Everybody has heard the phrase “terrible two’s” and the majority of us have used it, whether talking about our children or somebody else’s.
But have you ever thought about the fact that all they are trying to do is express themselves and figure out this world that we live in?
Sure they know how to push our buttons and at times push us to breaking point but they don’t mean to. They have so many emotions that they are doing their best to translate and sometimes it just all gets a bit much.
As parents we tend to over correct and criticise our children a lot. We see our toddlers behaviour as something that we need to control.
When our children seem to have lost control we label them as rude and misbehaving, or not listening. But sometimes we just need to take a step back and look at the root of these behaviours. By doing this we are then able to guide our children through situations in a more civilised way.
These 5 strategies are sure to help you guide your child in the best way:
1. Listen to them rather than talking at them.
2. Don’t over question them. The hand rule is a great tool. Try only using one question to every four comments.
3. Have clear, fair and consistent boundaries in place.
4. Allow them To fail. They will never develop good resilience otherwise.
5. Give them the freedom to play and explore on their own.
By following these simple strategies you will give your child a strong foundation to grow at a time when they are just beginning to learn how to manage their complicated feelings.
At the end of the day all they really want is to make us happy, to feel unconditional love and love in return.
They are constantly growing and learning from mistakes. They are developing their own personality and trying to show us who they are.
Two year olds aren’t terrible they are magical. They just need us to be patient with them and to have time to figure everything out.