Terrible Twos

Terrible two’s behavior usually happens when your child is 2-3yrs old and is described as being aggressive, unreasonable, defiant and demanding behavior. The extent of which “terrible twos” affects each child varies. It is thought to be brought on due to the child being frustrated; his mind is ahead of his body and capabilities, being unable to communicate his thoughts.

Here are some ideas to help parents trying to cope during the terrible twos:

• Remain calm!
• Do not give in to tantrums. If a child learns that by throwing a tantrum they will ultimately get their own way you will be opening the door to non-stop tantrum behavior.
• Time outs or taking away privileges should be used to ensure that a child knows the boundaries to appropriate behavior.
• Try to stick to a routine. Toddlers behave better when they are in a set routine as they know what to expect at any given time.
• Provide your child with specific choices rather than open ended questions where they have too many options.
• Provide a safe environment for your toddler.

Above all have patience – when we become upset our children follow our lead and instead of defusing the situation it just makes it worse. Try to remember that although your child is behaving badly this is a phase that he/she is going through and it will not last forever. As your child learns to communicate better he/she will be able to articulate his/her feelings and the times that he/she is acting out due to being frustrated should decrease.