Gfpacificbee’s Insights & photography

It appears my grandson is in his “terrible two’s” phase. I sure wish it would end soon, but in all likelihood it is only the beginning.

You may wonder what the terrible two’s are, but if you’re a mom you’re fully aware of the terrible two’s. With some children you might hardly notice the phase and with others, like my grandson, you feel so frustrated you’d pull your hair out trying to cope.

What are the terrible two’s? Believe it or not the “terrible two’s” is a normal stage in a child’s development. It is a stage in which a toddler can regularly bounce between reliance on adults and a newly burgeoning desire for independence. The symptoms vary between children but can include frequent mood changes and temper tantrums.

Why do I think my grandson is in the “terrible two’s”? Take a look at the following picture and it’ll give you a small glimpse into his actions of late.

And this isn’t everything he’s been getting into or doing lately. So just yesterday he managed to also get into everything in his mom’s room, spread them all over the place which included her tampons and drinking a small portion of a small bottle of mouthwash. Not only that but he also got a hold of an electric razor and shaved part of the dogs hair off.

What are the signs to look for of the “terrible two’s”?

• Tantrums that consistently include:
  • Hitting
  • Kicking
  • Biting
  • Or other forms of physical violence toward parent or caregiver (in this instance, me)
  • Child tries to injure themselves
  • Frequent tantrums ( occur around 10-20 times per day)
  • Last longer than 25 minutes on average
  • Inability of child to ultimately calm themselves

The terrible two’s can sometimes roll into the terrible three’s. By the time a child reaches 4, they can usually express themselves through language and motor development.

Remember not all children are the same. Some will barely show signs of the terrible two’s while others may show more than the average. Children are trying to develop a sense of themselves and a bit of independence. Keeping to a schedule and maintaining routines can assist in avoiding meltdown triggers. Examples would include sticking the the same meal and bed times. It also helps to focus your attention on the child and not cellphones.

How do I know my grandson is in the “terrible two’s”? The changes in his behavior clearly indicate it. How might you ask? His defiance, talking back, constantly saying no, hitting and/or biting himself or others. In his curiosity, he destroys items he is not even supposed to have. He gets into rooms he is not to be in without permission to explore. I know he is curious (like Curious George), but constantly redirecting gets frustrating. He will mimic anything I do, and he will stop his feet at me when he doesn’t get his way.

I try not to get frustrated and yell, but sometimes it’s difficult when I keep correcting or redirecting the same unwanted behavior. I don’t remember it being this frustrating with any of my three (now grown) children. I know his vocabulary is still limited and it’s not easy for him to communicate what he wants, but I also want him to learn what is acceptable and what is not.

Prayers 🙏🏼 would be very much appreciated. I need to be more patient, showing him my love and using kindness in my interactions with him. He is my heart ❤️ and I love him so much.