The "terrible twos" are upon us

[musicfrk2002]

Anyone else?

[musicfrk2002]

Tonight I simply said "pajamas", causing throwing of toys and a full meltdown.

[baytosa2013]

Uh yeah they have been creepin around our house for the last 2-3 months. We have crying, screaming, throwing things ( including ourselves), banging out fists and forehead in frustration. It's been epic so I can't wait till she actually turns 2!

[periwinkledaydreams]

Yea I said it yesterday when we had a 3 hour standoff over the fact I wouldn't give her strawberries for breakfast after already offering waffles, banana and yogurt (all 3 of which she likes and normally eats, she just SAW the srrawberries when I opened the frige to get milk and decided that was the ONLY thing she wanted and she was going to be a bear until she got it) I used to say when I was in early childhood, never enter a battle of wills with a 2 year old because you WILL lose. I lost the battle when 3 hours later when I gave her a strawberry and all was right with her world.

[periwinkledaydreams]

Feb 26, 2017 9:06:23 GMT -5 @scoop said:

"MINE!"

This too lol, she tucks whatever it is under her armpit and shout "Noooo! MIIIIINES"

[sabrinaml]

We've been here for a couple of months as well. Throws himself or anything around him when he doesn't get his way.

[alayne926]

Yep...pick your battles.

I feel like I live in a war zone sometimes, but as long as everyone is safe, healthy, and playing somewhat nicely together, KOKO.

[periwinkledaydreams]

I agree for sure, sanity requires picking your battles. I went all in over the srrawberries yesterday because this is a new pattern, where she starts eating whats offered or even what she chose but then SEES something else and won't take another bite of what she's got because now she wants the other thing. That I need to squash.. Its important to me to not waste food.

[musicfrk2002]

We aren't saying MINE yet...everything is just UH UH, even when he means yes.

[holliberry28]

If it makes anyone feel better, developmentally, kids aren't expected to share until 3.

Holy tantrums yesterday. Crying for an hour non stop and I think it was only because we couldn't go outside to play because the weather was too horrible.

We aren't saying "no" yet, but wave "bye" to all people and things we want to go away.

[sabrinaml]

Feb 26, 2017 11:30:21 GMT -5 holliberry28 said:

If it makes anyone feel better, developmentally, kids aren't expected to share until 3.

Holy tantrums yesterday. Crying for an hour non stop and I think it was only because we couldn't go outside to play because the weather was too horrible.

We aren't saying "no" yet, but wave "bye" to all people and things we want to go away.

We just got over a 20 minute tantrum because I wouldn't let him go play outside. Unfortunately we were spoiled with some 60-70 degree days last week, and we spent a lot of time outside. It's cold and our yard is gross from all the rain/snow mix we just got. (And mom just doesn't want to go out right now)

[billyhorrible]

Feb 26, 2017 11:13:41 GMT -5 periwinkledaydreams said:

I agree for sure, sanity requires picking your battles. I went all in over the srrawberries yesterday because this is a new pattern, where she starts eating whats offered or even what she chose but then SEES something else and won't take another bite of what she's got because now she wants the other thing. That I need to squash.. Its important to me to not waste food.

Yeah, I'm ok with letting my kid tantrum when he doesn't get his way. Or because he's unhappy with the consequences of his actions.

[Bluedaisy]

+1 to so much of this. Thankfully we haven't reached the "mine" stage but the "No!!" is his favourite word and omg with the tantrums over nothing...usually because I won't let him do something dangeous.

[blueskiessmiling]

DD threw her biggest tantrum ever in Target last week because I would not instantly open a carton of soup for her to eat. She just screamed "SOOOOOOOUP!" at the top of her lungs until we got home.

She also does the "No! Mine!" and then curls her entire little body around whatever it is I'm trying to take away.

[jillywilly]

W does the "MINE" sometimes now - I guess it was on full display when my BFF's H brought their little girl over while we were at the spa the other day.

The biggest tantrums he's had lately are also about having to come inside after playing outside since we had such nice weather. A week ago Friday I made the mistake of letting him play outside a while and having him come in right around nap time, and since tantrums always seem at their worst when he's tired, he wound up flinging himself at the door, screaming at top volume.

In general, I've tried to pick my battles, especially since he's becoming more and more opinionated by the day it seems. This morning as I was getting him dressed, he told me "socks," and I said, yes, we need to put some socks on. He pulled out his red Darth Vader socks, and said, "Star Wars," so I tried telling him they didn't match and putting a different pair on. He pulled the pair I picked right off and insisted on "Star Wars," while trying to pull his sock choice on. So he went to day care with socks that don't match his outfit, but at least we got through the morning with 0 tantrums - not something I can say every day.

[jillywilly]

Feb 27, 2017 9:41:09 GMT -5 @jemomma said:

Wait a second...socks need to match a kid's outfit? Have I been doing this wrong? I feel like we need a poll.

It's a thing for me. I mean, like I said, I'm not going to battle my kid to get him to wear socks that match his outfit, but if he otherwise doesn't care, yeah, I'll grab the socks that are near the top of the sock pile that coordinate the best with his clothes - it doesn't really take any additional effort than just grabbing any socks?

Other crazy sock anecdote - for Christmas, MIL bought W "days of the week" socks. I will not put "Monday" socks on him unless it's actually Monday, etc. It drives H nuts because he's like, but then you rarely match the socks to the outfit on any given day (since they're all different colors), and I just told him it's MIL's fault for buying them in the first place. 

