Why is it called the terrible 2's???

[seoj]

Seriously?! I just do not get it-- maybe cause my LO is barely 2yrs, maybe cause she has a more even temperment, maybe cause it just doesn't bother me really when she does have a "toddler" moment cause I know it will quickly pass and we always just work through it together... IDK?

But I have many friends who say 3 is worse So maybe that "joy" is yet to come... buahaha. I just don't get why it's the terrible two's when so many say it's really 3? Maybe the terrible three's just doesn't flow off the tonque as easily...

I'm guessing because 2 is when it "starts"... but so far, I'm loving 2! I find it such a fun and sweet age... although I love every new stage my LO get's to

 

[binxyboo]

I had no problem with the "terrible 2's" either.
Now he has hit 3, its a totally different story!!

 

[seoj]

Exactly! I hear that ALL the time... LOL. Better enjoy it while it lasts is what your saying hehe

 

[overcomer79]

3-4 is horrible....I didn't have any issue with 2s

 

[tommyg]

I think lots of problems come from parents who don't let their 2 year olds have any say in their life's and who underestimate 2 year olds therefore they end up with very frustrate kids on their hands.

DS thinks he makes decisions - he wants cornflakes and rice crispies ok, do you want these jeans or these jeans - you are wearing jeans!

 

[Seity]

I guess because it rhymes better than terrible 3's.
I think some kids hit the horrible 3's a year early, but it was definitely the 3's for us.

 

[Bevziibubble]

I've always heard that 'the terrible twos starts early', but from the comments here I am not looking forward to age 3-4 !

 

[monkee12]

Its the start of the naughty behaviour and tends to get worse the older they get lol x

 

[aimee-lou]

In my experience - 1 and 3 were worse than 2. I say that but 16-20 months and 33-39 months were bad - we hit a whole new level at about 2y9m which lasted about 6 months in total I'd say (obviously worse in the middle). Earl has just turned 4 and it's been a long time since we've had a bad time with him. He's acted out a bit when Charlie arrived and there was a lot of upheaval but that's been and gone!

Eddy is just 17 months and while his development has gone up a gear, so has his attitude so he seems to be following a similar pattern to his brother. Don't get me wrong, he's still easy going, but he is so loud and he knows how to use that volume to his advantage now!

But no, don't agree with terrible 2s at all. I actually wonder how much of it is that according to 'normal' family make-up, there's a 2 year age gap and so the stress-levels increase for everyone at that point. Earl was 2.5 when Eddy arrived and I admit, it was hard work.

 

[jd83]

I've always heard terrible two's is really from age 1 through age 2. Horrible 3s is 3-4s. It's the tantrums I'm sure that refers to. I guess how "terrible' is seems is in relation to how much patience you have as a parent. I'll be honest, some days tantrums don't bother me in the least, and other days it seems neverending and just wears on me really badly. So while its not always terrible, there are definitely days it seems that way, but that's more because some days I just lack the patience for it more than others. I get that the reason for the tantrums is often frustration in communication, but that doesn't make it any less frustrating on my end either when its a day of non-stop tantrums.

eta: I also agree with others who have said 3 is way worse. In the last few months, tantrums sometimes are just out of control. And there are days when he just won't listen to a single word I say, no matter how many times I say it, no matter if he gets time outs or put in the corner or sent to his room. He sometimes just does not care. And will laugh that he is getting in trouble. Very frustrating.

 

[Natasha2605]

Gosh 2s were easy for Summer. Now at 3.5 its the ATTITUDE. Some days I could kill her.

As for Maci. Shes the terrible everything. Maybe I'll catch a break at 2... who am I kidding!

 

[x__amour]

I had no issues. I'm guessing some say 3+ is bad as they can express/rebel more.

 

[seoj]

Hopefully I won't eat these words later But 2 has just been lovely, but so was her newborn/baby/1yr old stages too- all obviously have their trying moments, for very different reasons- but so far (knock on wood), she is just such an easy kid- although all kids are work! Compared to what I've been told and experienced with friends kids- she's on the easy end of the scale for sure. For me, the hardest part of her being 2 is she can't always tell me what she wants- so she get's frustrated... we always work through it and I usually figure it out pretty quick, she get's her point across well most of the time- but there are moments she can't tell me, and I just do not get it?! Those times I really wish she could tell me what she wants- not just point and get mad cause I have no clue! LOL. So I think, it can only get easier? But hey- I only know baby to 2 and 9yrs plus (with my SD)- so the in between is all a mystery to me so far

 

[OmarsMum]

Mine went through a personality change few days before his 2nd birthday, I posted a thread before he hit the terrible 2s as I had no clue what others were talking about. We had our 1st tantrum, we freaked out as we never had tantrums, from that point our journey started with ongoing mood swings, it got better at 3 yrs, but now he behaves badly, he shouts & talks at us, he hits & he seems so frustrated all the time. The 2s was a breeze compared to the 4s

 

[mj2004]

It's very interesting reading this, I found with DD the age of 3 was a breeze, very few meltdowns. Very easy going but at 2 she was nothing but a little stinker! We're not quit at 2 yet with DS so it'll be interesting to see if I change my mind, but from past experience 2 was much worse then 3. Then again my DD has always been very laid back but now that she gets older that is all changing, so I guess all ages have their challenges!

 

[Jchihuahua]

Daisy was very hard work from just over 2 until just over 3. Huge public tantrums were a daily occurence! She's been much better from 3 onwards.

 

[Natsku]

The terrible twos, the traumatic threes, the frustrating fours...

 

[special_kala]

2s is nothing compared to the 4s!

 

[Septie]

For our first, 2.5-3 were - by far - the worst. The 3s were fairly easy, as are the early 4's. For the record, LO1 and 2 are 2 years apart. LO2 hasn't hit a the terrible 2's yet - he has some minor tantrums (really just random crying or sad faces when he doesn't get what he wants), but overall is a really sweet and loving kid still!

 

[seoj]

Thanks for all the replies ladies- it's certainly intersting to see all the different insight and how every kid can change for the good (or not so good) at certain ages... all we can do is wait and see Part of me thinks "temperment is temperment" and how much can that really change at each age- but then again, like I said- I only know from birth to now and 9+ (and that was with my SD who is an all together unique and wonderful kid in her own right)-- so hey, bring on the future and let it be what it will be... not too fast though