Friday, February 17, 2012

The Terrible Twos

By Liv

Having a two-year-old can be difficult. After reading that first sentence, you didn't doubt that I was lying to you because that's what everyone says. "Oh you just wait"... is a famous line I've been hearing since I first announced I was pregnant and every time I have something good to say about my journey in parenthood, it's inevitable that someone pipes up with this famous intro to a horror story about some awful milestone I'm about to hit. I'm always very happy to reply at a later date that whatever worry that they instilled in my subconscious didn't actually come to fruition. And honestly, I don't really understand why so many women feel the need to frighten other women about their new chapter in life.

In contrast, I try to always devote my chit-chat time with other Mamas with positive and empowering stories. I mean, what's the worst that can happen? If someone expects the worst, there's always the chance of the self-fulfilling prophecy where the woman actually makes that happen in her own life. I'd like to not be the woman who instilled any negative feelings in other Mamas, that's for sure!

The truth is, everything in life can be difficult at times. But in the realm of being a parent, the twos have most definitely not been the hardest for me. Yes, all these new found skills that Stella has acquired can be frustrating for her and for me but these skills have by far been the most useful, too.


Here are some of my favorite things about having a two-year-old:

1. She can dress & undress herself. I love seeing her little sense fashion develop!


2. She is always trying to "help" me with one thing or another. Whether it's with laundry, dishes or putting on makeup, she's always being helpful. Even though this often means more of a mess for me to clean up, it's really comforting to know that at some point, she'll actually be helpful :)


3. She can play by herself. This is a life saver for a stay-at-home-mom. This means that I get to take a shower by myself or fold the laundry and put it away before I'm needed!


4. She is much more adventurous with her food choices. Stella hasn't always been the easiest child to feed. With her food sensitivities and preferences, this has been a huge hurdle for me to jump over.


5. She speaks in full sentences and is much easier to communicate with. I no longer have to guess what it is that she wants. She just tells me. And for a child who is pretty particular about almost everything, this is quite a blessing. She can specify what color cup she wants, exactly what type of juice she needs in that cup, etc...

6. She is potty trained. Everyone knows I'm obsessed with cloth diapers. Even when we lived overseas without a clothes dryer, I still loved using cloth diapers on Stella. Now that she's potty trained, I realize how nice it is for her to have the independence of being able to tell me when she needs to use the restroom. I'll be honest, though, I'm excited for the new baby to arrive so I can pull out my stash of cloth dipes :)


7. I can reason with/bribe her. When we go out and I need her to be very good (say, during my Midwife appointments, etc), I can promise her a lolli-pop if she's a good girl and sits quietly. This realization that she can handle the delayed gratification was fantastic!


8. Her personality is quite clear and it's possibly one of my favorite little personalities in the world. Sometimes, I wonder if she's serious, but then I ask her and she replies, "Of course, Mama!"


9. Bedtime and Naptime is much easier. And I can convince her to stay in bed until the designated time (7:15am) by bribing her with a treat when she wakes up in the morning.


10. Most of all, I love that she seems to completely grasp the concept that she has a little baby sister arriving soon. She hugs/tickles/sings to my belly every single day. She tells me all of the things she's going to do with baby sister when she arrives: teach her how to have milk, sleep, play with her toys and "hop on pop". I can't wait for that day!


Realistically, I know being a Mom isn't all butterflies and rainbows. There are definitely days when I'm physically and emotionally drained, but the days when I am thankful very much outweigh the draining days!




2 comments:

  1. Beautifully put. I love your outlook. So true. Thanks it's refreshing!! :)- Tiffany

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  2. she is too smart for her mom :-)

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