"Parenting a two year old is such a wild ride. The other day, my son started the morning with an explosion of cuddles, followed immediately by refusing the blueberry muffins he had declared his very favorite the week before. Once we made it through breakfast, the daily Battle of Putting on Shoes was still ahead! Sometimes, I feel like I'm playing a game of emotional ping pong with my kid. And that can be hard for both me and him to manage."
"A toddler's contrarian nature is just par for the course at this stage of development, says Harrison. In addition to developing more language and cognitive and motor skills at lightning speed, they're just beginning to understand that they are their own unique person separate from their caregivers. With this new awareness comes a need to test boundaries in order to establish independence."
Parenting a two-year-old involves abrupt shifts from affectionate behavior to sudden refusals and daily power struggles over routines like putting on shoes. Fast-changing feelings and defiant behavior are developmentally appropriate for one-to-three-year-olds. Those behaviors function to build a child's emerging sense of self and understanding of their place in the world. Tantrums and power struggles often stem from these emotions and can provoke parental frustration and loss of patience. Reframing boundary-pushing as social and emotional learning reduces parental reactivity. Understanding the reasons behind behaviors and placing them in developmental context enables parents to respond calmly and address actions strategically. Toddlers test boundaries to establish independence.
Read at www.npr.org
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