Re: Define the "Terrible Twos" for me?

Jim take her to her pediatrician.  She may have a sudden reaction to her
meds or may need a change in dose or change in medication.  Some medications
cause "mood" problems as well.  Ask your doctor if this is one of them.
Also if you've recently got a new prescription check to make sure it is the
correcty dose... pharmacies have made mistakes and have given wrong doses
and even the wrong meds.

Have there been any changes in her life recently?  This could cause this
sudden change in temperment as well.

Best of luck to you - please let us know how you make out.

--
Joanie

"You're stronger than you seem, smarter than you think, and braver than you
believe."
~Christopher Robin to Winnie the Pooh



"Jim Beaver" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> "toto" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > On Mon, 01 Dec 2003 16:59:26 GMT, "Jim Beaver"
> > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >
> > >What do the "terrible twos" look like?  I'd like an observational
> > >description of behavior that could be considered normal/typical of the
> > >phase.  What are the extremes of normal behavior?  How does one tell
the
> > >difference between normal "two-ness" and a serious problem?  I would
> > >appreciate informed and informative replies.
> > >
> > >Thanks very much.
> > >
> > >Jim Beaver
> > >
> > I think the terrible twos is all in your perspective.  I call them the
> > *terrific twos*
> >
> > Two year olds are independent:
> >         You will hear:
> > *me do it.*
> > *I wanna*
> > *no help*
> >
> > Two year olds are frustrated because they can't
> > always tell you what they want and *they* know, so
> > you should know too.
> >
> > Two year olds are creative.  They want to choose their
> > own outfits and they mix and match in ways you never
> > thought of.  If you see a child in the summer wearing
> > his winter hat and mittens, it's probably a two year old.
> > If you see a child in the winter wearing a summer dress
> > over her shirt and pants, it's most likely a two year old
> > too.
> >
> > Two year olds are explorers.  They are eager to learn
> > everything about the world.  They will get into anything
> > that they see.  They can handle delicate things carefully
> > with supervision, but they get excited and things will
> > break.
> >
> > Two year olds are like teenagers, awkward in their growing
> > bodies and learning to coordinate new skills.  They will
> > spill and they will break things, but they can learn to help
> > clean up their messes.
> >
> > Two year olds often love to *help* you clean.  Take advantage
> > of this one, the stage doesn't last long.  Twos want to sweep,
> > vaccuum, mop, help do laundry, etc.  They can learn to sort
> > and put away their toys if you make it a game too.
> >
> > Twos are like teens in their ambivalence about growing up.
> > Sometimes they want to be cuddled and  babied and at other
> > times they want to be *all growed up*  He has to be sure you
> > will still love him even when he is asserting himself.
> >
> > Remember how much twos are learning at this stage:
> >
> > Over the next couple of years, she has to learn to do as
> > kids do and babies don't, which means changing from
> > diapers to underwear and out of a crib into a bed. She has
> > to be able to eat and drink without special baby stuff like
> > bottles and sippy cups. And she has to know enough
> > playground rules to get along with other kids. Wow! It's a
> > lot to learn.
> >
> > At this age, he needs many choices so he can learn to
> > make decisions well and she knows a lot, but often that
> > learning doesn't transfer from one situation to another.
> >
> > Patience is your biggest asset.  Leave lots of time so
> > that he can do things himself.  Give her a choice between
> > two acceptable alternatives.  Don't sweat the small stuff.
> > Only say *no* when it is absolutely necessary for safety.
> > Children learn what they live, so you have to hold yourself
> > to a high standard.   Model empathy and compassion
> > and cooperation and twos will learn from you.
> >
> > Two (which really lasts from about 15 to 18 months to
> > four years of age) is actually the time when kids are
> > learning the most important things about the world - how
> > to get along and cooperate with other humans and the
> > use of language as a tool for communication and for
> > expressing emotions.
>
> I'm the original poster who asked the question.  First, thanks to all of
you
> (even the perfect parent) for answering.  I asked the question in the form
I
> did, seeking observational and generic responses because I didn't want to
> start off by describing my situation and thus generating answers that
> unconsciously remodeled my situation into the situational experience of
the
> respondent.  At any rate, here's what I've got going on:
>
> My two-year-old (+ 3 mos.) has been an incredible child, mellow, outgoing,
> extremely compliant yet lively and assertive.  Suddenly last week, she
began
> having periods of near- or total hysteria--wanting to be picked up but
> immediately wanting to be put down if we picked her up, asking for all
kinds
> of things and activities yet instantly reversing course the moment we made
> any attempt to act on her request, saying "no" to everything offered or
> suggested, yet also saying "no" to the withdrawal of those offers and
> suggestions, asking for a bottle then pushing it away the moment it was
> handed to her, all at a rising level of hysteria.  None of it seemed to be
> deliberately oppositional behavior.  Rather it just seemed that she
suddenly
> had no idea whatsoever what she wanted and was asking for everything she
> thought of and then rejecting it if she got it.  Trying to hold her and
calm
> her escalated the situation immensely until she was screaming and crying
> uncontrollably.  Yet leaving her to her own devices or even completely
> ignoring her led to similar escalation.  The worst part was that she began
> waking up once or twice a night, going instantly from a dead sleep to this
> same hysteria, and keeping it up sometimes for a couple of hours.  She
> always used to wake up at least once a night and have a bottle, but always
> went quickly back to sleep, calmly.  This sudden new turn of events is not
> calm, nor does it include a bottle, which she now rejects and asks for in
> rapid succession, but never takes.  She eventually conks out after a
couple
> of hours, but sometimes starts the same routine over again an hour or two
> later.  In the past six days, I've averaged 3.5-to 4.5 hours sleep a
night,
> NONE of it consecutive.  I'm at my physical and mental rope's end.
>
> She is taking carbatrol, a medication to prevent seizure activity, to
which
> she has shown some propensity.  But this medication has been part of her
> normal life for a long time.  When I first described the hysterics and the
> "no's", a lot of people told me, "Oh, it's the terrible twos."  But after
> reading your many responses describing, without knowing the details of MY
> situation, what YOUR idea of the TT's is, it seems to me this is something
> different.  Particularly the part about the sudden hysterics upon waking
in
> the middle of the night.
>
> Anyone have any ideas?  I'm a 53 year old man with no one to help me
during
> the night, and in less than a week, I've been driven nearly insane from
> exhaustion and worry about myself and my daughter.  I cannot possibly
> continue in the current state of affairs until she's three or four!  I'm
not
> sure I can make Saturday.
>
> Jim Beaver
>
>