terrible twos
Preschooler defiance phase
The terrible twos is a developmental stage around age two when toddlers become defiant, prone to tantrums, and difficult to manage.
The phrase captures parental exasperation with a child's emerging independence and limited ability to regulate emotions: We're deep in the terrible twos right now.
Sometimes used loosely for any toddler's difficult phase.
- babyVery young child
- temper tantrumExplosive emotional outburst
- time-outTemporary halt in activity
- object permanenceKnowledge things persist unseen
- teething troublesInitial phase difficulties
toddler years · saying no · impulse control · positive reinforcement · redirection · attachment theory · sharing · emotional expression · sibling rivalry · language acquisition · self-awareness · cognitive development · mood swings · motor skills · parallel play · milestone · self-soothing · autonomy
- parentinggentle parenting, child, mom, children, kids
- toddlerstoddler, three-year-old, toddlerhood, first steps, first words
- child developmentbaby, toddler, newborn, infancy, milestones
- family humorfamily jokes, dad jokes, marriage jokes, husband jokes, wife jokes
- youth sayingsfountain of youth, salad days, spring chicken, tender age, young at heart
- Awkward Agespuberty, adolescence, tweens, teens, preteen
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