Mud Pies & Minivans: Terrible 2's?

I have often heard parents moan & groan over the more challenging stage often referred to as the "terrible two's". Personally, I have never experienced this phase with my kids. BUT the "extremely feisty-want to challenge you continuously-not quite 2 yet" stage. Yep, been there. Several times as a matter of fact.

The important things to remember when pushing through this time with your toddler is that the more consistent & "on it" you & your partner are, the shorter this stage will be. It can be a very draining & tiring stage at times when you find yourself correcting your tot for the 121st time over the same exact thing. Sometimes you may even find yourself in situations that have you feeling a lil' embarrassed like a huge meltdown in public that has you questioning "Who is this child?", but don't let it beat you. Perseverance & patience are definitely needed, keeping your eye on the prize! You have to remember you are investing in their future & in the person you want them to be.

At the moment I am speaking through my own personal experience. As I said, I have been through this stage many times before & am currently pushing through it once again with my adorable & peppery lil' Adley. It is around this age that they begin to find their voice, this sometimes means an ear piercing shriek to voice discontent or frustration. They start to favor words like "NO" & "mine". Sometimes they may test out the waters on pulling siblings hair, stomping feet, avoiding sharing, throwing things, or seeing how long they can get away with not coming immediately when called.

As parents we have to make up our minds that we are going to let them know every single time that these actions are not acceptable. At times for me this has meant stopping mid-pump, running all the way up stairs or down stairs several times to make sure situations are resolved, putting phone conversations on hold to nip a behavior in the bud immediately, having to put the baby down in the middle of his bottle to intervene on some not so acceptable behaviors or whatever.

No one ever said good parenting is always going to be convenient. It takes work & a lot of it. You are ALWAYS "on the clock" as a parent, but the ultimate payoff is priceless! If you put in the real work during the earlier stages, then you will find that molding & shaping your kids becomes a lot easier later on. Also, if you make sure that your older children are "in line", you will find that as more siblings come along they are huge help in setting good examples for their younger siblings who are definitely going to mimic them & look up to what they say & do.

Another very important note I have to mention before closing out this post is to be very careful about what you say/confess over your kids during this stage (at all stages as a matter of fact). Kids are smart, they know when you have given up on them. To say things like "Well 'Katie' is just a finicky kid" or "That 'Johnny' is always cranky when he wakes up" is telling your child on a level that you have given up or accepted that a behavior/attitude is never going to change. A child is not going to rise to the occasion if they don't have to. Set your standards high, confess positive things over their life even if you are not necessarily seeing it yet. Saying things like "That Katie can flow & try new things" or "Johnny chooses to wake up with joy!" are better things to say to steer your child towards success!

So, Parents. In conclusion, do not lose heart & grow weary in stages that are more challenging. This too shall pass, lol. Stay consistent, patient, & true to the limits & expectations you set for your kids. It WILL pay off!

-M&M Momma