My sweet, first-born baby girl, Eva, is about to turn two. It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating her first birthday. Now, she is running around the house wearing mama’s shoes, pushing her baby doll in the stroller, shouting, “Going to the store, see you later!” Where has the time gone?
We’re full force in toddler mode with Eva as she’s growing and learning more about this world. As a toddler, more specifically an almost-two-year-old, you hear the saying “terrible twos.” I don’t know about you, but that’s not the label I want to be speaking over my child. Toddlers are naturally going to be seeking independence and testing the boundaries on what they can and can’t do. It’s a part of that developmental stage as they navigate their way around this big world. Remember mama, they only have two tiny years on this earth compared to your twenty or thirty something years. You didn’t just learn the things you know overnight—and neither will our toddlers. They need constant reinforcement of the do’s and the dont’s along with routine. Those two things will do wonders in raising up our toddlers.
Eva is our oldest, so I can’t speak from years of experience with multiple kids having been through the toddler years yet—I’m just sharing my own insights and wisdom that I’ve gained from seasoned parents. If you want to set yourself up for failure in these early years, then keep on with your negative mindset of the “terrible twos” label. But if you want to commit to the toddler years with a growth mindset and an attitude of training your child with their heart in mind, then flip the script and let’s start telling our toddlers they’re a “teachable two-year-old.” What an empowering word to bless your child with when telling others how your motherhood journey is going while raising up a little tot. Make it known that your toddler is learning. Although we see big emotions that go from hot to cold, it’s still safe to say that these little girls and boys need someone teaching them and training them. Don’t dismiss a tantrum without talking to your child about how they just behaved. Help them to work through these thoughts and feelings by asking them to use their words. Show them how to do something the right way by demonstrating it and then make them go through the motions themself. Remember those two things we should be doing? Reinforcement and routine. Put in the work now so you will reap the blessings later. Don’t be the idle mama who says “no” all day long without any training, and then wonder why their kiddo is defiant and only tells you “no.” Did the lightbulb click for you yet?
In conclusion, our toddlers are very much teachable in these early years. As a mama, you are the biggest influence on them. Everything you do, they will do. Haven’t you heard that Children are Sponges, check out this post if you haven’t. I’m walking into year two with Eva feeling grateful, thankful, and blessed to be raising her up as a teachable two-year-old. Thank you, Lord!
Share this post with a mama who’s in this current season that might need this type of encouragement and mindset shift. As always, be blessed mamas, sisters, and friends!
Leave a Reply