| Terrible Twos, Terrible Teens | | | | responsible enough to make your own decisions. |
| | | | When you are not always understood. When the |
| Someone once told me that being a teenager is a | | | | words fail and you know you are not being heard, |
| second chance to learn what you missed when | | | | and the frustration leads you to simply have a fit. |
| you were two. At first it sounded like a stretch | | | | Such is the plight of a two-year old, or was that a |
| but, after taking a closer look, it was right on | | | | teenager? The only real differences are braces |
| target. | | | | and acne. |
| Growing up is a challenging process that does not | | | | Both have to learn how to maneuver in a body |
| end after passing those teen years. Hopefully, it | | | | that is growing faster than they are. Both have |
| will continue right on through adulthood and, for | | | | so much to learn. At two, it is counting to ten; as |
| that matter, for as long as you live. For now let's | | | | a teen, it is algebra and calculus. For each, it is just |
| take a closer look at that most difficult time of | | | | as much of a challenge. Both need to explore their |
| growth, both physically and emotionally. | | | | ever expanding world. At two, that is rarely out |
| This is a time when your body goes through a | | | | of a parent's sight; for a teen, the limits drop as |
| tremendous growth spurt. In a relatively short | | | | the whole world is opened up. Decisions and |
| span of your life your body grows to almost | | | | responsibilities expand too, from learning hot and |
| twice the size of what it use to be. Arms and | | | | cold, to more complex issues of life and |
| legs seem to have a mind of their own as you | | | | interpersonal relationships. |
| try to coordinate their movement. Muscle mass | | | | Then there is communication. At two, the |
| increases to help you run faster and jump higher. | | | | vocabulary may be limited but it is quite sufficient |
| Everything changes so fast that when you pass a | | | | to convey one's basic needs. With practice, single |
| mirror you may not be sure who that is looking | | | | word commands expand into three word |
| back at you. | | | | sentences that make it easier to deal with |
| It is a time of considerable learning. Information | | | | parents and others. Teens are no different. They |
| pours in at such a pace and on a daily basis that it | | | | have more words, but need to develop a greater |
| is amazing anyone could process it all. Even so, | | | | command of the language in order to get their |
| you manage to catalog most of it somewhere in | | | | more complex ideas across to others. |
| your brain for future use. Then, each time one of | | | | Both go through the frustration of all these issues |
| those stored bits of information shows up again, | | | | and of not being understood and, when that boils |
| everyone else in the room can see your lights | | | | over, there is little difference between a tantrum |
| turning on. All that information will also be used to | | | | on the living room floor and stomping off to your |
| help you make decisions as to what is right and | | | | bedroom and slamming the door. The lessons are |
| what is wrong. You learn more and more to avoid | | | | basically the same, only the scale changes. |
| the things that hurt and go toward those that | | | | Oddly enough, the lesson here is probably best |
| bring you pleasure. Hopefully, you also learn which | | | | given to the parents or those teens who will be |
| are good choices. | | | | parents: |
| It is a time when communication is probably the | | | | The "Terrible Twos" are not really that terrible, |
| biggest issue. Yes, you have a vocabulary that | | | | especially once you get past them and, for that |
| allows you to get what you need but, in order to | | | | matter, neither are those teenage years. Just |
| function, you need to learn more words and how | | | | remember that both are growing and need to be |
| to use them more eloquently. Not being able to | | | | understood. You, no doubt, recall being a teenager |
| do so can lead to insurmountable frustration, | | | | yourself more than you do having been two. As a |
| where you don't know whether to be upset with | | | | parent, you have the advantage of seeing both |
| yourself or your parents, who simply don't | | | | stages in your child. |
| understand you. | | | | The moral of this story is they are no different |
| It is a time when, for some unknown reason, you | | | | than a one-year old who learned how to walk. No |
| have a need to test the limits. When you are | | | | matter how many times they fell they got back |
| trying to convince your parents that you are old | | | | up and tried again because you were there to |
| enough to do what you want to do and | | | | support them. |