Terrible Two's !

I have a 5 1/2 year old and the boys are 2 1/2. I really believe the boys are at the toughest age. They wear me out! Between the fighting, tantrums, and physical activity there are days I want to run away! It just has to get better, right!
My daughter is fine- no problems there!

 

My girls are 2.5 too, just last week I sent my friend who has 5 year old twins, a message asking, how in the heck she survived the "terrible two's." Sadly her reply, "We laughed at the two's, the three's are undescribable." Great-LOL.

 

I hate to agree with your friend, but for us, 3's were MUCH worse than 2's.

My boys will be 4 1/2 in July and I'm just now seeing the end in sight.

But as I've come to understand over the years, no age is ever "better" it's just different.

 

I'm gonna have to ditto that the 2's were a piece of cake, the 3's are a million times worse! I've been through it with my older 2 kids, and I'm in the midst of it with my twins! I keep reminding myself daily that 3's are tough, but once my older kids hit the 4's and 5's things got much better!! :hug:

 

Yup, it'll get better when they get 4 1/2.

 

Ohhhhhh yeah, mine turned 3 and I realized I had no idea how "terrible" they could be!! I've never looked forward to their birthday more!!!!

 

WHA??? This is really depressing to hear that 2 is a piece of cake 'cause it sure doesn't feel like it right now. Although maybe carrot cake as that's not really cake...

 

Looking back, at 2 - 2 1/2 they would do things without really knowing it was "wrong", the were "just 2" At 3 - 3 1/2 they knew what they were doing was wrong but did not care and and would do it any ways.

I remember me saying this numerous times last year:
"don't touch" "Don't Touch" "DON'T TOUCH!!!!!" And them just looking at me and continue to do what I told them not to do. :BDH:

Even now, at almost 4 1/2 on a daily basis I have to tell them not to hit the dog or pull the dog's tail. They know they should not do it, but will even when I'm standing in the room. :gah:

One of the most frustrating things right now is when my one DS will do something he shouldn't and I ask him why he did it, every single time it's "I don't know". :umm:

 

Yes! That is exactly it, before they turn 3ish, they know what they're doing is just something that they're doing, it doesn't register that it's good or bad until after they've done it. When they turn 3, they turn mentally defiant (not just physically), so they KNOW what they are doing isn't right and they're doing it to find out what your reaction will be to it. When they turn 4, it kind of starts to click in their head, "if I do this thing, which is bad, I will get punished. I shouldn't do this thing.)


So to recap,
At 2, it's "good behavior, bad behavior, what's the difference?" Oblivious.
At 3, it's do it to see what reaction I get (parental reaction or natural consquence) Curious.
At 4, it's "Oh yeah, I remember that this is bad behavior. Maybe I shouldn't do it." Reasoning.

 

This is depressing. :0( mine are turning three. It doesn't get better for another year and a half?!