When do the terrible twos end?

[upsylazy]

DS 2 is 2years and 5 months and is the devil incarnate. Typical conversation : DS "I want breakfast" Me "Which one do you want?" DS: "That one" I put breakfast in bowl and hand it to him.DS"NOOOOOOO Want THAT one!" (Usually accompanied by him throwing the whole lot on the floor. Me; "Do you want some toast instead?" DS :"Yes" I make toast and hand it to him. DS; "DON'T WANT IT!!!!"
We were in a shop yesterday and I told him he could choose a toy but he was inssistent that he wanted 2. Itold him firmly that he could only have one but he dug his heels is and persisted until I carried him out of the shop screaming after he'd knocked the whole display over. So he left with nothing. All my days are like this. My older DS who's 10 was actually far worse, in fact it was so bad, I've blotted it out of my mind and can't remember when it began to get better. When did your monster start to become an angel?

Around 3ish ...

I've still got a terrible two and she is nearly nine and a half.

My dd really turned a corner around her 3rd birthday.

Just before the "terrible 12s" start!

Just about a year ago. DS is almost 9.

they graduate to trying threes and fickle fours...

It does get easier by 3, but angels? No way...

When do they start to understand compromise and timings, i.e. we'll be going out in 5 mins, cue 5 mins of hysteria because they want to go out now!

DD is 2.9yrs and loves to throw herself flat on the floor and scream in the middle of shops.

"When do they start to understand compromise and timings, i.e. we'll be going out in 5 mins, cue 5 mins of hysteria because they want to go out now!
"

I don't know - my oldest is only 14!

Somewhere between 3 and 4, and thank goodness DS is now very civilised at 4 (unless very tired/ill). However, I think they are all different!!! Just as DS is a lot better DD is kicking in big time (23 months). AGGGHGHGH!!!

I am stricter second time round as I found being nice (trying to accommodate silly requests/choices) didn't help and was confusing. Still bloomin' hard work though. She's a lot worse when tired so recommend napping if he still does!

Mine was an angel aged two. Thought I'd got away with it. Then, on her third birthday she turned into the devil incarnate.

End?

They still are not over ds is 4 haa haa haa no only joking he is lovely, but i think at about 16.

I'm sure I'm going to hell for this, or DD will have some havoc to wreak on me for being too hopeful but actually, she's 2.9 now and the last couple of months she has been a different child. We started the terrible twos at about 13 months and have had the full screaming, kicking, hitting, throwing things in fury etc etc. Recently, she's been polite, funny, charming and I can take her out in public without a bag over my head. She's become lovely again! We still get the odd strop when I turn beebies off but they are not very often.

It all blurs into the terrible threes, terrible fours etc etc.

However, although I found 3 the hardest age (BY FAR!), 4 is a big improvement. However, just as DD calms down, DS (19mo) has hit terrible twos - sigh.

However it is small fry compared to the epic 3yo efforts, and I am still at the stage of finding it slightly amusing. Bit like watching a tantrum apprentice - he is trying his hardest to achieve DD's heady heights of mind-bending mental torture, but hasn't quite got it nailed yet.

I'm adding to this old thread that my son's behaviour began to steadily improve around age 3 and at 4.5, I noticed huge leaps in good behaviour. I think it is just when a child is developed enough to learn coping strategies and verbalizing what they want.

Yep 2 was hard but 3 was harder (maybe compounded by the arrival of younger sibling!) - 4.5 the turning point, bizarrely starting school had a massively positive effect She's a delight these days

For me, 2.5 was the peak of terror and then 3 was a little less terror-able, and then 4 was better...4.5 really noticed a change in cognitive reasoning and behaviour. He just turned 5 and we still have moments, it's a HECK of a lot easier. We can actually go to restaurants now and he gets invited on playdates.

3 seems to be a turning point.