from Mumsnet - very appropriate so I thought I'd share it for all my friends with 2 year olds....
Two and a half is a distinctive age for one reason - it can be the age of negativism. While this sounds deeply unattractive, it is usually over by three and arguably its more unpleasant for your bewildered child than it is for you.
How he behaves: Negatively. He may have shown signs of resistance and stroppiness before the age of two, but at two and a half, he develops an attitude with a vengeance. He likes to follow his rituals and do things his way and is furious if you interrupt him. Sometimes he doesn't know what he wants to do but knows it isn't anything you've got on offer, even, incredibly, the park or an ice cream. It's hard to make him happy although funnily enough there is a sense of humour lurking - due to emerge closer to three.
You can feel that you are in a permanent state of war with your little two and a half year old, while he is trying to decide how to live his life (somewhat prematurely as it turns out) you are trying to fathom out just what on earth his problem is.
The trick is to be completely saintly yourself. Poor love, he doesn't like making himself or you unhappy. He's not really a manipulative, selfish little beast. Set aside enough time for him to try to dress himself, feed himself and bath himself without urging him to get a move on. My dad always told me that if I got into a confrontation with my children - I'd already lost the battle. Pick your fights, otherwise you'll be scrapping all day.
I've printed it off. Will stick it to the kitchen noticeboard to remind myself....
5 comments:
Ooh so true. Especially the last bit about picking a fight with your kids. Having said that, I am a bit of a stubborn cow-bag so we can have war here with little Miss stroppy pants!!
OMG that is so so true. Joe is so indecisive, especially when it comes to DVDs, we can go through his whole collection sometimes, putting it on then having to change it when it starts etc etc!! I'm glad it's not just Joe that's like this! Ess. x
Only half a year to go then!
Nice to hear but doesn't really help when your indecisive, obnoxious 2 and half yr old runs around the house with paint on her hands while your feeding baby. I love her, I really do but OMG, i CANNOT remember how I coped first time round. I think I must have blanked it out.
i have had paints, playdoh, tubbies and a walk today and still feel like a need a bottle of cava and 10mg of valium!!!!
Dear God - how frighteningly accurate is that??! Will forward it to Tim to print off for me and will look it the 100 times a day Nic tests me and my already wearing patience!
Fortunatley Jack is pretty laid back and tends to go with the flow but he does things which annoy the pants of me, like he HAS to have a cup of tea when he wakes up in the morning! Tho, it has to be said, his most commonly used word at the moment is "um". "What do you want for tea jack? "um, er". 15 minutes later, "What do you want for tea Jack?" "Um, bishcakes, um, no chips, um no chocolate bread" AHHHHHHH "Do you want fishcakes then" "um, okay". Mind you his dad isn't that different when all is said and done, so do boys ever really grow out of it?
Alx
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