However, reading the points in the article, Raegan acts more like the three year old described than the two year old. So I am either happy because she acts like the "worse age" already and I should have nothing new to worry about later... or I can be scared that these traits will become completely amplified.
#1. Three year olds never shut up.
I love that Raegan is as verbal as she is. I really do. And most of the time it is completely adorable. But honestly, now she has gotten to the point where she tells us we are wrong, corrects things we say, and is starting to talk to Rory how we do. How endearing. We were driving in the car and were next to a coach bus. "What's that, Mommy?" That is a bus. "No, it's not. It's a truck." Then why did you ask? "You have an orange crayon." Actually I have a pink crayon. "No, it's orange." Okay... "Look, a skeleton!" That's a monster. "No, it's a skeleton." I have to stop myself from arguing with my know-it-all two year old constantly. And who knew 2-year-olds knew how to talk back? Please be careful with that glass Christmas decoration Raegan. "I AM being careful...." The girl has a tude. Also, she can not handle when she has to wait to talk. So she continuously repeats herself over and over and over and over again, louder and louder until we acknowledge her. So annoying. And frustrating. Oh, and best of all.... Everything is a song. She sings her way through her day like a real-life member of Glee. "I'm pooping on the pooooooottttttyyyyyyy." "I'm eating my food, I'm eating my food..." These are just samples of the lyrics to her on-going collection off her soon-to-be released self-titled album.
#2. Temper Tantrums
This girl can tantrum with the best of them. They can be seriously intense. Screaming. Flailing. Head banging. We have been working on them, and they have gotten better. She is starting to understand our expectations of her and that she does not always get to do what she wants. We use deep breaths, time outs, breaks in her room to calm down, and ignoring. That is a post for another day.
#3. Picky Eaters
Raegan used to eat everything. Every veggie, fruit, meat, you name it, she loved it. It made mealtime easy. She would just eat whatever we ate. Now, she is more picky. She could eat chicken and rice for every meal. She won't eat red meat. She will, however, eat fruit and at least take bites of veggies. If you ask her what her favorite food is she will say candy. Great parenting over here...
#4. Bath time
Currently, our new bath activity is pretending the bathtub is a pool. My kids take a bath together. It is a tiny tub. Picture Raegan sprawled out on her back practicing keeping her head back in the water while Rory tries to dodge her flailing legs while simultaneously wrestling with her. It's a beautiful site. And not very productive.
.jpg)
#5. Potty-trained
I was against potty-training early. Having diapers is SOOO much easier. It eliminates the "need to go right now" factor. Your life does not revolve around your child and their potty breaks. You do not have to constantly remember to remind her to go to the bathroom. You do not have to take breaks every hour no matter where you are in order to find a bathroom. You do not constantly live in fear that the one time she has an accident will be at the MOST inappropriate place. Raegan was a potty-training master. However, she is still young. She still has accidents. She still needs to be reminded to use the bathroom. So, basically her toileting needs control our lives.
#6. Grocery Shopping
Bringing our two-year old to the grocery store is chaotic. Gone are the days where she would sit in the cart and look around. Gone are the days where I could just hand her a snack and she would be occupied for a majority of the trip. Bringing Raegan to the store is a rare event because she consumes all energy you have for the day. Last time I brought her, she started off great in the little disease-infested car attached to the cart. "I want to drive, Mommy!" For the first couple minutes, she is cute as a button. She spins the wheel, sings to herself, and makes friends with everyone around. Almost everyone we pass looks at her like she is the most adorable thing in the world. I want to say to them, "Don't let her fool you, when you see us at the check-out line- you will get a glimpse of her true colors." When she is with us, I cannot spend more than 45 seconds looking at any given item. If so, she will get out of the car (last trip she had taken her shoes off in the car so she was now in the aisle with just socks) to try to "help" mommy. And by help, that means putting random items into the grocery cart. I spend half the trip figuring out where she got something so I can put it back on the shelf! One time, I got to the check-out line and found she had stashed three items in her car. She proceeded to give the items to the check-out lady herself so she could "buy them myself." For a little while I was able to occupy her by letting her get out of the cart every time I needed an item needed to be placed in the cart. I told her if she wanted to be a helper, she needed to stay in her car and when Mommy needed her help, THEN she could get out. This worked for most of the trip, but it also took FOR-EV-ER. Basically, never take a two-year-old to the grocery store. It is the worst.
#7. Picking out Clothes
Raegan is an extremely independent child. She knows what she wants. And she knows how to get it. She loves picking out her own clothes. Most times, I am able to manipulate her to wear what I want her to wear. Look how pretty this is. Let's wear sweatpants today. This is the only thing clean! Other times, it becomes a huge ordeal involving lots of tears, screams, and wrestling to get clothes on. Her favorite outfits usually involve mismatched pajamas. Here are a couple gems.
This is actually not an issue with us. She doesn't care either way- she could be dirty, clean. Whatever as long as she is doing whatever SHE wants to do (which is usually the opposite of what we want her to do.)
#9. Doing Things Themselves
Like I said earlier, my child knows everything and knows how to do everything. Her new thing is lights. She has to be the one to turn the lights on and off. But usually this involves finding a stool so she can reach them. Seriously, sometimes I hate her independence because it makes EVERYTHING a production. She has put her own socks and shoes on. She has to pick out which shoes and underwear to wear. Not only that, but she has to take part in EVERYTHING that we do. If we are cooking, she has to help. If we are on a computer, "I want to type, too!" She has to help walk the dogs. She has to buckle her own seat belt in her car seat. This is the age where parents BEG for alone time... even if it is just to use the bathroom! Gross- one time she even offered to help wipe me. Ummm no.
#10. Manipulation
Raegan is the queen manipulator. She knows exactly who she can get what from. She knows how far she can go. And she is constantly testing this level. She knows how and when to be cute. She knows exactly how long she can whine before we get so frustrated we just give in. If you ever need something done, talk to Raegan. She will figure out a way to get it done. Don't get me wrong- this is an awesome trait. I am extremely proud that she has the brains and the guts to be such an asshole. But, I would rather not be the one being manipulated. As parents, we have to CONSTANTLY be on our toes because she is always one step ahead of us. She totally owns both me and my husband. I am sure she will continue to manipulate us (some times without us even knowing) for a lonnnnnnng time.
