The Terrible Two’s
Parents of younger infants are lulled into a sense of ease when their son or daughter reaches about 6 months.
By this time infants are usually sleeping well through the night, able to sit in a high chair, can amuse themselves with play and are enthralled with mom and dad’s gaze and smile.
To many, parenting at this stage appears easy and there is no way of appreciating just what lies ahead.
Two-year-olds have this marvelously inquisitive mind, but absolutely no experience from prior learning to understand “safe or harmful”, “good or bad”, “right or wrong”.
Value to the two-year-old is usually a function of the pleasure an object can bring to the child.
Other items, like the taste of a sour lemon, may cause displeasure and children soon learn to avoid these.
Knowing this about normal childhood development, the challenge facing parents is to pre-empt negative outcomes from their child’s exploration and learning while maximizing the opportunity for positive outcomes.
It is reasonable to put away the fancy glass and china that adorns the coffee table, have safety latches on cupboard doors and gates on the stairs.
A lower drawer in the kitchen filled with plastic bowls and utensils offers the child a safe and inviting area to learn and have fun.
Use the above suggestions and you may find yourself saying “Yes” more often and those “terrible twos” may just be a little easier.
Gary Direnfeld is a social worker, and the author of Raising Kids Without Raising Cane.
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