For most parents, the ages between 2-3 can be challenging. Welcome to the Tenacious (formally known as the Terrible) Twos!
However, the famous temper tantrums and sleepless nights do have a silver lining: your child is developing. They are expressing themselves and learning all about their personal, social and emotional development so stay patient. This is just a stage.
At Devon Nurseries, we have some techniques in dealing with The Tenacious Twos. Just remember, your toddler is tenacious, not terrible!
It’s important to set rules and to stick with them throughout everyone involved. For example, if your child has a tantrum and it’s dealt with differently on separate occasions, your child will start to test boundaries even more.
Like rewards for good behaviour, consequences for misbehaviour are also vital in helping children’s learning and understanding on boundaries.
Talk to your child about their emotions and what you expect from them. These big emotions children are displaying are foreign to them, so communicate and help them learn how to manage them. Here are some more tips on Managing Feelings & Emotions.
Stay positive through the misbehaviour and don’t forget to praise good behaviour with positive reinforcement when children are behaving well with verbal praise or even physical contact.
A regular routine including consistent meal times, nap times, outdoor times and play time is so important. We want our children to understand their day. Of course this will not routine their unpredictable emotions, but consistency gives young children comfort and control over their environment.
Another tip is to differentiate environments depending on their part of the day. For example, don’t encourage children to eat where they play. Sit them up at the table to eat, away from their foods.
Each child can be affected from new emotions differently but keep an eye out for your child’s tantrum triggers. When they get upset, note what has triggered it and deal with it next time.
The Tenacious, Terrible, Tremendous, Teachable and luckily, Temporary Twos are just a stage! Your child will grow out of this phase so stay patient. Be consistent; communicate well; stick to a routine; stay positive; learn when to say no and BE PATIENT! They will grow out of this phase and they will have learnt so much from it.