time because we know they come out normal after this stage? :-)
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