Whoever coined the phrase ‘the terrible twos’ is a lying liar who lies.
Yeah, there were certain phases of ‘two’ that sucked. Moving him to a big boy bed, sucked. Potty training, sucked. Weaning him off a nighttime sippy of milk, sucked (although I admit, we got ourselves into that fine kettle of fish). But NONE of this compares to what fun three has been … so far.
90% of the time, I have the best pre-schooler EVER. He is kind, he is well-mannered, he is funny … he’s a really cool kid. And then all of a sudden *something* will happen. Maybe he’s unable to get the lid off of his favorite color of Play-Doh. Or maybe the puzzle piece just WON’T fit where it needs to go. Or maybe I just simply say ‘no’ to a second cupcake.
And then OMG my sweet Mouse turns into crazy-screaming-tantrum-yelling-throwing fits-person … and I am left standing there, looking bewildered at this … THING … that has swallowed up my sweet boy and thinking to myself, what just happened here?
And it’s not just the temper tantrums. It’s the SASS. It’s the BACK-TALKING. It’s the ARGUING. When the hell did this start? The, ‘NO MOM, YOU’RE MEAN! THAT’S NOT RIGHT! YOU DON’T SAY THAT TO ME!’ or the ‘YOU SAY YES, YOU NOT SAY NO! MOM SAYS YES I CAN!’ … all of this accompanied by blood-curdling screams, flailing arms, crocodile tears, and a red face.
It’s especially fun when you’re in public, and with an infant (who by the way is SUCH a good baby, and I know he’s just sitting there, soaking all this is, waiting to unleash it on me as well … it’s like the Mouse is giving lessons to be used against me tag-team style later in life) … bonus points if you’re WEARING the infant and can’t pick up said screaming pre-schooler to throw him into the car/on his bed/inside a cage …
Okay, we don’t REALLY have a cage, but I don’t think any mom who has dealt with a three year old hasn’t considered it …
I do my best at breathing through the fits. Of talking quietly, keeping myself calm … and then there was a moment last weekend where after 10 minutes of coaxing the Mouse to be good, and to cooperate, and to get into the car so we could leave, I just LOST IT. He was buckled into the car, still screaming and yelling and arguing and I turned around and said, ‘MOUSE. YOU ARE BEING A VERY BAD BOY. YOU WILL BE QUIET FOR THE ENTIRE TRIP HOME.’
OMG he didn’t utter a single word the entire way home. When we pulled into the garage I carried him in the house and put him on the couch and he looked at me and said (in the softest, sweetest little voice), ‘Mom, I’m sorry I was a bad boy. I love you.’
I swear to God, it’s like he does this on purpose. Pushing me to my breaking point, and then making me feel like complete crap for being human and losing my cool. It’s a good thing he’s cute, and that I love him so damn much.
He’s especially cute in PJs and with bedhead. <3
Could have written this post word. for. word. [And actually am planning one of my own because OMGIHATETHREE.]
I asked my mom about this. She did, after all, raise four daughters. She basically said that “terrible twos” is a bunch of bullcrap. It’s the THREES that are terrible.
I seriously think we have the same child. Landon was being an angel all day yesterday. I let him get up and help me wash the dishes. When we were done and I turned off the water he screamed bloody murder three times. I just stood there, mouth wide open, wondering what the heck just happened to cause such a terrible reaction to NOTHING.
But I guess it’s not nothing to him. It’s him beginning to understand that he’s not the boss. He doesn’t get to make all the decisions. I think that realization is hard on them.
Seriously… have you been spying on my household? No? You mean there really are other kids acting just like mine? The latest and greatest saying from my 3 yr old happened over the weekend. She said (ie, screamed) “Mommy, you are NOT the boss” And by the time I processed the fact that yes, she really did say that… my husband started laughing. OUT LOUD. How do you discuss with a kid about being nice when they now think it’s a big freakin comedy act?
YEP.
I put mine in timeout, he screamed, “no mommy just leave me alone!” WTF. Where did he learn that? It was funny but sad all at once. It has to be hard to learn how to process their emotions and the great big world.
It happens. We go through the same thing. When he throws a nutty he just goes up in his room and I tell him that he can’t come out until he has calmed down. He won’t sit I’m time out for kendo I have to use the room and it’s upstairs with a gate at the top so he can’t come down if tried. Yes I do feel bad at times when I yell at him but sometimes it just seems like that is the only language they understand. We both know that he loves us and he knows that we still love him.
Yes but at least the Mouse listens to you when you do finally yell at him to stop. Monkey screams in our faces and gets worse. There is no helping our kid. I hate the 3′s!
I feel ya. Kadence is the same way- most of the time a very sweet, compliant girl. Yesterday though, she lost her shit when leaving our preschool visit (better than when we got there, I guess). She was screaming so loud and proceeded to kick the seat. I had to pull over and yell at her to STOP SCREAMING!! She did. And it was the same thing when we got home. I sorry mommy. I won’t scream anymore. Heart melted. Why do they do this to us?
So this is what I have to look forward to huh?
I love three! My little girl is so much fun! She has her moments though, mainly from watching her teenage older sisters. The teenage years have much more frequent OMG moments. Especially with girls!
I long for the day I have a son, though.
You hit the nail on the freaking head. Boys or girls, doesn’t matter. Threes suck big time. Ugh. So frustrating. Glad I am not alone.
i thought we’d been lucky and escaped the twos!! He’s now 3 1/2 years and OMG, what has happened. I thought that maybe i had caused something?? we treat him like a prince and love him till the end of the world, but no the tantrums have arisen, he screams, crys hysterically, disagrees with everything, stamps,stomps,wont walk, wont stand up and tells nanny to go away, i want to be alone, then he changes back like Ben10 alien force and you just melt… in to the very large glass of nerve calming wine that you’ve been pushed to pour. no amount of shouting back, negotiating or warnings and threats work.. try talking calmly, yeah right, try him on the naughty step and he’d happily sit there all day. 1 to him and 0 to mum and dad!!