Please give me your positive stories from the other side of the terrible twos!

[Piggieguinea]

I have a 4 year old who never really had the terrible twos, she had the odd moment but they were pretty minor. I also have a 2 year old and fucking hell she is making up for it for both of them! She can be so lovely and sweet but is absolutely wild and her tantrums are epic! When she is in a mood it's just non-stop tantrums and destruction (or trying to destroy anything she can, we obviously stop this).

I need to read your positive stories of toddlers who came through the other side of the terrible twos to be lovely children (which I really think she will be if we get through this stage addressing it the right way).

My 4yo’s tantrums started around 18 months until 2.5 yrs I’d say. They got less and less frequent as she got older and understood more but boy they were so extreme!! It was exhausting and embarrassing in public. It would stop me going out with her for a while as I couldn’t cope with it, when other kids her age were behaving almost perfectly (I’m sure they had their moments but it felt my dd was way worse!) The tantrums were always when she was tired, hungry or overstimulated so I just avoided being out during those times ha.

Anyway, she’s a different person now and tantrums are very rare as she understands and you can reason with her.

my ds is only 1 and I really hope he doesn’t get them like his sister. He’s much more chilled than she was so here’s hoping!

Thinking of you and hopefully it’s short lived!!

My dd was a horror at this age, lovely but really strong tantrums. She's 7 now and I would say she's still an emotional child (we watched wild robot the other day and she cried for about 79% of the film, loudly), she does also get quite cross and storm off. However, she's an absolute delight, kind, thoughtful, very good at school, smart, well liked by all who know her, a bit shy, a good friend, funny, kind to animals, keen to try new things, curious, extremely passionate etc. I think she just feels things strongly, and that's no bad thing (dreading the teenage years tbh). I think a fiery nature can be such a positive, they'll stand up for their beliefs, protect the people they care about, have amazing empathy etc.
I don't know if her personality now is what the tantrums at 2 represented though - so you might end up with a quiet and gentle soul!

Sending solidarity. My almost 4yo was fine at 2. I could count on one hand the tantrums he had. However he is currently absolutely horrendous! A mix between everything annoying about a toddler and a teenager lol. So hopefully if it’s tricky now you’ll dodge this stage haha!

Thanks for the responses.

@Ireallywantadoughnut36 Your daughter sounds very like how I could imagine my DD going, fiery is the perfect way to describe it. She does have good social skills though and shares well with others, shows kindness and care towards other children but when she loses it, it's wild, although it's rarely directed at other children (although sometimes her 4 year old sister who is incredibly soft and gentle). She is getting less physical in her tantrums as she gets older but they are intense. She can also be fiercely protective of me and her sister, even though she is the smallest. I definitely think that there's certain aspects that are just her and she will always be fiery, but I dont think that's a bad thing if it's not just pure tantrums when not getting her own way.

DS2 was a nightmare 2 year old. He went through a hitting / pushing phase and I couldn't take my eyes off him for a second. His older siblings never hurt another child, so this was a bit of a shock to me. Anyway he is now a fantastic teenager - happy, considerate, hard working. Hang in there OP!