You mean the terrific twos?!

I have a 4 year old and a 2 year old. They are exhausting and hilarious in equal parts.

Can't wait to send them up a chimney though, need to earn their keep.

4 aint no cake walk either so far.

Constant "are we there yet" over a four hour drive from Phoenix to Greer. On the plus side the US 60 from globe to greer is a nice drive with some sweet hairpins.

Ha ha, I look forward to that stage in her life.

I devised a fix for that. When the kids would ask "are we there yet?" I would tell them "5 minutes". Kids at that age have no clue how long 5 minutes is

I was really lucky with both of mine. The eldest and I had a major screaming match at each other when she was under 3, was my first time out after having the youngest and she went into one. I was obviously (but unaware) very post natal.

The younger one did have the screaming abdabs on the entrance mat of Somerfields but I just walked away, far enough for her to realise she wasn't getting attention but close enough that I could get to her if someone else approached her. Some old woman came up and asked me if the child was mine, I admitted she was, she asked me why I wasn't with her and I asked her if she wanted her, she looked horrified and walked away . Small child stopped smashing her head and feet against the floor, looked up, saw me down an aisle shopping, got up and never did it again.

The eldest one became a nightmare at 20 if that helps anyone. She's great again now though.

Today I am having one of those days when I understand why some animals eat their young. It started with a temper tantrum because she wanted to come in my bed and cuddle AND go downstairs for breakfast.

More raging because I gave her the pink cereal she asked for.
Tears when I asked if she wanted to wear a dress or shorts
A full blown temper tantrum when I gave her the 'wrong' orange and she's asked to go to the toilet 9 times in the last 2 hours

I'm now contemplating opening the bottle of wine in the fridge while she methodically empties the water table by pouring small cups of the contents through the gaps in the decking.

Mine are 16, 18 & 28 years, and have/had their issues, but my view is that "it changes, it doesn't always get better, just different" and in the end they do turn into human beings (well one has so far )

My kids react completely differently to the same situation where they don't get their own way. One will stop talking and will sob just about in earshot forever (which is annoying in it's own way, she's very good at upping the volume just enough when we are in opposite sides of the house) while the other screams and throws stuff around.

My 2 parenting mantras have always been "Do what is best for your family" and "This too will pass" but today is just one of those days when I would happily feed her to the raccoons

Maybe you should try her on the wine

The best one is when they say "oh it's just a phase" but what they don't tell you is that after that phase ends, they start a new one.

and now the little bugger has bitten me for the first time since I stopped BFing. Her dad cant get home early enough

Fortunately, MOST toddlers do survive, and do get better. We came to live in a wholly new place (for us) when our one-and-only was two and a half. The usual difficulties, I guess; but when the chance came - he was six, and my wife insisted on working outside the house - I volunteered to become the parent of first resort, and was a house-father for the next five years. The best job I ever had; and we bonded so tightly during that period that these many years later I am still "the parent of first resort". I strongly recommend it, for fathers!

Ours is in daycare and has been both the victim and perpetrator of biting on occasion! Apart from the fact that it is a bad habit in itself, it is also stressful bc the daycare documents it with a report signed by the teacher, the directors, etc. When it first happened I thought she was about to be suspended and considered counseling, until I learned that just about all kids in the class have gotten such a report at one time or another - apparently at least one a day goes home with some kid. TODDLERS!