That Wonderful Third Year

The Thrills and Joys of Parenting a 2-year-old

By Shannon McKelden

It's impossible to ignore the trials that come along with the twos, though. "Parents may find that their toddler is becoming more demanding or difficult," Blaine says. "Toddlers begin to see all the new potential and power they have over their world. This effort in trying on new 'hats' or new behaviors may be challenging for parents. The age-old term 'terrible twos' really means, 'Look at my child learning about their place in the world.'"

Blaine adds that 2-year-olds don't want to be difficult. "They want to be respected for their unbound curiosity about how things work and for their tenacious appetite for figuring things out on their own," she says.

Looking for the positives of this age will help avoid having to look back with dread remembering the terrible twos. "I loved the twos with my three older kids," says Yvette Davis, mother of six biological and stepchildren from Crete, Neb. With a fourth child who turns 2 in a few months, Davis uses such words as "curious," "carefree" and "open" to describe this age. She loved watching them learn to think and explore and learn about their feelings. "Those are the [things] that stand out," she says.

Instead of focusing on the negatives, when your 2-year-old is being difficult, Dr. Gulyn suggests keeping this in mind: "They are learning and discovering the world on their own as a result of exciting new capacities in the areas of autonomy, language, motor control and independent action. Please support them through this transitional year, because the fourth year is around the corner and will build on all these new strengths and capabilities!"