Parenting

“They’re Not 3 Yet” and Other Reasons to Love the Terrible Twos

By Joanna McClanahan of Ramblin’ Mama

You know that one friend who gets too drunk all the time? As the night goes on they get louder and louder. They stammer, stumble, and will pick a fight with anyone. They cry over anything and occasionally pee themselves. This is exactly what having a toddler is like.

Except that toddlers are also adorable. Their cuteness far exceeds their terribleness. It has to; this is evolution’s way of making sure that when they’re screaming on the floor in the middle of Target, we don’t just leave them there.

In case you need reminding at the moment, here are eight reasons to love the terrible twos:

1. Their enthusiasm is contagious. To watch a kid squeal in delight over the littlest things puts everything else in perspective. Our kid loses her mind over things like bubbles, stickers, balloons, markers, and glitter. It’s impossible not to get swept up in the moment and be excited right along with them. (Side note: This is also what makes holidays with toddlers the BEST.)

2. Ain’t no party like a toddler party, cuz a toddler party don’t stop. If left to their own devices, toddlers would only sleep after collapsing into some type of carb-induced coma. Turns out their nonstop energy also makes them the best dance/exercise/play/cleaning/cooking partners ever.

3. They genuinely WANT to help out. Ours helps with things like dishes, laundry, putting things away, and sorting. They seriously love it. I hear that children eventually outgrow this desire to help, so I plan to exploit cultivate it while I still can.

4. They communicate better than babies. They can communicate their likes and dislikes (there’s never a question as to whether they don’t like something). We can trade and make deals. She totally takes a bribe. I am counting the days until her six-month-old brother masters these skills.

5. They are still small and cute. Tiny clothes! Not to mention all the tiny hats and accessories. It’s cuteness overload pretty much all of the time.

6. Their love makes you melt. Our daughter will come up to me out of the blue to give me a hug and say, “I love you.” I can’t explain in words what this feels like, but it’s amazing. I even caught my husband welling up when it happened to him. He still claims something was in his eye.

7. They are HILARIOUS. Toddlers want desperately to entertain you. They will sing, dance, make silly faces — whatever it takes to get you laughing. Sometimes they don’t even have to try. Their observations and expanding vocabulary are pretty amusing in their own right.

8. They’re not 3 yet. The one thing about the ‘terrible twos’ is that they pale in comparison to the ‘terrible threes’ (and don’t even get me started on the ‘fucking fours’). So for those who are struggling with the twos, know now that it’s going to get worse before it gets better.

Toddlers run around like little lushes most of the time, but in the blink of an eye they’ll be grown. So take the time to notice and praise the good things about having a two-year-old. And when you find them passed out on the floor, elbow-deep in a bag of chips, just be grateful that they’re still small enough to carry off to bed.

*****

About the Author

Joanna McClanahan is an Editor at Mock Mom. She’s also a Contributor at Sammiches & Psych Meds and has been published on Scary Mommy. You can find more from her on RamblinMama.com, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.