Wondering what exactly is so terrible about two year olds? Here are the pros (and cons!) of having a two year old in the house, from two moms who have been there (times six!)

When Lila was little, I felt like I was prepared for the Terrible Twos. I’d heard so much about them, so it came as no surprise when she starting hitting, and tantruming, and insisiting on wearing her tiara while pushing a baby stroller through Home Depot.

I knew it was coming, and I responded accordingly. She became the time out queen. I followed through consistently on consequences. And I let her wear her tiara while pushing a baby stroller through Home Depot, because if I’m being honest, it was pretty dang adorable.

But for some reason, as Abe approached two, I kind of forgot the Terrible Twos were a thing. I found myself wondering where my sweet baby had gone while dodging airborne books and trying to protect baby Izzie from his furious fists. I struggled to find ways to entertain him all.day.long.

I wondered if he was possessed, if he was overtired, or getting teeth. And then I remembered that we are entering a very well documented phase- one that lasts a year, mind you!- and I had better adjust my mindset quick.

So I instituted time outs, created a toddler daily schedule, bought him a Batman costume to wear to Home Depot, and weighed the pros and cons of having a two year old. Because honestly? It’s not all so terrible.

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Pros…

We Can Drop Them Off at All the Places

The YMCA allows two years olds to stay in the childcare room for TWO hours instead of one. Our city-run, Co-Op preschool allows parents to leave on their non-working days and do whatever they want.

Many preschools accept two year olds. They are eligible for drop-in care at the kids’ gym down the street. The fact is that the kids can now tolerate a little independence, and we are taking note, and taking advantage.

Related Post: First Day of Preschool Tears

We Are Almost Done With Diapers

We are going to save so.much.money when the kids are out of diapers. Our diaper bag will not be full of Dipes and Wipes, we won’t have to look for changing areas in restaurants any more, and we won’t have to try to time our kids’ activities around their poop schedules.

The kids have been in diapers for about 5 years collectively, and this is one of those “cherish every moment” moments we are not at all likely to miss.

They Want to Do What the Big Kids Do

Hitting up the dollar movies in the summer? No problem, our little guy can hang now! The climbing area in the Chick Fil A Play Place? It no longer poses a significant hazard. And our littler kids suddenly love the tumbling classes at the gymnastics center as much as their big brothers and sisters do.

They can eat normal food, they can play pretty much anywhere, and their interests are finally moving beyond making messes with crinkly paper and aligning with the rest of the kids.

They Can Express Themselves

Whether they’re just figuring out communciation with pointing fingers and first words or starting to string together sentences, our kids have found their “voice” in this world.

If their ear hurts, they can point to where the ouch is. When they’re hungry, they can tell you. Where their fussiness used to be an area of great mystery, we can now get a little more insight into what’s going on inside that adorable little head of theirs.

And sometimes, we can even do something to fix the problem.

Cons:

They Can Express Themselves

So if the cup is too green or their sock doesn’t fit their foot in a very specific way or if they are NOT ready for bed, you’re gonna hear about it. All those new communication skills are going into overdrive, and they are pretty sure they should be able to make ALL the requests in the world… and that we should IMMEDIATELY grant those requests.

They Want to Do What the Big Kids Do

This is a problem for a couple of reasons. First of all, the big kids are not that into their little brothers and sisters being all up in their business. Then there’s the fact that the little kids can’t always do what the big kids are doing.

They can access the same playground equipment, but they may not be able to do a flip on the monkey bars with the other kids, and this gets them FIRED UP. When we go bowling, they can roll the ball, but when all the pins don’t crash like Daddy’s do, rage will follow.

They want to be grown, and become CRAZY frustrated when they don’t achieve the same results as everyone else does.

Related Post: What To Expect When Raising a Two Year Old

We Are Almost Done With Diapers

Instead of carrying around two diapers and a pack of wipes, we get to carry around six pairs of underwear, four pairs of pants, two pairs of socks, and an extra pair of shoes. We have to immediately scout out the toilet locations of every place we visit in case we need to make a mad dash.

When the BIG accidents occur, we’ll need to face the internal debate of washing the underwear or just throwing them out and buying new ones. And we have a year or two of booty wiping ahead of us still, so it’s not like we’re done with the interactive poop phase of childhood. It just gets different.

We Can Drop Them Off All the Places

We’ve got to face it- they just don’t need us quite as much as they used to. Another adult can be trusted to care for them just about as well as we do, and they can now operate in a group setting.

It’s great in so many ways, and we are definitely grateful for the break. But we can’t help but feel a little nostalgia for those sweet, needy baby days as we drop them off at school.

Oh, who are we kidding. We’re doing a happy dance as we peel out of the parking lot. But still. You know what we mean.

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Looking for more humor from the Terrible Twos Trenches? Check out these posts-

• Potty Training Tips and Humor for Mamas in the Trenches
• The Unwritten Rules for Parents During Open Gym
• Sing’s Pig Mama is Every SAHM, EVER.