Terrible Twos
John's Most Recent Articles
What To Do About Head-Banging Toddler?
Posted on 8/12/2021
Q: Our 19-month-old is a very active little boy who flips out when things do not go his way. When he has a tantrum, we walk away or simply ignore him. Nonetheless, he will scream and flail about...
Read MoreThe More You Say “No," the Less Effective It Becomes
Posted on 10/13/2020
Q: Our first child, a boy, just turned two. Per your advice, he is toilet trained and eating whatever I serve. Before he was born, we determined that we were not going to raise a picky eater. Our...
Read MoreTrump the Hump of Toddlerhood
Posted on 10/6/2020
Q: In your column of last week, you referred to the “hump of toddlerhood.” Can you please explain further? A: In using the word “hump,” I’m equating chronological toddlerhood – roughly,...
Read MoreHow to Prevent the Terrible Twos From Becoming the Terrifying Threes
Posted on 7/21/2020
One of my books, “Making the ‘Terrible’ Twos Terrific!”, has recently become a best-seller in China, of all places. Seriously! What sorts of problems are Chinese parents having with their...
Read MoreRecent Questions
Understanding a 2 year old.
Posted 2 weeks ago
Our main discipline tool for our sensitive 2.5 year old son is time out. When he disobeys after a count of 3 or says “no” to us, he goes in our bedroom or his bedroom for a 2 minute time out. I...
Read MoreTYPICAL TODDLER BEHAVIOR, JUST A LOT OF IT
Posted on 11/16/2022
Update: The previous issue I wrote about where my toddler held his pee for hours and refused to go potty seems to have improved following some antibiotics given prophetically. However, other...
Read MoreThe Daycare Biter, Act 2
Posted on 11/8/2022
My just turned 2 granddaughter is biting at her preschool/daycare. This has happened off and on for over 3 months and is getting more frequent. She does not do this at home, to her 4 yr bother, on...
Read MoreThe Daycare Biter
Posted on 10/27/2022
My 2 yo is biting excessively at daycare. They do not believe in "time outs" only distractions. She does not have any delays and has been seen by ENT and speech is appropriate. I know biting...
Read MoreTwo-Year-Old Burning Out Mom
Posted on 8/23/2022
I live every day in a blind rage. My 2 1/2 year old is exasperating, infuriating, demanding, interrupts continuously and I can not get a SINGLE task completed (can not stress enough). She talks...
Read More2 YEAR OLD TOO STRONG FOR MOM
Posted on 8/16/2022
We have a 2-year-old that refuses to listen and his favorite answer is no. For example, just this morning I was trying to get him ready to go to daycare and I asked him to sit down so I could...
Read MoreTwo Year Old Being Terrible
Posted on 6/9/2022
My 2.5 year old in the past week has been extremely irritable, refusing to eat almost anything that isn’t Mac and cheese, and has reverted back to taking 2 naps a day. Tantrums and screaming are...
Read MoreParenting Season Transition: From Service to Leadership
Posted on 3/22/2022
My daughter just turned two. She's a good little girl but most definitely a typical rambunctious toddler. I'm having trouble getting her to listen and obey without telling her multiple times. I...
Read MorePut the Brakes on 2.5-Year-Old Thrower
Posted on 12/27/2021
My non verbal 2.5 year old is a thrower. Especially at the face. She will throw toys in my face. She will throw her food and cutlery at my 8 year old son in the face. I don’t know what to do,...
Read MoreTransition from Nap Time to Quiet Time
Posted on 11/2/2021
Hi, our daughter is 2yrs, 10mo old. What age is appropriate for naps to go away? Our daughter fights naps nearly every day. The problem is that if she doesn’t get a nap is she gets extremely...
Read MoreTopics Covered
- ADHD and other disorders
- Adoption/Foster Parent
- Aggression
- Allowances
- Alpha Speech
- Anxieties, Fears
- Arguments with Children
- Audio Files
- Bedtime/Sleep
- Bedwetting
- Bullies/Bullying
- Character/Values (teaching)
- Chores/Responsibilities
- College
- Consequences/Punishment
- Daycare/Preschool
- Depression/Self-Harm
- Developmental Issues (e.g. late talking)
- Discipline Methods (e.g. time-out)
- Disobedience/Defiance
- Divorce/Custody
- Drugs (marijuana, cocaine, etc.)
- Education
- Electronics (Computers/Video Games/Television/Cell Phones)
- Elementary School
- Extracurricular Activities/Hobbies
- Father
- Food/Eating Problems
- Gender
- Gentle Parenting
- Grandparents/Grandchildren
- High School
- Homeschooling
- Homework
- John's Discipline Methods
- Learning Disabilities
- Lying
- Manners
- Marriage Issues
- Mealtime/Eating
- Mental Health
- Miscellaneous Discipline Problems
- Miscellaneous Editorial Columns
- Mothers
- Only Children
- Pacifiers/Security Blankets/Thumbsucking
- Parent Leadership and Authority
- Play
- Preschool
- Rebellious Behavior
- Respect
- Rewards
- School Issues
- Self-Esteem
- Shyness
- Sibling Conflict
- Single Parents
- Social Issues (fighting/arguing with friends)
- Socialization/Social Skills
- Spanking
- Step-Families
- Tantrums
- Teenage Issues
- Terrible Twos
- Toilet Training