I read somewhere that one theory for why 2-year olds go from being sweet little toddlers into tantrum-throwing little hellions is that there is a disconnect between their ability to form thoughts and their ability to communicate them to others.
It's a totally false theory.
My favorite 2-year old is scary articulate, and we are not even remotely exempt from the heinous existence that is The Terrible Twos. In addition to the relatively infrequent all-out screaming fits when she doesn't get her way, she gives us the following insights into the true root cause of the terrible twos:
"I'm not going to [whatever she's been asked to do] because my hair is gorgeous."
"I want to walk, and I want to use my tall braces to do it, but I'm not going to let you put them on me."
It's not that two year olds have rational thoughts that they have trouble articulating. They're just totally bat scat crazy and they have trouble articulating their insanity and those around them have no hope of comprehending their irrational logic. And that frustrates them.
I am, unfortunately, no closer to figuring out what to do about this disconnect between preschool reality and actual reality. But if I ever do, I'll have a best-selling book deal.
