Am I alone in thinking that the tantrummy toddler age is the absolute worst?!

[ImALittlePea]

(semi) light-hearted...

Toddler DD (coming up for 2yo) is such a tantrummy so-and-so at the moment. I love her to bloody bits but AARRGGHH she's just SUCH hard work. Knows what she wants, can't tell us (doesn't have many words yet), and loses her bloody mind if she doesn't get what she wants. Today's examples include:

• refused her dinner (which she has regularly) so hasn't eaten this evening (we don't offer an alternative, we know she eats enough daily/weekly, but it's just frustrating for us and painful to listen to the screaming)
• DH watching football so it wasn't 'her' TV on (cue ENORMOUS mum guilt for the fact she's so bloody addicted to the shitting TV already)
• hamster was asleep 🙄
• we had the audacity to take her and our eldest to the beach this morning (early, before too hot). Gave up and came back after 15 minutes.

I know none of it is her fault (or ours, apart from mum guilt telling me it is all my fault), but my god they are just SO unreasonable at that age! I'm not wishing time away but I can't wait for her to have words and be able to communicate more.

It's definitely the worst age for me!

Anyone else?!

Mine is 22 months and he's suddenly become wildly unreasonable and serious hard work. I love him more than anything but this morning I woke up and thought "oh god, not another day".

Feel for you @roarfeckingroarr I hope today has been a better one?

I know it's normal and gets better. But still, aaarrrrrggghhhhhhhh!

Heat isn't helping either!

Toddler behaviour pales into comparison against the emotional issues you have to deal with when they become teenagers.

Sorry.

Nope the 5-6 year old stage has been the worse for me lol.

I've probably blocked out any age related difficulties with my eldest (nearly 8) but I just find the strong-willedness + lack of words + being so totally unreasonable by nature the most infuriating combination. And therefore, to me, this cements it as the worst possible age of childhood 😆

I'm also burying my head deep in the sand about what teenage years may bring!

The fucking fours are the fucking worst.

My youngest is now through that, but she's still pretty difficult at age six.

@ImALittlePea I'm pregnant too so just knackered before I start.

It's been fine. He's a lovely sweet soul and I adore him, it's just the random tantrums that make zero sense. He was a very calm baby!

Mine is 4 and still like this.

I thought that. However, now I have teenagers - it is like having crazed toddlers who you have much more limited ways to control and who can do real damage (mostly to themselves) or get into serious trouble.

I'm also SO bored of having to go round the soft play with her rather than being able to sit with a nice hot coffee in peace while they play 🫢

I think people with toddlers aren't thinking ahead to when they are 13+. A lot of people struggle more with teenagers. I teach teenagers and quite like them. But a lot of threads on here are about difficult teens. They all have their moment I reckon. A difficult baby might become the easiest of teenagers for example.

@roarfeckingroarr oh that definitely doesn't help (although exciting too!)

Yes DD is such a funny character when she's not being utterly unreasonable! 😅

Nope, sorry but I’d redo the toddler years in a heartbeat if I could skip the teen years. Toddler years are physically hard but teen years are emotionally exhausting.

Teenagers, Teenagers is by far the hardest.
toddlers you can pick them up. They go to bed early and they can’t tell the time.
they have a limited vocabulary. They can by physically prevented from doing dangerous things.
toddera can’t get drink or take drugs or get someone pregnant or be pregnant.
Toddlers don’t have friends who make them cry.
Yes toddlers are exhausting. But teens are frightening.

I'm definitely not thinking that far ahead @converseandjeans especially knowing what a troublesome teen I was. I guess my reasoning is that older children have at least some capacity to discuss, communicate etc.

I used to feel the same. Until we hit the teenage years...

Mine are much older now and I remember the toddler age with a lot of nostalgia..... When they are teenagers they are no more reasonable but much bigger, stronger and with a much wider radius of activity.
So if you imagine a 6 foot toddler who looks grown up enough to get served alcohol you get the picture.

There's the sequel at age 3.5-4.

It's hideous.

It's exactly like the twos (all about 'no' and trying to assert control) but they think they can reason with you (they can't) and are much heavier and don't nap.

The sequel nearly killed me this time. It can rattle on at low levels till about 5.

Then they're mostly gorgeous!

0-3 and the teens (to age 25) are a massive stage of brain development and reorganisation.

That's why it's so hard!

I only have a 5 year old but Omg she was horrendous at age 3.

wait till they hit teens, there is no time out, no naughty step it is pure hell with no instructions.

Oof, lots to look forward to then it seems. Best invest in a bigger wine rack 😬😜

Teenagers are hundred times harder. Give me a toddler any day.

I thought that before the sulky 7s. I'm coining that. Just had dds friend round and they were both sulky ungrateful grumps. Could be the weather I suppose

@ImALittlePea

I guess my reasoning is that older children have at least some capacity to discuss, communicate etc.

Have you tried reasoning and communicating with a teenager? It's why the teacher bashing threads baffle me. We have 30 all at once & some people find a couple of their own a challenge 🤷🏻‍♀️