Emily Chan
First and foremost, you must adjust your expectations of toddlers. Around age two is when they start getting better at walking, talking, and emulating adult routines.
They might want to feed themselves, talk on the phone, put on their own socks, or engage in any other activities they often see adults doing.
But just because they’re starting to do things on their own doesn’t mean they have the capacity for high-level instruction. They still need a lot of guidance and may not yet have the language to communicate their desires in a way that makes sense to you.
So when your child isn’t immediately listening to your requests, cut your toddler and yourself some slack. After all, you’re both just learning how to navigate life.
Next, teach your child strategies on how to appropriately deal with their feelings, such as deep breathing. If your toddler is prone to tantrums, this may help lessen their frequency. Witnessing a two-year-old in the throes of a full-blown temper tantrum is never pleasant.
But when you recognize a temper tantrum for what it is, you’ll see that it’s simply an expression of their frustration. Help your child learn methods for calming down and teach them how to identify when their body is not in a calm state.
Give your child praise when they attempt to use the techniques they learned for calming the self. Over time, they will become better and better at regulating their emotions.
Finally, offer your toddler choices. It could be something simple, like picking between two snacks. This makes them feel like they have a say in things while maintaining your authority as a parent.
At the end of the day, remember that the terrible twos are a normal, essential part of your child’s development that will soon pass.
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