Everyone knows about the terrible twos, but have you experienced the terrible threes? With both my two older children, I had a much easier time when they were two than when they were three. I remember when my firstborn threw a big tantrum a couple weeks after her third birthday. I asked my mom, “When are the terrible twos supposed to end?” Without missing a beat, she said, “Not till they turn four.” That was a little discouraging! At age two, my firstborn toddled through life in a generally cheerful, easy-going way, dependent upon and trusting of adults. In fact, she was so pleasant that I smugly thought that my awesome parenting had prevented the terrible twos! But then she turned three. At age three, both my older kids got frustrated very easily. This was the age when they wanted to explain how they felt about something, like having their lunch served on the “wrong” plate or having to leave the playground, but they lacked the language skills to be persuasive or make compromises. “Big feelings” quickly led to crying, screaming, and — on one memorable occasion – tipping a whole bowl of soup onto the floor! Three was also the age when they wanted to do things for themselves, like zip their coats or spread butter on their bread, but they lacked the physical skills to pull it off. By the time they hit four, their language and motor skills were much better, and the frustration that they felt at age three faded….at least most of the time!
