What to do When Two Really is Terrible

Man, it feels like FOREVER since I was last on here. Lots has been happening in my life keeping me from here (mostly work craziness), but I wanted to get some tips down that we've found helpful with dealing with our 2-year-old.

Jack turned two back in December and it came and went without much change in behavior. Over the last few weeks however we've definitely noticed Jack feeling out his boundaries. If you have a 2-year-old you know what it's like. They start talking back, trying to boss you around, cry over any little thing, they think they own everything, etc.  

You'd think I was describing an ego maniac, and in a sense I am. Up to this point the world has revolved around them, but no longer. Two-year-old's are just beginning to test their boundaries and what they can get away since you are now putting boundaries around them. They feel it and they want to know what they can get away with.  

Two-year-olds also are trying to control whatever they can to find how they fit in the world at this moment. So when your little guy says "Mine!" when you grab his snuggles, he's asserting what little control he has over things. When you think about it, it must be kind of scary for them. Up until now they could kind of do what they wanted, but now more rules are coming into place and they are being enforced. I'd be wondering what the Sam Hill what was going on too!

So here are a few tips we've found to help us get through this without wanting to sell Jack to the circus.

Let The Tantrum Roll (if at home, in public get them to the car)

Two-year-olds have lots of tantrums, in what usually seems to be public places. We've actually been pretty lucky in this regard, Jack usually throws his tantrums at home. If your little 2-year-old breaks down over the littlest thing like ours does, ignore them. This seems a little counter-intuitive, but at this age, discipline can be a little tricky.  

We choose to discipline (time out) more for physical actions like pushing, hitting, etc. If he simply breaks down and starts crying on the floor because we wouldn't let him watch TV we just tell him no, leave him on the floor and start trying to distract him with something else. It doesn't really do any good to get mad at them, they are too little to really understand. Usually all we have to do is start reading one of his books out loud and Jack gets curious enough to stop crying and come see what we are doing. Sometimes tantrums happen in public, be a good citizen and take your kid outside or to the car if they start throwing a loud obnoxious tantrum. I don't understand parents that subject people in public to their kids tantrum. Common courtesy people, you're not at home!

Smile and Laugh

This is probably the hardest thing to do (at least for me), but keeping things light pays off in the end. If you are getting frustrated and mad, your child will see this and it can escalate, making you more mad and more frustrated. You end up in this crazy cycle where by the end the kid is screaming and you need to sell the kid to the circus and spend the revenue on a bar tab.

I usually find this trick most helpful when getting Jack out of bed. The kid has the sleep disposition of his mother; both take a while to get motivated enough to get out of bed (I on the other hand, just get up and get on with it). Jack is usually yelling at me to turn off the "Big Light" and telling me "night night" when I get him up in the morning to get ready to go to daycare.  

By the time I get him to the changing table he's in full breakdown mode crying and wanting back in bed or yelling about the TV. I just smile and try to laugh (although lately he's headbutted me on the way to the table so it's been hard to be all happy). Lots of times just a little laughing and smiling will calm him down enough so I can get his diaper and clothes on him.

Distractions (sing, count, ABC, etc.)

Sometimes the only thing you can do is distract them. Start singing a song, dance around, count, do the ABC's, read a book, etc. Anything to get them out of their own head and into something else. The good thing is that 2-year-olds are very easily distracted so this trick often works. It's so funny how easily they can go from crying to laughing and back to crying again. Plus Jack likes to sing the ABC's and count to 10 so he's usually willing to give it a try.

So what tips do you have for dealing with a 2-year-old trying to assert their dominance in your house? Looking foward to hearing what you have in the comments.

Jack's Last Successful Meal
Slider size hamburger patty
Mac and Cheese
Potato's
Some crazy fruit and veggie blend that had peas, broccoli, carrots and apples in it. 

Jack's Current Favorite Books
"Henry And Mudge And The Long Weekend" by Cynthia Rylant
"Marvel Super Hero Squad" by Paul Tobin
"George and Martha" by James Marshall