2 years old : The toughest age of a toddler!

Having to raise 5 kids (and no.6 on tow) by ourselves (hubby and me), I found out that 2 years old are the most toughest age to conquer! Why do I say that? Just try my no.4, Delisha. She is 2 1/2 years old. She can be the sweetest girl you've ever met and yet she can be such a monster when she's temper! I have to remind myself that she's an innocent little girl every now and then, especially when she's in a bad mood. She'll cry, screaming non stop until her tears dried when she quarreled with her siblings. When she's bored, she will disturbs her other siblings especially my no.3 child, Darwisyah who is 4 years old. They constantly fight with each other and they end up crying together, louder and louder til even the my baby Darwish (1 year old) can fall asleep watching them fight!

Every time Delisha saw her father (my hubby of course), she will bully him by non stop nagging and crying saying that she wants this and that or she's hurt here and there or simply by saying that she wants to be pick up! She's 13 kg and you can imagine how tiring it is to bring her here and there! But, when she's with me, without my hubby's presence, she's definitely OK and doesn't give any problem at all! I can't leave her playing with her siblings without my presence around or I will have to hear her screaming and shouting and crying and every time I asked her siblings about what's the problem, they will answer that Delisha herself are creating the problem.

She will stop if I scold her but she doesn't care at all if her father says anything! So, my hubby always have to ask me to stop her from doing anything that's improper. This really stresses me but she only gives problem when I'm not around. It's not that I leave her to go somewhere, it's just that sometimes they play together in the living room or playroom while I'm doing some other chores like having to dry the clothes or cooking.

The funny thing is, she always offer herself to help me when I'm folding the clothes. When she's doing it, I always look at her and wonder to myself, is she the same person who always give tantrum? I don't know where to turn to for advices about a 2 years old, so, I'm so glad to come across www.babycenter.com because this website has been helping me understand much much better about raising kids along with their stages of age.

Source: http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-2-year-old-big-emotions_5934.bc

Your 2-year-old now

A child this age wears her heart on her sleeve — and in her voice, her fists, her stamping feet, and her crocodile tears. You seldom have to guess about a 2-year-old's emotional state. Expressing emotions is healthy, even when they aren't happy ones. So don't feel you have to rush in to placate your child at the first pout or sad sniffle.

Let your child know that it's okay to be unhappy sometimes — it's simply part of life. Swooping in to vanquish the unhappiness sends the wrong message — that it's not okay to feel sad or mad. Solving every problem for your child also robs her of the opportunity to work through her feelings on her own.

What you can do: Label her feelings for her. "You're so mad at Mommy because she said no park today!" Let her know you have the same feelings, too, sometimes: "It makes you feel sad when we say bye-bye to Grandma. It makes me feel sad, too." If your child screams or hits when she's angry or upset, show her acceptable ways to vent her emotion, like punching a pillow or stamping her feet.

Two-year-olds do test limits and disagree with parents, of course, but they're also developing more of a desire to please you. They want to be good! They want to help! Routines and consistency in your responses help your child learn the ropes and keep everyday life running smoothly.