OK, so how much of a baby is your 2 year old???!

[meandjoe]

Odd question I know but I am basically just wondering how people generally see their 2 year olds. Can people talk to me about their behaviour and what hey expect of them with regards to day to day things like meal times, getting dressed, shopping etc. How much are they expected to walk and for how long? What disipline people use for tantrums etc. Why they have tantrums even.

I have no real concerns about my ds by the way. Just that even though he's talking and potty training, he still seems such a baby to me and therefore I maybe let him get away with a lot. I tend to have to remind myself that actually he's not a tiny baby anymore and tell myself he's a little boy now.

I still pick him up (usually) whever he asks. I still use the pushchair A LOT! I still give him a bottle every night although he drinks from normal open topped cups in the day. I still have to put him in the trolley when I shop even though most of my friend's little 2 year olds just walk nicely at their side . I still can't go out for a meal with him as he gets bored and wants to wander around.... all of which I thought was normal until MIL said how we gave into ds too much.

....But I do encourage his independance, he's not a particularly clingy or cuddley child and is happy to explore and play alone. I encourage him to pull his own trousers up, put his own shoes on (although he still requires assisstance), tidy his toys away etc.

So what can be expected of a 24 month old??

[tvfriend]

DD has just turned 2. She has only been walking for a few weeks but wants to walk a lot. I have a 7 month old as well so DD is pretty much in the pram when we are out and about unless we have all the time in the world.
I would never be able to go round a supermarket unless she was in a trolley and I'd say that most of the 2 year olds round here are always in a trolley or pram.
She's pretty good at staying in a highchair if we are out but a lot of her friends (esp boys) aren't.
He sounds completely normal to me and your MIL sounds a bit like mine!
T the moment the only things I try and expect (but invariably don't happen) is that she doesn't throw her food on the floor and that she doesn't bite her brother. Anything else is a bonus!

[meandjoe]

Ahh thank you! Yes I thought he was 'normal' too and to be honest we cope fine with him so I am not too concerned about MIL comments just wondering I suppose. We insist he doesn't throw food at the table, doesn't throw cuttlery (which he loves to do ) and do not tolerate any form of violence, hitting, head butting etc which actually he is really not bad for but did go through a hitting phase at about 16 months which passed after several weeks of saying no and removing him. I thought his behaviour now was pretty much standard for 2 year olds so thank you for confirming that!

[NonGratisAnusDailyMail]

Yep, wuld say that it was pretty typical behaviour. I have never even thought not to put DD (2 in a couple of weeks) in a trolley . She still uses the buggy alot, esp when we're anywhere near a main road. DD still gets a b/f every night.

[littleboyblue]

Hi. My ds1 has just turned 2. He now only goes in the pushchair if I'm in a hurry or if he's being difficult. We go to the supermarket everyday and he walks there and back (only 5 mins away), he walks around supermarket, gets the things off the shelf and puts it in basket. He is very good shopping.

I use the naughty step with him which works well, although now he tends to just sit there if I so much as say no

When we eat out or go for coffee mornings etc, I tell him how I expect him to behave and what will happen if he runs off, touches things on shelves etc. I tell him he'll sit in pushchair like baby and that normally stops him doing whatever it is he's doing iyswim.

He helps to put his toys away at the end of the day.
If he tips a drink on purpose or throws his drink cup, I give him a paper towel and he helps clean it up. Not if he spills though.

He cannot get dressed himself or get his shoes on though. He cannot drink from an open cup and he cannot use cutlery.

[snickersnack]

Ds is 26 months. He is quite easy going - not prone to tantrums (no doubt that will come back to haunt me!). So my expectations of his behaviour are probably quite high - he's ok in restaurants if we're quick, he eats quite tidily, etc. But he's still tiny! He still goes in the pushchair a lot as he's prone to running off, ditto the trolley. And he's a long way off potty training. And I would always pick him up when he asked.

[ProfYaffle]

Sounds normal to me too. dd2 is 2.5, there is NO WAY I would let her walk around the supermarket (dd1 otoh was totally different, she was fine in shops) I've only very recently weaned her off bottles of milk and started potty training today.

we have the other pushchair battle though, she hates it and wants to walk everywhere so I'm normally wrestling her into the damn thing so we can progress around town slightly faster than 2 infirm snails.

[llareggub]

My 2 year old is 3 at the end of October so a little older than yours. He is fiercely independent and wants to do everything himself. We no longer use a buggy for him, and probably stopped around the time he turned 2.

