10 Reasons 2 Isn't Terrible at All

Updated on 1/25/2016 at 2:27 PM

My youngest and last child is turning 2 this week. "You're a big boy now," his almost-5-year-old sister told him this morning. "No," he corrected her, pointing at his chest. "Babies." And, in two words, he described why, despite common beliefs, I think 2 is such a great age. You get the best parts of having both a baby (constant cuddling, lots of parental control) and a little kid (independence, ability to communicate), without the worst parts of either stage (extreme sleep deprivation, extended fights about why pants are a Winter wardrobe necessity). So, forget what you've heard: here are 10 reasons 2 is more terrific than terrible.

Independence emerges (but won't annoy you). My 2-year-old asserts his independence by feeding himself and preferring to walk than to be held. I welcome both decisons because if he's anything like his sister, in a couple of years that will change to insisting he dress like a street urchin and refusing to eat anything nutritious unless it's immediately followed by candy. I'll take this stage of independence any day.
Bribery becomes an option. Two is that magical time when your children are old enough to understand bribes (e.g. behave in the grocery store and I'll buy you ice cream afterward if you remember I said that). As every parent knows, this is a game changer and one of the most essential tools we have in our parenting box of tricks.
Conversations become a two-way street. Since my children were newborns, I've talked to them constantly because I once read somewhere that makes them smarter. Two's when they (finally) start talking back, and what they say is so often insanely adorable and hilarious that it almost makes me forget how they both didn't let me sleep for an entire year.
Activities don't always require mom involvement. I've yet to meet a mom who just loved putting on a swimsuit for baby swim lessons or sitting through a Mommy and Me music class. To me, that sh*t is just painful. And now I'm done with it. Because now my little one's 2, I can sign him up for mom's day out, preschool, and even swim lessons that don't require me to stick around.
The end of TV guilt. Pediatricians everywhere think it's a bad idea for kids younger than 2 to watch TV, so now I don't have to feel as guilty as I did about that one or 2,000 shows my kid watched before that.
They'll still (mostly) wear whatever you want. At 2, my daughter was still wearing every gorgeous dress and on-trend top I bought her, and it was glorious. A couple of years later, I barely buy her anything because she's developed a super skill that detects when I think anything is cute and immediately relegates those items to "never wear, not even once" status. I figure I have a little time left with her brother, and then it's Minion shirts and ugly sweats, and I'm going to enjoy every single outfit.
The end of teething. I've read multiple times that kids hardly notice when their 2-year-old molars come in, and to that I say, ha. My little guy has been waking up every single night for the last month, but there's a light at the end of the tunnel. According to his dentist, we have a few more weeks before they're all in, and then teething is over . . . forever!
Bye-bye diapers. Sure, potty training is a nightmare, but once it's over, you're done with nasty, stinky diapers and everything that comes with (and in) them. Considering that the only fun part of diapers is scoring the newest designs from The Honest Company, this is one 2-year-old milestone I'm really looking forward to.
They still nap. An hour or two of daytime quiet time is a wonderful thing, and most 2-year-olds are still just as down for naptime as you are. Enjoy it while it lasts.
The tantrums are more funny than infuriating. First-time parents might not agree, but by the time your second one turns 2 (and you've seen the true hell that is a 3- or 4-year-old tantrum), those tiny, irrational meltdowns are just kind of funny. You can't really talk them out of it, so whip out your phone and take a video. I swear you'll look back at it fondly soon enough.