subject: Terrible Twos And What It's All About [print this page] Terrible Twos And What It's All About Terrible Twos And What It's All About
No parent looks forward to the terrible twos, but it will happen whether you like it or not. This stage starts anytime during the toddler years. While bearing the name "terrible two", this could actually happen even before the child hits his second year (sometimes it comes late, when the child is close to his third year). While the terrible twos can be a nightmare, it's important that we know why it happens and what we can do about it. There is only one reason for the terrible twos, and that is frustration. Kids at this age want to be independent, but they don't have the skills to do things on their own. They also don't have well-developed language skills to tell their parents what they want which is the main reason why kids act weird at certain point of time. Parents sometimes lack that ability to understand every unsaid feeling which depresses a child even more. He starts feeling neglected as a result he becomes aggressive and also dominating sometimes. This leads to the screaming, crying and even biting which is associated with tantrums. The most important thing to remember is that your child isn't doing this because they are trying to be rebellious on purpose, but because they just don't know how to say what they feel. This should be taken into consideration that children cannot express every feeling by their small actions. They even feel helpless at times when nobody is able to understand what they exactly want.In order to handle the terrible twos effectively, there are a few things that you can do. Most tantrums happen when kids don't get their way. A very good example of this is when you dress your child. Most kids won't get dressed, and will fight their way out of the clothes. To show the child that you are respecting his decisions (feeding his need to be independent), have him choose between two shirts. By doing this, you are giving him the chance to make his own decisions but doesn't give him the option not to get dressed. Another thing first-time parents need to learn is to set-up their limits. This can be hard no doubt, especially when the child starts screaming and kicking. No matter what happens though always be firm. You'll notice that you will have to remind the child about not doing things several times, but never fail to implement the rules you set. Children this age will try and try to cross the line to see what they'll get away with, so being firm is very important to get the message across.
