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?!

My teenager ( now 24) was easy compared to when she was 3 ( a know it all who disagreed with EVERYTHING I said) ; they're all different.

I'd say the teenage years are worse. Worse on a scale that is impossible to explain.

I'm no scientist (oh actually I am!) but I would bet that this is not true.

Naughty and unreasonable are the same thing in this context

She is being naughty

There is a teenager board, people. Under Being A Parent.

I am finding my toddler hard at the moment too. Lovely but just so much energy and so full on.

Whether being naughty or not, this isn’t an age where they understand ‘sanctions’.

I did say ‘in my experience’. 😇

🙄

I have a 2 year old.
Colicky, screaming cmpa newborn stage was far worse for me! Give me a tantruming toddler cause he doesn't want to leave the park anyday over a 5 hour non-stop screaming session from a 3 month old!

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Yes as others said years 12-17 are the worst and they are no longer cute little people. The plus side is you are very read for them to leave home by 17.

Aged 4-11 is pretty chill

Depends on the child ime, one of mines worst age was around 4, never caused me a moment of trouble as a teen.

Another was a lovely toddler but hell from around 14 for a couple of years.

We haven't hit the teens with the younger 2 yet. All have had a difficult stage at about 10 years though, probably hormones.

The kids who are parented well as toddlers thing is just bollocks. All children are different, I think most of it is down to personality

They're not the same thing, but ok

I don't think you're alone because it's a common stage for people to dislike but I actually love 2yo, it's 4 that I find hard. Maybe my children just skip the 2 phase XD I find at 4 there is a lot of unreasonableness, DS2 is currently frustrated any time we can't understand him so just shouts whatever it is he was saying louder and then gets more and more stressed turning to violent if we don't immediately respond. And he's suddenly developed this idea that he will just talk to Daddy (for example) but doesn't preface this with a name or anything and if I dare to reply he explodes "I WASN'T TALKING TO YOU MUMMY" It's soooo bloody rude, we tell him off of course but he still does it, and then the worst part is I feel actually like I'm not allowed to talk in the car because I don't want to provoke a screaming match and we can't exactly remove him from the situation!

Or when they get an idea into their head and are absolutely focused on this stupid idea that absolutely won't work or will actively make things worse, but they are so determined not to accept any kind of help or redirection <aaaaaaaargh>

Two is fine, they are easily distracted or carried away at two. I could have happily erased DS1's life from 3.5 to 6 years old and been much happier!

Love newborns. Teenager delightful so far (not very far into it). Toddlers great. It's primary school, especially early on that is not my favourite.

Genuine apologies if I was a bit OTT there, but in fairness there is an entire board dedicated to teenagers!

But this board is for parenting, of all ages, not just toddlers.

I also think the thread is inviting comparison and have no problem with people sharing their experience that teenagers are worse.

Oh yes! So right!

My ds is 11 but I still remember carrying him home surf board style from town due to a tantrum over been told no you’re not getting another toy car.

My 6 year old is still a nightmare.

Wait until you get to the teenage pregnancy, drug taking, non-binery, entitled years…you’ll think toddler tantrums were a walk on the park. 😂

Ah yes, the Ironing Board of Rage. I remember it well. DD1, now 14, was quite the expert at this.

Non binary 🙄 Not in my house thankfully.

Not any of the other stuff...but I suppose there’s time yet. 😂

*Nor

Totally agree with this sentiment. In my experience it makes toddler years a doddle- in fact I wish I had known this at the time and cherished them more. Teens are difficult in so many ways- often very frightening ways. I think with toddlers the stresses end at a reasonable hour, with teens, especially when they are out, it goes on and on.

At least toddlers are cute occasionally and also no one is judging you for a tantruming 2 year old.

Try having a tantruming 12 year old.

Having a teen/young adult with poor mental health is off the scale stressful. I often find myself looking at parents with toddlers and wishing myself back there. Toddlers are exhausting physically but no there's no comparison emotionally.

l had absolutely no idea what lay ahead for me, and its a good job actually, a lone widowed parent raising two teenage sons is no walk in the park, its nothing but pure relief now they are 17 and 21, l can barely remember the toddler years, too much has happened since.