Why is a 2yr old so much harder than a 1yo?

[Anonymous]

FTM here so bear w with if it’s obvious. I love my 11 month old and it’s so easy and fun everyday. All the posts about how days with 2yos are horrible are scaring me. When does this phase start and why is it hard? How is it different? Is it because they are just contrarian and more mobile?

[Anonymous]

Totally untrue. Three is when the horror show starts.

[Anonymous]

2 year old may be just as fun for you. I loved 2.
I hated the 3 year old stage, but kids and parents differ.

It might get harder because:
they are not as easy to distract;

they start developing their own (often illogical or inconvenient) opinions on things;

they are bigger and stronger so you are less able to just pick them up and put them in the car seat, for example;

they are talking more, especially loving the word no;

sometimes you've got another kid by then, so there's less time to devote to the first, plus sibling rivalry...

[Anonymous]

It totally depends on the kid. I had one who was a dream until she hit 3, one who was a terrible 2, and one who was a nightmare as a toddler but got way easier about 2. (That last one is still my hardest, though.)s

[Anonymous]

They develop personality and independence and exert that in different ways at different ages.
My oldest was great until 3. Compliant, potty trained easy, slept and ate well, didn't care what i put on her clothes wise. And at 3 she began to have a LOT of opinions about everything and wanting her way. Took about a year and she calmed down by 4 and is a dream again at 5.5.
Second kiddo became opinionated at 18 months even without much language. At 2, she dresses herself, cant put anything on her without a struggle but she will do it easily if its what she wants. Wants to eat, sit, play, read based on her desires (which aren't always reasonable) and nothing else. Hard to distract etc. She also thinks shes older and capable of what her 5 year old sister can do. I adore them both but 2 has been way harder for the youngest and us. .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FTM here so bear w with if it’s obvious. I love my 11 month old and it’s so easy and fun everyday. All the posts about how days with 2yos are horrible are scaring me. When does this phase start and why is it hard? How is it different? Is it because they are just contrarian and more mobile?

They can run away from you, take off their pants and shirts if its not what they want to wear, not eat, not potty. Just bigger and stronger and louder and with opinions

[Anonymous]

FWIW, no one warned me about 4.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It totally depends on the kid. I had one who was a dream until she hit 3, one who was a terrible 2, and one who was a nightmare as a toddler but got way easier about 2. (That last one is still my hardest, though.)s

This.

I have a 2 yo and a 4 yo. The 4 yo has been easy since birth. The 2 yo was hardest between 9 and 18 months and has been so much better since he became able to communicate.

There is no guarantee that you will deal with the "terrible twos" or have a "threenager" or whatever. Totally depends on the kid.

[Anonymous]

My 2 year old isn't bad at all. Who knows what will happen at 3 or 4, but 2 is generally been delightful so far. Every kid is different.

[Anonymous]

Have you ever seen an alligator do a death roll to kill its prey? That is my 2.5 year old every morning when it is time to get dressed.

[Anonymous]

I thought the 3’s were the hardest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have you ever seen an alligator do a death roll to kill its prey? That is my 2.5 year old every morning when it is time to get dressed.

hahahahahaha

[Anonymous]

Kid dependent is correct. Our oldest was an easy baby, toddler, preschooler…and now teen.

Our youngest? Hoo boy. A very difficult baby, toddler, preschooler. He’s also a teen and is more challenging than the oldest.

They’re just different temperaments and personalities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It totally depends on the kid. I had one who was a dream until she hit 3, one who was a terrible 2, and one who was a nightmare as a toddler but got way easier about 2. (That last one is still my hardest, though.)s

This.

I have a 2 yo and a 4 yo. The 4 yo has been easy since birth. The 2 yo was hardest between 9 and 18 months and has been so much better since he became able to communicate.

There is no guarantee that you will deal with the "terrible twos" or have a "threenager" or whatever. Totally depends on the kid.

+1

We have three, all different in terms of which ages were most challenging and also generally how challenging each is overall.

Two can be tougher than one because they're more mobile and opinionated, but depending on the kid, those things may not be a big deal. My oldest was a delight until ~3 and is still the most challenging, although I wouldn't call her overall a difficult kid. The second and third, two barely registers as having been difficult, other than that the third had a penchant for running off when we'd try to go somewhere. Don't psych yourself out, though--two year olds can be so much fun!

[Anonymous]

Everyone seems to have a different age that was the hardest, it's so kid-dependent. 3 was easier for us than 2, but 4 has been the hardest so far in terms of behavior. Everything is a phase though, good and bad