7 Reasons To Love The Terrible Twos

You know that one friend that gets too drunk all the time? As the night goes on they get louder and louder. They stammer and stumble. They’ll pick a fight with anyone and cry over anything. They occasionally pee themselves. This is exactly what having a toddler is like.

Except that toddlers are also adorable. Their cuteness far exceeds their terribleness. It has to — this is evolution’s way of making sure that when they’re screaming on the floor in the middle of Target, we don’t just leave them there. In case you need reminding at the moment, here are seven reasons to love the terrible twos…

1. Their enthusiasm is contagious. To watch a kid squeal in delight over the littlest things puts everything else in perspective. Our kid loses her mind over things like bubbles, stickers, balloons, markers and glitter. It’s impossible not to get swept up in the moment and be excited right along with them. (Side note: This is also what makes holidays with toddlers the BEST.)

2. Ain’t no party like a toddler party cuz a toddler party don’t stop. If left to their own devices, toddlers would only sleep after collapsing into some type of carb-induced coma. Turns out their nonstop energy also makes them the best dance/exercise/play/cleaning/cooking partners ever.

3. They genuinely WANT to help out. Ours helps with things like dishes, laundry, putting things away, and sorting. She seriously loves it. I hear that children eventually outgrown this desire to help so I plan to exploit, er, cultivate it while I still can.

4. They are great communicators. She can tell me her likes and dislikes. We can trade and make deals. She totally takes a bribe. I am counting the days until her six-month-old brother masters these skills.

5. They are still so small. Tiny clothes! Not to mention all the tiny hats and accessories. It’s cuteness overload pretty much all of the time.

6. Their love makes you melt. Our daughter will come up to me out of the blue to give me a hug and say, “I love you.” I can’t explain in words what this feels like, but it’s amazing. I even caught my husband welling up when it happened to him. He still claims something was in his eye.

7. They are HILARIOUS. Toddlers want desperately to entertain you. They will sing, dance, make silly faces — whatever it takes to get you laughing. Sometimes they don’t even have to try. Their observations and expanding vocabulary are pretty amusing in their own right.

So yes, toddlers run around like little lushes most the time. But in the blink of an eye they’ll be grown. So take the time to notice and praise the amazing things your toddler does. And when you find them passed out on the floor, elbow-deep in a bag of chips, remember to be grateful that they’re still small enough to carry off to bed.

Related post: 10 Reasons Age Three is More Terrible Than Two