Tips for Dealing With the Terrible Twos
Raising a child isn’t easy, and it can be even harder when your child is in the “terrible twos” phase. Though you can’t totally tame the terrible twos, there are some things you can do to help make this phase easier for both you and your child.
The period from birth to age three is one of very raid brain development for your child. In fact, it’s the most active period in a person’s life. The average toddler’s brain is about twice as active as the average adult brain. Many toddlers who act out during the terrible twos do so because they are not receiving enough mental stimulation. If you have a child in this age range, you need to make sure you are doing enough to keep his or her brain active. Read to your child, do puzzles, engage your child in conversation and provide structured activities. If you do not send your child to a day care, it can be a good idea to sign him or her up for some organized activities. That will help to give your child needed stimulation while also giving you an occasional break.
Another way to deal with toddlers in this age range is to keep them on a consistent routine. This means going to bed at the same time each night and waking up at the same time each morning. Though this won’t always be possible, you should stick to the schedule as much as you can. You also should have a schedule for other things, such as eating, nap time and play time. This helps your child get used to when things are going to happen and to be able to anticipate things he or she enjoys while learning to cope with those that he or she doesn’t like.
No matter how good of a parent you are and no matter how well you do at following the previous two suggestions, keep in mind that your child is still likely to act out and do things you don’t like. What you need to understand is that you have to pick your battles. For example, dealing with a picky eater toddler can be difficult, but as long as your child is eating things that give him or her enough calories and nutrients, you should probably let it go. If your kid doesn’t eat vegetables, it’s OK. There are plenty of healthy foods for picky kids. You also may not want to antagonize your child over things like what clothes to wear. Picking your battles and not needlessly having power struggles over insignificant things will likely make you and your toddler happier and help you have to deal with fewer toddler screaming tantrums.
Dealing with the terrible twos won’t be easy, but if you follow these tips it can make things a little less painful for both you and your child.