He undresses himself, but can only put his trousers on himself. He can manage his shoes but not the lace-up kind.

He can peel veg, chop mushrooms and he helps make sandwiches.

He asks "why" about 439248203 times a day, and is obsessed with Fireman Sam and Mr Tumble.

The time from turning 2 and reaching 3 has seen a massive change in him. He hasn't grown much physically but mentally he has progressed heaps. Have fun!

[llareggub]

Oh, and I forgot. I never take him to the supermarket in the afternoon as he his prone to mega tantrums and fast running in the afternoon. I either go alone (bliss) or in the morning when he can be bribed good.

[meandjoe]

Oh my ds hated pushchair as a tiny baby so I love that I can get out with him now. He'd still rather be carried or walk but hey ho! I find he gets bored of walking holding my hand and wants to walk where HE wants to go which is never the direction I'm heading in!

[TrinityRhinoIsInDetention]

gecko is two and a half

she walks around the supermarket with me until she starts being silly (runing off or picking everything off the shelves) and then she has to sit in the trolley

she would sit with us in a cafe/restaurant for a good half an hour but thats because she is sooo inot food and would polish off her and then beg from everyone elses plate

she drinks from an open cup and has done for months but still love her sippy cups and has a bottle of milk sometimes of a night (sometimes she even asks me to feed her like a baby, which is a but weird cause she has always been breastfed and still is)

she potty trained herself day and night at 2 weeks before her 2nd birthday but maybe once a week is too interested in what she is doing and say oops mum, sorry and pees where she stands lol

she can dress herself down to socks and slip on shoes or velcro trainers but she sometimes gets her shoes on the wrong feet
or ends up with her 9 year old sisters socks on (which reach her mid thigh

she goes in the buggy on the high street or near roads but she doesn't wan to

she walks with us when we walk the dog in the safe, no cars, park/river area

she is still clingy and wants me only for putting to bed, when she has fallen over

she still bf on demand day and night

she has a huge vocab and understands alot

but she still kick the dog, steals her sisters toys, puts loo roll down the loo and in the full bath (that makes a nice mess...not)

your ds sounds lovely, you are tight, you have nothing to worry about

[Wanderingsheep]

My dd was 2 in June. She still goes in the pushchair a lot as I walk a long way. If we're just going around the corner I sometimes let her walk, as she loves it, but has a tendency to refuse to hold hands, so often I get annoyed and put her in the pushchair (same with the trolley in the supermarket).

She still has a bottle at night time! Was told this was fine so long as it's only milk and not juice.

I don't know if I do see her as a baby at all. She is tall and she talks a lot, so she seems quite grown up, but it's nice to baby them sometimes!

[TrinityRhinoIsInDetention]

and not you are not tight, you are right sorry

[TrinityRhinoIsInDetention]

I am worried that I expect too much from gecko
she can hold a long conversation

she uses the loo no bother

she uses a fork deftly

she can be polite and aring, friendly to other people

but then there are times when you cans see that she is just a little tiny person in a big world

my little baby

[TrinityRhinoIsInDetention]

and imo the older generation have either forgotten what they did or just want to add their penneth worth

I dont think your mil means harm but ignore her

[TrinityRhinoIsInDetention]

[littleboyblue]

Trinity Sometimes I wonder if I expect too much from my ds1 too. Especially since the arrival of ds2 6 months ago. With a baby baby around, it is sometimes hard to remember that ds1 is still only a baby iyswim.
Time is flying by isn't it? Seems only yesterday............

[meandjoe]

Well ds uses cuttlery well but often uses his fingers too! I wonder if you're right Trinity, MIL seems to have no clue what stages an phases toddlers go thru. She only had the one child and I think dh was just a ridicullously easy child (made up for it in teenage years though!). She claims he was potty trained at 8 months and can#t understand why ds isn't reading and writing by now Sadly I'm not joking. She thinks he should be able to write his name by now and also draw shapes on command. What??? I don't think she means harm but I do sometimes wonder if she smokes crack

[TrinityRhinoIsInDetention]

lol @ smokes crack

brathe and ignore

maybe you wil have to start drinking alot of wine when she is around

[littleboyblue]

hahahahahahahahaha @ smokes crack! pmsl hahahahahahahahahahahahha

I used to always ask my parents what me and my brother could do at certain ages etc and try to get advise, but they either came out with some crazy stuff or just said they couldn't remember!

[mumblecrumble]

My dd is two next week and has had her first evening playing out with the big kids... She ran around collecting sticks and flowers chatting and joining in making a den, riding bikes... [all in my veiw by the way!] She looked so grown up!

