I remember when I was pregnant with my first, I was always
warned of the “terrible two’s.” “Watch
out,” they would say. I feared the
terrible two’s like getting a flat tire, like somehow you won’t be prepared for
it and you won’t know what to do, i.e.…the tantrums in public, the whines and
cries. How will I stop it? I mean, how embarrassing, right?! The one way you can make yourself look like
an unfit mother; take your 2 year old child out during the witching hour and if
he/she skipped a nap. CRASH AND BURN!
But, the thing is I sailed through the terrible two’s with
my first. She rarely threw tantrums in
public. The worst she would do was drop
to her knees in the middle of the mall if she didn’t get what she wanted. She wouldn’t cry. She would just drop to her knees. No big deal.
I would pick her up and walk out.
Now my second…that is another story.
She does the whole bit. She rolls
around, kicks her legs, and cries tears like she won’t have any left ever
again. For the love of God! But for some reason, I don’t take it
seriously. I kind of laugh it off. You have to.
Otherwise, these things can and will eat you alive. We can’t take it as seriously because they
are still babies. They are just starting
to truly ‘get it.’ Sincerely, I don’t
find the two’s to be terrible. I find
them to be tolerable. As long as you
keep a sense of humor, I am renaming the ‘terrible two’s,’ the TOLERABLE TWO’S. We are grown adults. They are babies. We can take it.
Bring on the three’s…
SASS! SPUNK! TALK-BACK!
What do they call the three’s? I
call them the F’ING
THREE’S!
I warned my friend with 2 year old twins. “Just wait,” I said. I hate to be the person that says, “Just
wait.” Who likes her? But, I had to warn her. At 3, they get it, they know what they want,
and they are NOT afraid to fight for it.
They fight with you, with siblings, with friends, with the cashier at
the grocery store…anyone. They want what
they want. Everything is a battle. Life is a struggle. It is actually pretty scary!
I love my one friend that always talked about “age
appropriate behavior.” She always made
me feel better.
“Oh, she is kicking you at bath time…age appropriate.”
“You know, the refusal to eat is age appropriate
behavior.”
“She won’t go to bed? Age appropriate.”
That could be my favorite line. Chalk it up.
You know what, at the time some things seemed hopeless. At times, I felt like a terrible mother. How could I raise a human being that does
THAT?! But now I know…they grow out of
it. They grow into something so
beautiful and wonderful that I call, “The FANTASTIC
FOUR’S!”
“Mommy, I think putting up the Christmas tree with my family
is the best thing ever,” my 4 year old said on Sunday. “The lights are so gorgeous and the ornaments
are so sparkly.” Fantastic! Positive and happy. Making deals.
Lots of smiles. “I’m tired,” she
said last night, “I’m ready for bed.”
GOLDEN! Don’t get me wrong, there
are still tantrums and overtired meltdowns.
We still have the TUDE, but on the whole, I would say, this is the best
age so far. I’m having a ball with my 4
year old. I can’t wait to see what is
next! Tell me it just gets better. I think it does.
In the end, there are wonderful things about every age that
is for sure. But, we do have to “get
through” some things to come out on the other side. We have to get through the ‘tolerable two’s’
and fight with the “F’ING THREE’s” and combat the “FANTASTIC FOUR’S.” We get through them and we come out smiling
on the other end. We say to ourselves,
“looking back, that wasn’t so bad.” And,
we know in our hearts, the best is yet to come…
Who knows, maybe the five’s are fabulous?! But, it seems to me, after years 1-4, nobody
is counting anymore.
