A Parents' Guide to "The Terrible Twos"
Few aspects of early childhood development are more distressing to parents than the onset of "the terrible twos." Mothers and fathers who had a wonderful time raising a delightful infant for 24 months or so now find themselves saddled with an annoying, willful, totally unmanageable toddler who is prone to throwing temper tantrums and engaging in a variety of intolerable activities.
Contrary to popular beliefs, "the terrible twos" are NOT natural, inevitable or temporary. Such unpleasant personality traits in a two-year-old are largely the result of faulty and preventable childrearing practices; and once these traits are firmly established, they are extremely difficult to eliminate.
Therefore, the adage that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" is never truer than when applied to the subject at hand. Civilizing an infant (introducing her to the rules required for living cooperatively and congenially with other people) is among the most important parental tasks, and it is never an especially easy or enjoyable one. However, with adequate awareness of the dynamics involved, and sufficient resolve to follow through on effective strategies right from the start, mothers and father can save themselves a lot of unnecessary grief in the long-run and reap the rewards of a bright, independent, happy and well-behaved child.
Of course, the idea of "discipline" is inherently distasteful, and it is even more so when contemplated in connection with infants and toddlers. Therefore, it helps to keep in mind that if pursued properly, what is taking place is not "punishment," but rather "education." The child has to learn about life, and her mother and father are the people best qualified to provide essential lessons.
The issue is complicated a bit by the notion that two apparently contradictory processes are taking place at the same time. On one hand, the child needs to learn that she is a very special, cherished and respected person who has the right to pursue her interests and exercise her abilities with a significant degree of freedom. On the other hand, she also must learn that everyone else is special, cherished and respected, too, and her rights do not extend into any areas where they would unfairly interfere with those of others. Teaching both concepts simultaneously is a little tricky, but not impossible.
Finally, it should be noted that during the first two years of life, one is dealing with a child whose rationality, memory, attention span and verbal skills all remain largely undeveloped. Consequently, detailed discussions, in-depth explanations and other such procedures just will not cut it when it comes to infants and toddlers. In order to get important messages across, one has to remember to communicate in a manner that makes sense to the very young child.
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Contrary to popular beliefs, "the terrible twos" are NOT natural, inevitable or temporary. Such unpleasant personality traits in a two-year-old are largely the result of faulty and preventable childrearing practices; and once these traits are firmly established, they are extremely difficult to eliminate.
Therefore, the adage that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" is never truer than when applied to the subject at hand. Civilizing an infant (introducing her to the rules required for living cooperatively and congenially with other people) is among the most important parental tasks, and it is never an especially easy or enjoyable one. However, with adequate awareness of the dynamics involved, and sufficient resolve to follow through on effective strategies right from the start, mothers and father can save themselves a lot of unnecessary grief in the long-run and reap the rewards of a bright, independent, happy and well-behaved child.
Of course, the idea of "discipline" is inherently distasteful, and it is even more so when contemplated in connection with infants and toddlers. Therefore, it helps to keep in mind that if pursued properly, what is taking place is not "punishment," but rather "education." The child has to learn about life, and her mother and father are the people best qualified to provide essential lessons.
The issue is complicated a bit by the notion that two apparently contradictory processes are taking place at the same time. On one hand, the child needs to learn that she is a very special, cherished and respected person who has the right to pursue her interests and exercise her abilities with a significant degree of freedom. On the other hand, she also must learn that everyone else is special, cherished and respected, too, and her rights do not extend into any areas where they would unfairly interfere with those of others. Teaching both concepts simultaneously is a little tricky, but not impossible.
Finally, it should be noted that during the first two years of life, one is dealing with a child whose rationality, memory, attention span and verbal skills all remain largely undeveloped. Consequently, detailed discussions, in-depth explanations and other such procedures just will not cut it when it comes to infants and toddlers. In order to get important messages across, one has to remember to communicate in a manner that makes sense to the very young child.