We then went in and she cuddled up to me with a bottle of milk and seemed very baby-like again.

We find naughty step hasn;t worked before [dd is a latish talker so maybe this was because she understood less] However today we put stair gate accros near front door and popped her in. WHen she came out her behaviour had improved... hmmmm

We take buggy out where ever we go [mainly cos I;m disabled and can;t carry anything or anyone] She tends to walk till she asks to go in and this is differnet every time we go out.

DD in nappies but is very aware of going now. SHe asks to go to toilet most of the times she poos and tells us she's wet. Going to see where this leads... Not rushing this really. She's in terry nappies so no cost incentive to stop yet

Her 'strengths' lie in walking, climbing, putting clothes and shoes on and off, eating everything and feeding herself from early age. She is enjoying helping cooking and baking and gardening.

They are all so differnet though.

WHy were you thinkin gbaout it OP?

[tvfriend]

All MIL (and mothers) seemed to have potty trained all their children by 1 at the latest

[TrinityRhinoIsInDetention]

draw shapes on command

bloody heel, maybne I haven't been doing enough

dd2 is 4.4 and can draw shapes now

but gecko cant

well she can draw a circle when I ask her to but nothing else
she just loves to colour in

[ThePinkOne]

My dd is 3 in November.

She is lazy and would rather be in the buggy/trolley so I encourage her to walk if we have time to dawdle wherever we're going!

She has had her bedtime milk in a cup since about 18m when she poured 2 full bottles into her bed by pulling out the teat (and yes, the mattress stank)

She has a straw cup in the day, but can drink out of a beaker it's just that I'd rather let her wander off with a straw cup and not worry about spills.

She can take herself to the potty but I usually go and help or we end up with wet skirt. And still have fairly regular wet pants when she's too busy playing.

I've been encouraging her to put on own shoes for 6 months or so and recently dressing herself.

Tidying away together involves heavy supervision or she just goes off and plays (eg 'DD you put the farm toys in this box and I'll put the kitchen things away. That's right, well done you put the horse away, now the other horse, yes and the cow, no in the box dd. That box, the same box you put the other animals in' etc)

She's brilliant at sitting at the table if we go out for a meal but does need lots of attention like telling stories, reading menu, singing songs.

I don't worry about my dd compared to others and I find that most of it comes naturally. They will show you when they're ready to progress and I also notice what other toddlers the same age are doing and think that perhaps that's the next step to try.

[meandjoe]

Lol, deffinitely an idea! She's nice enough but she does really judge us as parents and it does wear thin after a while.

Bottom line is they are all different which I don't think she really 'gets' and on the whole I really don't think my ds stands out from any other 2 year old.

If anything he's too independant (hence his need to explore and not wanting to sit in restaraunts etc) and not babied as such although I do see him as my baby!

I try to encourage his inquisitiveness because I know he is learning all the time. He has a fantastic memory and knows all his colous and shapes (though he can't draw them lol). I just sometimes wonder what other 2 year olds are actually capable of for her to have these bizzare ideas.....
Breathe and ignore...

[plonker]

My dd turned 2 last month.

She is very grown up in some ways - she talks amazingly well, is potty trained, drinks from an open cup, eats all her meals independantly (with a fork or spoon, hasn't mastered a knife), has an amazing understanding of the world around her and you can properly converse with her.

In other ways, however, she is so young, so babylike and so bloody unreasonable!

She refuses point blank to go in the pram, but often gets tired and demands to be carried. She wants her own way and a great big bag to put it in. No way would she walk sensibly around a supermarket, in fact, she throws the most almighty of tantrums if the car-trolley isn't available at Tescos

I struggle to deal with her tantrums if I'm honest. She goes from 0-60 in 10seconds flat, it's really quite disconcerting to watch at times. I try to ignore the real throw-to-the-ground moments because there's just no reasoning with her at those times. I watched a programme with supernanny yesterday where she put a 2yr old in time-out - no way that would work with my dd ...she'd never stay there and really cannot be reasoned with when she's in the middle of a tantrum ...

Dd doesn't have a bottle, but if she hadn't have self-weaned I would have still been happy to feed her. Oh, and she still sleeps in a cot

If I'm honest, I think that 2 year olds are babies still. I know that lots of people don't agree with me there, but IMHO 2 years in this big bad world really isn't a long time. Don't get me wrong, I don't think mollycoddling and denying little ones independance is a good thing, but there's no rush for them to grow up either ...

Your ds doesn't sound babyish to me ...he sounds perfect