The Not-So-Terrible Twos

Recently, my youngest turned two. I’m fully aware that some deem them to be the “terrible two’s” but I’m convinced they’ve got it all wrong. Two is a magical age, with one foot still stuck in babyhood and the other moving forward into childhood. My oldest was already a big brother before he turned two and I regret viewing him as older than he really was. When my second son was two, I then had two toddlers, meaning my attention was divided and I was, consequently, very scatterbrained and tired. Now with our third born, I’ve decided to enjoy it, not wish the hardest parts of it away nor lament the end of a sweet season.

Two is one of the best stages of the nursery years. It’s a time when you can enjoy all the benefits of a baby (such as that delicious Dreft and Baby Magic scent that wafts through their curls and creases) without all the gear and apparatus a newborn requires (adios bottles, pacifiers, nursing covers, and heavy infant car seat!). It’s a time to discover the unfolding personality of this little creature whom you have diapered and fed and burped and soothed these last twenty four months. In short, it is God’s gift to parents for enduring the long sleepless nights over the course of the last few years.

Two is a time when everything is new in the eyes of your child, too. Two-year-olds remind us that sunshine and rainbows, snowflakes and bubbles are all everyday miracles. Two-year-olds express  somewhere between 300 and 500 times a day that laughter is the best accessory to wear and that maybe we adults, who typically only bust a laugh a mere 15 times daily, shouldn’t take ourselves so seriously. And any parent knows that two is “the year of the box”. If you have a two-year-old, then you know what I mean. When Christmas and a birthday roll around the corner, the box and gift wrap itself are warmly accepted by the toddler as a gift of equal value to the contents within them. Don’t be surprised if a present is chucked to the corner and the box and tissue paper become the “toy” of choice! Two is a time of exploration and discovery, a time of wonder and excitement.  

Sure, two also has its drawbacks. It’s a time when most toddlers truly find their voice (and on many inopportune moments determine to break a new record in how loud they can get). Mess making, dumping, climbing, falling, pushing, and throwing are all just part of the job. Poop becomes increasingly fascinating, both a favorite word as well as an art medium. And let’s not forget the two-year-old “positions of defiance”, shall we? There’s the Wet Noodle (the infamous dead-weight drop usually issued when told to stand up and walk next to Mom or Dad), the Stiff Board (a curious phenomenon taking toddlers by storm when refusing to sit in their high chair or car seat), and how can we forget the Stink Eye (typically performed with arms crossed, reflexed jowls, and a sharp “No!” ready at the tip of the tongue)?

But the way I see it, there are two sides to every coin. That impulsive desire to move and get into drawers, cabinets, and closets means that a toddler is a curious creature. Strong wills and demanding natures, when trained and channeled accordingly, can develop appropriately alongside a child, making him a confident, assertive adult. And that “I can do it myself!” attitude can easily be put to work, learning to help around the house in small but beneficial ways.

The terrible two’s needn’t be considered so terrible. Trying? Yes. Testing? Absolutely. Tiring? You bet! But, without a doubt, they can also be terrific!