Toddlers and “The Terrible Twos” – Understanding and Help for Parents

A number of years ago, shortly after my son was born, I was warned by various friends of mine who were also parents, about the dreaded terrible twos. Unfortunately for me, the terrible twos later became the terrible threes, fours, fives etc. but that’s the topic of another article! The terrible twos is probably best described as your toddler saying ‘no’ to most everything and throwing frequent temper tantrums.


It’s important that you as a parent realize that this is a perfectly normal and expected stage of your toddler’s development. He or she is beginning to try to establish independence and just hasn’t yet acquired the communication skills necessary. The best your two year old can manage at this point is to yell ‘no’ and maybe a little kicking and screaming thrown in to make their point.

Here are some ideas to help both you and your toddler get through the terrible twos and avoid more conflict than necessary:

• Establish routines and apply them consistently

• Limited choices give them a feeling like they are in power without allowing bad choices

• Set limits

• Don’t give in to tantrums

• Use of time-outs as a means of discipline

• Set up your house so your toddler can explore safely

Every parent can learn good parenting skills with a little guidance and practice. I will continue to add more content on this subject with future posts. Let me know what your experiences have been like!