How to survive your toddler's 'Terrible Twos'

By Cindy Chuah | Last Reviewed 24 June 2019

Does your toddler say 'NO' to everything?

Does your toddler get irritated easily or meltdown over minor issues like people touching his or her things?

Does your toddler thinks everything and everywhere belongs to him or her - MINE?

Does your toddler hit, bite or throw things when things doesn't go the way he or she wants it to?

Does your toddler throw tantrums unexpectedly over minor issues or nothing at all?

If most of these symptoms are happening, chances are, your toddler may be experiencing the 'Terrible Twos' stage. In most cases, they happen when the child hit two years old but it really depends on each child's development, temperament and other factors too.

The GOOD NEWS is, this is just a phase they will eventually grow out of and it is in fact a crucial developmental milestone. At the age of two, toddlers begin to test boundaries as they now have some sense of what's happening around them, what others are doing, and what they are capable of but without knowing their LIMITS of course, which can be very frustrating and annoying to parents, especially when they are still figuring out ways to communicate.

§ Be FIRM – do not give in easily when they throw tantrums (I know this is really not easy but if you do, it will only be harder next time.)

§ Keep your toddler OCCUPIED – children tend to misbehave when they are trying to kill boredom so think of ways to occupy their time like helping with simple chores

§ REDIRECT their attention to something else – rather than giving lengthy and old-winded explanations which your toddler may not understand at all, try to let them focus on something else instead

§ Stay CALM – do not let them over power you especially in public, if it happens, remove them from public’s view and work on it calmly at home

§ CHANGE the ‘no’ – instead of repeating their no’s, we could respond with a more positive answer like “You mean you prefer orange over apple?”

These are general tips but if you practice them consistently, you would be surprise that it actually helps a lot. CONSISTENCY is an important element when educating toddlers. Like adults, toddlers too need some guidelines to help them grow and consistency actually help set boundaries for them (what are the do’s and don’ts).

Also, try to enjoy this period of time with your toddler too. It passes very fast and it’s not all bad. You may even have some FUN as you discover new things with them.

Happy Parenting!