When Do the Toddler “Terrible Twos” End?
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The terrible two’s is a difficult time in the life of a whole family. Most parents can sit down and talk to complete strangers about their terrible two experience because it is something that all parents can related to regardless of ethnicity, location, or even socioeconomic status. Terrible two’s is a phase that all children go through, and as normal as it all is, every parent finds themselves asking when will it end, when will the madness stop?
Understanding the Terrible Twos
To determine when the terrible two’s will end, and to help ease some frustration, you should learn exactly what the terrible two’s are and why all children go through this phase. The terrible twos are simply a time where your child is feeling more independent and they want you to know it. They try to express themselves and their wishes and they don’t always have the language or ability to express themselves. This can lead to frustration when they are not being understood or when their desires are declined. The terrible two’s are often inundated with temper tantrums, hitting, and even biting.
You can help to hasten the terrible two’s process by making your child’s life more predictable and allow them to feel more independent and in control of some things. By doing these things you will also establish that while you value your child’s input, they are not in charge and they don’t get to dictate how things go. This is an important part of the terrible two’s.
Some things that will help you speed through the terrible two’s:
- Stick to a regular routine for everything including meals, naptimes, and bedtimes.
- Set limits for your child and enforce them. Your child is testing limits and when the limits are clear it will help the child to see that boundaries are not negotiable.
- Limit choices. Communication is difficult at this age, so limit choices. Instead of asking open ended questions give one or two choices and allow the child to pick from only those options.
- Don’t give in when your child throws a tantrum.
When you do these things and you do them each and every day, your child will often speed through the terrible two’s more quickly. These things will help you be the parent to your child and also help them learn that there are limits and they need to stick within those limits. When will the terrible two’s end? They should end around three but the phase can last until the child is four. Parents who set boundaries and stick to a regular routine find that the phase is over more quickly than those that do not.
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