What to Expect from the Terrible Twos

What to Expect from the Terrible(ˈterəbəl) Twos

By healthline.com

Both parents and pediatricians(ˌpēdēəˈtriSHən) often speak of the “terrible twos.” It’s a normal developmental phase(fāz) experienced by young children that’s often marked by tantrums(ˈtantrəm), defiant(dəˈfīənt) behavior, and lots of frustration.

The terrible twos don’t necessarily occur right when your child turns 2. The terrible twos generally begin anywhere from 18 to 30 months of age, and, despite(dəˈspīt) what the name implies, can last well into the third year of life.

While tantrums can certainly still happen after your child turns 3, they often become less frequent by then.

Read on to learn more about what to expect and how to manage the terrible twos.

Why are the twos so terrible?

Toddlerhood(ˈtädlər) is a stage that spans from about the ages of 1 to 3. It’s full of intellectual(ˌin(t)əˈlek(t)SH(o͞o)əl) and physical(ˈfizikəl) growth. Your child is starting to:

walk
talk
have opinions
learn about emotions
understand (if not master) how to share and take turns

During this stage, your child will naturally want to explore their environment and have and do what they want on their own terms. That’s all normal and expected behavior.

But because their verbal(ˈvərbəl), physical, and emotional skills aren’t well-developed, your child can easily become frustrated when they fail(fāl) to adequately(ˈadikwətlē) communicate or perform a task.

The following are examples of situations that may cause frustration for a 2-year-old:

Your child likely won’t have the language skills to clearly indicate what they want.
They may not have the patience(ˈpāSHəns) to wait their turn.
They may overestimate(ˌōvərˈestəˌmāt) their hand-eye coordination(kōˌôrdnˈāSHən) and not be able to pour(pôr) their own milk or catch a ball, even though they desperately(ˈdesp(ə)rətlē) want to.

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http://www.gutenberg.org/files/219/219-h/219-h.htm