I’m on the verge of believing that all even numbers are cursed…. The number two—commonly known as the “terrible twos”—makes us see our little miracle as a little devil practically overnight… Our sweet, cuddly little baby discovers his voice and realizes all the possibilities opening up to him. We’re not quite sure what’s going on, but before we know it, our little one starts asserting their personality… Bacon tantrums, “no” tantrums, assertiveness tantrums—no limits! Luckily, time flies so fast that our little devil reaches the age of three, and we breathe a sigh of relief, thinking, “Phew, it’s over.”
Well, no—here comes age four… commonly known as the “fucking four.” Having gone through it two years ago and reliving it again this year, I swear to you, it’s really, really no fun… It’s like the two-year-old phase but times two… and we don’t get it, because we tell ourselves they have way more ways to make themselves understood than when they were two… You say no to something, put in your earplugs, sweetie… the screaming will start any minute now!!!! They really come after us at times like that—we’d love to just put them back in a little box with free shipping 😉 Seriously, though, I’d always told myself that the first five years were the most important—and probably the hardest….
WRONG!!!! Turning six hit us like a slap in the face… pre-adolescence comes around so fast these days! I would never have dared to talk back to my parents like that, never would I have tried to assert myself so much—and so forcefully….I try to step in, and I get “I don’t care” in response—and not just in a soft voice…. I’ll spare you the decibels!
It’s funny, though, when you consider that all this behavior and attitude—well, they only act like this at home, only with us… Daycare and school don’t report any major issues, as if our kids were angels when we’re not around and little devils when we’re there… Am I supposed to believe that their sense of security with us is strong enough for them to get away with all this? They know they’re loved unconditionally, so they feel free to let all that inner tension out somewhere… When I try to see the positive in all this, I tell myself that, thankfully, my kids have strong personalities; they won’t let anyone walk all over them and will get what they want in life. Still, as a parent, I hope the even-numbered ones will calm down a bit and give me a break, because with three kids, it all adds up fast!