6 Things That I Learned About Having A Two Year Old
Now that Maya is three I feel like we have successfully gotten through the terrible twos stage, and so I thought that I would share some of the things that I think all parents should know, and possibly look forward to, as their babies approach the wonderful age of two! Having a two year old can be somewhat challenging, but with that being said it was always refreshing to witness how far my once baby has come in all aspects of her maturing life.
1. YOUR TWO YEAR OLD IS READY TO BE CALLED A BIG KID
I think that this point is huge and definitely worth mentioning because some times we as parents try to hold on to our babies for as long as we can, and so with that we continue to refer to them as just that...our/my baby. I know that with every time Ryeon and I would call Maya "our baby" out loud or even saying things like, "come here please baby" Maya would correct us immediately and further direct us to call her what she is; A BIG GIRL! This has been so amazing to witness; our big girl feeling and knowing that she is now so much more than the little wee baby she once was.
2. THEY START TO UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF HOLIDAYS AND DEVELOP THE EXCITEMENT FOR IT ALL
Maya never really understood the concept behind things related to holidays like Easter, Christmas or even birthdays! Which is understandable and expected of course. Eith that being said, it was such a wonderful thing to have seen her excitement around not only her birthday but also the birthdays of others and the idea of wanting to make them feel special on their day! Also with holidays like Christmas when she would get so excited to see Santa (but still cried and refused to take a picture with him on her own) and just the way that she noe recognizes all of the little things related to the holiday like Christmas trees, lights and songs! Of course she will only grow to know and love these special times more, but I feel like at the age of two she was already able to comprehend and enjoy so much of what the holidays bring and are about!
3. THE IDEA OF HAVING TO SHARE THINGS IS STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS
At the age of two, our little ones are still developing their ego. Mostly every plea is answered with "no" and "it's mine!" However I found that with a little bit of encouraging and demonstrating it was some times easier to get Maya to share her toys when friends and family were over. And other times it seemed merely impossible, and we would just have to really wait until she was ready to share or for when she would move on to playing with some thing else (which happens quite quickly). I would say that it is not worth scolding and getting upset over, but it is still important to have a talk about what it means to share with our friends. Another option is to buy books that talk about sharing and continuously reading them with your child.
4. THEY ARE DEVELOPING AN AMAZING SENSE OF SELF AND THEIR OWN INDEPENDENCE
Maya became so much more independent that it literally felt like it all happened over night! She has to be the one to pick out her clothes, dress herself and do every single thing she can for her self. At first I struggled, because there are some things that toddlers just shouldn't be doing themselves (like cutting things open with scissors or even worse, using a knife) but we have always worked with and around Maya's growing independence and have and still continue to let her do as much as she possibly can for her self. I would say that parents should try to get and make every thing you can in your home toddler family; like for example getting them their own cutlery and dinnerware. And definitely invest in a stool or two, and always be ready and prepared but not overly anxious for them to make a mess... because rest assured, they will!
5. TANTRUMS WILL BE THROWN ANY WHERE THEY PLEASE
When a two year old does not get their way, all hell breaks loose. For a bit of time I would just go out and run my errands on my own and try not to bring Maya to the store with me all the time as I did before. Simply because the in store tantrums were just getting to be a bit out of hand, I won't even lie. But I can say that she is doing much better and in fact, we went out for a girls day just yesterday and she was amazing! I think as they discover their voice they don't shy away from using it. I mean Maya could throw a fit in the store and then be in the truck within five minutes and be perfectly fine. Such an emotional roller coaster I have found the age of two to be, but I wouldn't of had it any other way.
6. THEY TEACH YOU SO MUCH ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR ROLE AS A PARENT
At the end of the day, Maya growing up and out of the baby stage has allowed me to grow as well. I feel as though this age is when they really start to teach you about yourself and how you handle your own emotions even. Maya taught me that not every action needs a reaction and that one bad day did not mean that the next had to be the same. Most importantly at this age, Maya taught me the beauty of forgiveness. Forgiveness mostly for myself, as I would some times feel bad about the way I handled certain situations as her mother. But she taught me that no matter what this love is unconditional and even though I may yell at her or not handle things in the best way (because let's face it, every day I am still learning) her love and of course mine never stops or changes.
All in all, two is a very beautiful age as it is one that you cannot predict or prepare for in the best way. I loved watching my daughter grow up and be full of light and a personality that is so her own and of no one else! I look forward to everything that is to come with this new age of three. And although I hate to be the bearer of bad news, I must admit that I have heard that the terrible twos do not end at the age of two lol! I'm just saying!
Thanks for reading,
S.S.