A Parents' Guide to "The Terrible Twos"
Few aspects of early childhood development are more distressing to parents than the onset of "the terrible twos." Mothers and fathers who had a wonderful time raising a delightful infant for 24 months or so now find themselves saddled with an annoying, willful, totally unmanageable toddler who is prone to throwing temper tantrums and engaging in a variety of intolerable activities.
Contrary to popular beliefs, "the terrible twos" are NOT natural, inevitable or temporary. Such unpleasant personality traits in a two-year-old are largely the result of faulty and preventable childrearing practices; and once these traits are firmly established, they are extremely difficult to eliminate.
Therefore, the adage that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" is never truer than when applied to the subject at hand. Civilizing an infant (introducing her to the rules required for living cooperatively and congenially with other people) is among the most important parental tasks, and it is never an especially easy or enjoyable one. However, with adequate awareness of the dynamics involved, and sufficient resolve to follow through on effective strategies right from the start, mothers and father can save themselves a lot of unnecessary grief in the long-run and reap the rewards of a bright, independent, happy and well-behaved child.
Of course, the idea of "discipline" is inherently distasteful, and it is even more so when contemplated in connection with infants and toddlers. Therefore, it helps to keep in mind that if pursued properly, what is taking place is not "punishment," but rather "education." The child has to learn about life, and her mother and father are the people best qualified to provide essential lessons.
The issue is complicated a bit by the notion that two apparently contradictory processes are taking place at the same time. On one hand, the child needs to learn that she is a very special, cherished and respected person who has the right to pursue her interests and exercise her abilities with a significant degree of freedom. On the other hand, she also must learn that everyone else is special, cherished and respected, too, and her rights do not extend into any areas where they would unfairly interfere with those of others. Teaching both concepts simultaneously is a little tricky, but not impossible.
Finally, it should be noted that during the first two years of life, one is dealing with a child whose rationality, memory, attention span and verbal skills all remain largely undeveloped. Consequently, detailed discussions, in-depth explanations and other such procedures just will not cut it when it comes to infants and toddlers. In order to get important messages across, one has to remember to communicate in a manner that makes sense to the very young child.
Contrary to popular beliefs, "the terrible twos" are NOT natural, inevitable or temporary. Such unpleasant personality traits in a two-year-old are largely the result of faulty and preventable childrearing practices; and once these traits are firmly established, they are extremely difficult to eliminate.
Therefore, the adage that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" is never truer than when applied to the subject at hand. Civilizing an infant (introducing her to the rules required for living cooperatively and congenially with other people) is among the most important parental tasks, and it is never an especially easy or enjoyable one. However, with adequate awareness of the dynamics involved, and sufficient resolve to follow through on effective strategies right from the start, mothers and father can save themselves a lot of unnecessary grief in the long-run and reap the rewards of a bright, independent, happy and well-behaved child.
Of course, the idea of "discipline" is inherently distasteful, and it is even more so when contemplated in connection with infants and toddlers. Therefore, it helps to keep in mind that if pursued properly, what is taking place is not "punishment," but rather "education." The child has to learn about life, and her mother and father are the people best qualified to provide essential lessons.
The issue is complicated a bit by the notion that two apparently contradictory processes are taking place at the same time. On one hand, the child needs to learn that she is a very special, cherished and respected person who has the right to pursue her interests and exercise her abilities with a significant degree of freedom. On the other hand, she also must learn that everyone else is special, cherished and respected, too, and her rights do not extend into any areas where they would unfairly interfere with those of others. Teaching both concepts simultaneously is a little tricky, but not impossible.
Finally, it should be noted that during the first two years of life, one is dealing with a child whose rationality, memory, attention span and verbal skills all remain largely undeveloped. Consequently, detailed discussions, in-depth explanations and other such procedures just will not cut it when it comes to infants and toddlers. In order to get important messages across, one has to remember to communicate in a manner that makes sense to the very young child.
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A Parents' Guide to "The Terrible Twos"
A Parents' Guide to "The Terrible Twos"
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Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940011800016 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | William Gladden Foundation Press |
| Publication date: | 09/29/2010 |
| Series: | Understanding Early Childhood , #1 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| File size: | 20 KB |
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