[billyhorrible]

Feb 27, 2017 9:58:48 GMT -5 jillywilly said:

Feb 27, 2017 9:41:09 GMT -5 @jemomma said:

Wait a second...socks need to match a kid's outfit? Have I been doing this wrong? I feel like we need a poll.

It's a thing for me. I mean, like I said, I'm not going to battle my kid to get him to wear socks that match his outfit, but if he otherwise doesn't care, yeah, I'll grab the socks that are near the top of the sock pile that coordinate the best with his clothes - it doesn't really take any additional effort than just grabbing any socks?

Other crazy sock anecdote - for Christmas, MIL bought W "days of the week" socks. I will not put "Monday" socks on him unless it's actually Monday, etc. It drives H nuts because he's like, but then you rarely match the socks to the outfit on any given day (since they're all different colors), and I just told him it's MIL's fault for buying them in the first place. 

LBB has day of the week underwear and it kills me when he wears the wrong day. I mean, I don't do anything about it, because I know it's my craziness, but it does bother me.

[Widget123]

Would not buy day of the week underwear, socks, or anything else. It would drive me batty.

If I am picking out the outfit, it will absolutely match, including socks. However if DD or LO insisted that they wanted to wear something that didn't match, I wouldn't care on most occasions, especially socks.

[tiffbot]

I got DS day of the week underwear because the days were written in the trailer of a semi truck and thought he would love them and I could teach him days and also thought "it's not like I'll actually care if he wears them on the wrong day".

But once we actually got them who's the one digging through the underwear drawer making sure I pick out the right day, me. Lesson learned.

[veggiemo]

I pick out the kids' outfits the day before, and I match the socks. Neither of them ever question what I've picked, so I guess I got lucky there!

Food is a big issue right now. Constantly crying at the pantry or fridge. This is all new to me because DS never cared about eating. But seriously, we can eat dinner and 2 minutes later LO is crying at the pantry again. So annoying.

Screams are also a problem. His tantrums are never long or drawn out, but for instance at the zoo last week I kept having to pick him up to move him out of the middle of the sidewalk or whatever and he would thrash and scream SO loud that everyone there would get quiet and look my direction. But then as soon as I set him back down where he was out of the way he would stop. That is pretty much my life right now. He won't sit in the stroller or a shopping cart. We've been leaving him with my mom when we do our weekly grocery shop because it's sheer torture to bring him. DS has now become the easier of the two when we are out and about which is absolutely INSANE.

[Widget123]

I feel you veggiemo. LO is always whining for more food. Also a pain at the grocery store. A bit of a runner too but not as bad as his sister was, just wants to go in the opposite direction and for me to come with him.

[periwinkledaydreams]

I accidentally bought day of the week socks. I just really liked the colors and patterns on them, then saw they were labelled. Their first wears were on the correct days and now.. they live in the drawer of mis-matches. It gives me some kind of satisfaction to put my kid in one Tuesday and one Saturday on a Friday.. like my DGAF rebel side is like "suck it, labels!"

But there is a side of me who wants them to be correct, I just like to defy that side.

I never do a DOTW with like a plain old solid sock, though.

[jessila]

So, so, so much screaming. Shreiking, shouting, yelling, squealing, whining, wailing, and more screaming. He likes to experiment with the screaming to see how much I'll let him do before I go to him. Most battles are over going into rooms and closing doors. He cries 'All gone' then wails which turns into a scream.
His feelings get hurt really easily. I'll let him cry but he won't completely calm down until I go pick him up and hug him. And if another kid takes something from him he won't stop crying until I've come to check on him.

[baytosa2013]

So much screaming at the top of our lungs. Also we have "no" and "mine" , they are are in the same sentence. Running away, especially at bed time or diaper changes, is an Olympic sport and My most favorite is no talking between mommy and daddy allowed..ever.

periwinkledaydreams I usually take all the food out I'm making while she's distracted, get her in her seat which is out of sight of the fridge or pantry and then put everything away. This has helped stave off most of the fits over wanting something else all of a sudden.

ETA: jessila C went in to her closet last week and closed the door at bedtime. It was dark in there. I thought for sure we'd hear crying but instead it was some rustling around and then the door knob and the "uh oh". DH and I died laughing and opened the door. She came out looking at us like wtf is wrong with you.

[Bluedaisy]

This thread is the best thing ever! Seriously it makes me feel so much better. Do your los also seem to delight in being disobedient? Like looking at you and laughing before dumping something on the floor or throwing food at the dog, etc?

[Widget123]

Though perhaps the thing that annoys me the most right now is the spitting. I don't want to have to say, "Stop spitting on Mommy's pillow!"

[periwinkledaydreams]

Feb 27, 2017 22:24:49 GMT -5 carrots said:

Feb 27, 2017 22:13:45 GMT -5 Bluedaisy said:

This thread is the best thing ever! Seriously it makes me feel so much better. Do your los also seem to delight in being disobedient? Like looking at you and laughing before dumping something on the floor or throwing food at the dog, etc?

Yes! And doing things that are dangerous! That mischievous grin kills me.

OMG the grin and eye twinkle.

[musicfrk2002]

I sent J to daycare and vacuumed yesterday. Didn't unplug the vacuum for whatever reason. I did warn J when we got home that he really did not want to flip the power switch and he just looked at me with the "oh yeah? watch me" face...I only felt a little bad for laughing.

It's also hilarious to watch him start a tantrum. He sinks to the floor, then most of the time very carefully eases the rest of himself onto the ground before tantruming.

[dogmama22]

jillywilly my family makes fun of me for matching Z's socks to his outfit, but I love it.
Recently I got tired of losing the matches for his cute socks, so I bought a huge pack of boring white ones. No more fun sock matching.