The Terrible Two's

Being the mother of a two year old is a whole different ballgame, or so I am finding out. It is so amazing to watch Avery’s transformation from a toddler to a little girl. Even though she’s only two, there are times her understanding of the world around her amazes me. She watches whatever Jeff and I do very closely and doesn’t miss a beat. She remembers that every time Mommy goes to the bank she gets a sucker and the minute we pull up to the drive up she starts telling me that she wants a sucker. She knows that there is a cart at the grocery store that looks like a car and that’s the one she wants. The minute we pull up to the grocery store she says she wants to ride in the car. All the sudden she remembers things. She’s getting to the age where distracting her does not make her forget that she wants a cookie, it just delays the request a few minutes. I can’t pull a fast one on her anymore. Like when she used to ask me to watch Elmo and Mommy was sick of watching Elmo so I’d slip a different movie in. A few months ago I could pull this off with no problems but now, once she sees the movie isn’t Elmo, she freaks out. There is no fooling this kid.

Her independence grows every day along with her stubbornness. Ave’s always been independent and stubborn but it was so much easier to deal with before she could talk back. She isn’t a big tantrum thrower but if she does not get what she wants she makes it known. It is such a challenge figuring out the right way to deal with a strong willed child. I would not, however, ask for her to be any other way. I know that in a few years when she is in school, I will not have to worry about her getting bullied or worry about her settling for less than she wants. In the future these characteristics that I find so challenging during her terrible twos will be great assets to her. For that I am so lucky. My daughter will never be pushed around or bullied, that is just not in her personality. My challenge is finding the right way to raise her so that her personality has balance and she learns that she can not always get her way and that sometimes she will need to give in. Yet, I am up for the challenge and I cannot wait to see what a beautiful independent sassy girl she grows up to be.