The Twos: Terrible or Terrific?

We've all heard the term "The Terrible Twos". With determination I entered into the two year old stage with my son, turning my nose up at the phrase. No! It's going to be the TERRIFIC Twos gosh darn it! Oh but there is a reason they call it that. With a budding independence and unyielding persistency, the young toddler is a force to be reckoned with. They burst with big emotions and go from zero to one hundred in the blink of an eye. Boundary pushing, mess making, grey hair inducing, risk taking, little noisemakers they are. If you want to grow in patience, get yourself a toddler. You will have unlimited opportunities to practice those slow breathing techniques your therapist recommends. My son is 2 years and 3 months old as I write this. He's been pushing molars which is wrecking our sleep routines and he doesn’t want to eat. (Food is a whole other issue for us normally so teething makes it all the worse). He's adjusted well to his baby sister who is currently 5 months but I think he still struggles sometimes when I'm giving her attention. For example, he will often act out when baby cries and I go to nurse her.

Some days feel brutal. Everything… and I mean EVERYTHING is a battle. Diaper? "No!". Sit down and eat. "No!". Let's get your shoes on. "No!" If I had a dollar for every no I heard in a day… I'd be booking myself quite the lavish getaway I can assure you. Some days I cry. Some days I want to cop out and not be a mom for a little while. Or maybe for the rest of the day. Some days when boundaries are constantly being pushed, tantrums ensue, and I'm faced with straight up defiance, I think "what have I done wrong?". Which is a silly thing to think I suppose. Did I really expect my son to be this perfect disciplined child with the maturity to think through his actions before execution? No. And that's just it. I forget how little he is sometimes. I forget how he is still growing, developing, and learning about this world and it's rules at a tremendous pace. Pushing boundaries is normal. Tantrums are normal. Big emotions are normal. He's just a two year old being a two year old.

If someone were to ask me if I thought the twos were terrible, I think I'd still say no. There are terrible moments or days, yes. But if I step back and take a look, I truly in all honesty, adore this stage. Because there are so many good and wonderful things I love about my two year old that completely squash the negative and challenging parts. I love hearing him say new words and start putting them together. I love it when he runs up to me and plants a sloppy kiss on my cheek. I love seeing his personality shine through. I love how blue is his favorite color. I love his mischievous grin. His curiosity. His cute little voice. His sense of humor. His pitter pattering feet as he runs about the house. I am filled with joy every day because of this little guy that I am privileged to call my son.