Whoever Came Up With the Term Terrible Twos… Did Not Have a Three Year Old
I am now raising my fourth three year old and I have to share this with you… they are a challenge. Boys and girls alike, that third year of life seems to be a hard one on every child. I call it Terrible Three Year Old Syndrome.
When my children were two they seemed to be frustrated because they did not have the ability to communicate their strong wants and desires. They did not have the verbal skills to make anyone understand what they were babbling about and as a result their futile efforts often lead to numerous temper tantrums.
Early Childhood experts tell us that children ages 18 months-24 months typically sport a vocabulary that is limited to about 50 words. However, as they grow over that crucial second year their verbal abilities began to grow and develop as well. Many parents see a virtual explosion of speech right around a child’s third birthday as their vocabulary suddenly grows to over 2,000 words.
I like to call it the Three Year Old Click… it is almost as if overnight something inside of their little minds click and suddenly they have the capacity to tell you all those things that have been frustrating them for the last year. The average three year old is adding five new words to his or her vocabulary every single day, they are like a little sponge soaking up all the language around them.
It is this click though that also leads to the Terrible Three Year Old Syndrome that I was talking about. Now that they can speak clearer and communicate better they began to test the limits. Three year old children seem to hit the ground running with an enthusiasm for doing EVERYTHING themselves! They want to dress themselves now, pick out their own clothes, pick out their own food, and tell you how they think things should be done.
They are just developing their own unique personality and it seems that this is the year that they take it out for a test drive and see what it can really do. They began to really show their creative spirit and make up stories and songs that they are always happy to perform… I have yet to meet a three year old who does not want to be the center of attention.
So for parents out there who are also struggling with a three year old son or daughter who seemed to change overnight from your cute and cuddly toddler into your strong willed and independent child, I sympathize with you today. I too am sharing your struggle and frustrations; however, I will tell you that it is also fun to watch them take on the world. It is exciting to hear all of those thoughts that have been bottled up inside them for so long… sometimes I just wish it came with a mute button.
Like most things in life, this too shall pass… they will continue to grow up and get older. These days will be a memory and a topic of humorous conversation someday. When you are in the middle of it you think it can’t go by fast enough… you are ready for them to grow out of this stage and onto a more manageable one. Though, when they are passed it… you look back and wish that it would slow down.
Try to look at your three year old with humor and enjoy watching him or her explore the world around them and figure out how they can best conquer it.
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September 25th, 2008 at 8:17 pm
Oh please don’t tell me it gets worse !!
AHH AHHH AHH AHAHH