To believe that on balance, 3 year olds are easier to handle than 2 year olds?

[GogoGobo]

I feel like I am in the eye of the storm with my 2.3 DS. So Aibu to believe 3 Year olds are waaaaay easier??

That's interesting ascorpio, because 12 YO DD1 does seem to regress to her 2 YO former self at times

My ds2 is 2.2 and fuck me its hard work. I had to go to John Lewis today to replace the bowls I had smashed. (Part of a set and I wanted the same). Jesus wept I was in bits by the time I'd left. We managed to accumulate a remote control car, king size valance, two Mother's Day cards, a toy cat and eventually a box of crockery before I made it to the till. He also nearly broke a massive vase and several glasses all whilst hanging on to his toy giraffe. So it's like a drunk whirlwind if you ask me.

His brother is 7 and so much easier!

Uuh, no. Sorry. 2 was pretty ok... At 3 they tend to become capable of forming semi-reasoned arguments. While entertaining at first, this is far worse than the throwing-self-on-floor version because you can't just step over them. I will say very tentatively that at 4.5 things might be improving here .

I'll do a bit of research once I'm back at work to see if I can find some accessible information for all of us parents of tantrumming children of all ages .

It's weird, but it does feel good to think there's a reason for all this crap.

You have obviously not met my 3 year old, well she is going to be 4 later this year, but good god she wears me down. I love the bones of her but she is very hard work, she was a lovely 2 year old, the odd tantrum but generally happy, smiley, chatty. These days the slightest thing will send her into a meltdown of mega proportions, crying, screaming and the endless never ending noise of whining and whinging, I can be found most days muttering "this too shall pass" (mn favourite) and "its only a phase". I want my lovely little girl back. Surely 4 has to be a turning point?

Have you not heard of 'threenagers'- mega stroppy know it alls. DS was a bit of a terror around three (although he did become a big brother at 2.9 so I'm sure that had an effect too). Now at 3.6 he is an absolute joy and a pleasure to spend time with. Just waiting on the next phase!