What They Don’t Tell You About Raising Toddlers

My little bundle of joy recently turned two, also known as the terrible twos and wow, it’s been a journey. I remember when he was still little and crawling and I thought that was the worst of it because he was basically grabbing at everything he could get his hands on. Boy was I wrong!

The terrible twos are just that, terrible. It’s definitely a beautiful time because at that point
they start talking so communication gets slightly better. It’s also at this time that their personality starts to really blossom. For example, Leruo is a people’s person. He absolutely enjoys being in the company of many people, new and old and he has no trouble making new friends. But there are so many other things that come with this age that I was never prepared for.

I asked a few fellow parents from my Twitter and they seemed to agree with me on most of the following traits. Here is what they don’t tell you about raising toddlers:

• They have so much ENGERGY! Remember when you thought your little one was so energetic, crawling about at the speed of light? Well it gets worse. At 2, these babies can climb just about anything and they will! I find myself regularly pulling Leruo off the burglar bars and kitchen cupboards and sometimes even off me. Even after a long day of playing they just continue to do more of it. Their energy is limitless. The only time they slow down is when they are asleep. And because they are still so young, you have to keep up with them to avoid any injuries or accidents.

• They start throwing TANTRUMS. This one took me by surprise. But it is absolutely normal for toddlers to throw temper tantrums now and then. Tantrums are a form of expression for them to show their frustrations with the challenges they are facing at that moment. And if they don’t yet have the vocabulary to express their feelings it builds up frustration leading to a tantrum.
  The kicker is that these could literally take place anywhere, including in public at a store. The best way to deal with them is through praising good behaviour, being consistent (establishing a daily routine), planning ahead and encouraging your child to use words to express themselves.

• They will still TEETH. Did you know that babies continue teething until they are 3 years old? Remember all that biting that came with teething the first time around? Now imagine it with a full grown boy now. Between 19 months and 3 years old, babies grow their second molars and this can cause mild irritation for them. If you are lucky you might not even realise your baby is teething, but some children do experience pain and discomfort during this time. What I found worked well for me was frozen fruit and vegetable sticks such as apples and carrots. The coldness helps sooth the gums and they are a very healthy snack for the baby too.

These are just a few of the things that I was unprepared for but hopefully if you are reading this then you will be ready. I am curious to know what other things you weren’t expecting as parents of toddlers. Please write them down in the comments below.