8 Reasons I love Toddlers

It has been a difficult week or so here with two unwell toddlers who are very very grumpy. I have been struggling with managing two sets of tantrums and two littles needing me so very much. Rather than sit in the corner having a tantrum with them I decided to put on my positive pants and think about why I love toddlers. I wanted to remind myself of the good as I know it will be back! (She says with all fingers and toes very much crossed!)

I love it when toddlers are trying to make sense of the world and my favourite age so far is between 18 months and 3yrs. I love toddlers. In spite of all their tantrums and ever growing independence (Why Toddler independence is a pain) they are hilarious and you can literally see the formation of their personality unfold before you.

Their mummy is their world

Until they head off to nursery I find that I (and their other important adults) are their whole world. Being a parent to a toddler is like having super powers as all of a sudden one kiss or cuddle from you and any issue is solved. Once they head off to school there are still many glimpses of this, but they start to have their own life too (annoyingly)

Their burgeoning Independence

It is a pain, but I love the way they need ‘you’ and want to ‘do it myself’ all at the same time. They are torn between being a baby and being a ‘big girl’ or ‘big boy’ and it is impossibly adorable and remarkably irritating all at the same time

They say such funny things

Toddlers do say the most hilarious things. One of the twins is currently often found talking about Egypt as her brother has a Pyramid toy and so she often tells people that she is an Egypt. She means Egyptian, but hasn’t quite worked that out. She also can’t say Egypt properly yet and so actually walks around telling anyone who will listen that she is a Eejit (Irish way of saying Idiot) which makes me giggle each time. I know I am easily amused, but I have four little kids so it is either laugh or cry much of the time. Anyone who knows what an eejit it probably thinks I call her that behind closed doors!!

They are starting to make sense of the world

Well their toddler version of sense…

One of the things I truly love to do is see the world through my toddler’s eyes so I often ask them what they know about different subjects. For those of you who grew up in the 80s yes it is a lot like Child’s Play only without Michael Aspel! For those who grew up later than that and have no idea what I am waffling on about – lucky you, you still have your thirties and I should think some skin elasticity. I digress….

Back to the matter in hand: Jesus is a hot topic in our house as the boys go to a Catholic school and so to gauge what the girls understood so far I asked them two questions:

What do you know about Church?

What do you know about Jesus?

One of the twins view on church was: ‘My friends don’t like it… ‘

What friends are these I wonder…. If she means her brothers then she is entirely correct! The sum total of her thoughts on Jesus were ‘erm…. He has a big head’ It is that kind of bonkers talk that makes me love toddlers.

They give such big cuddles

Don’t you think that toddlers give the best cuddles ever? There is nothing I love more than when one of my toddlers comes and wraps their arms around me neck and gives me a cuddle (and usually a very sloppy, slightly snotty kiss). They almost melt into a cuddle especially if they are sad.

The giggles

The toddler giggle when it just sounds like a TV commercial laugh is adorable and can make me smile no matter what

They say inappropriate things

Let’s face it toddlers can be super embarrassing as they just say whatever they are thinking and often get stuff totally backwards. This is right up there with my favourite thing about toddlers.

When asked where they had put my hairbrush, that they had been seen holding, one of my toddlers once replied ‘ its up my bum’. Goodness only knows where they got it from, but I had a lot of trouble keeping my serious mummy face on.

The same little lady has also been known to say to a doctors who just enabled her to breathe again ‘I don’t like you!’ I mean she is entitled to her opinion, but I feel it is ill conceived to go down that route with the person who has the keys to the drugs cupboard – just saying!

My twin girls also have a distinct dislike for strangers who approach the buggy. They especially dislike old ladies who want to tell them they are cute and ask me for the millionth time that day if they are twins Toddlers and old women have a lot in common as they seem to get away with saying stuff that anyone else might get beaten up for so I watch these exchanges with interest. A recent one went like this:

One of my toddlers is currently telling everyone she meets not to be awkward… If I am really unlucky that day she may also refer to them as a ‘worm’. I let her watch Horrid Henry with her brothers – whoops! I am not suggesting that we all say exactly what we think all the time, but it would be interesting…

They are so determined to succeed

Toddlers are learning so much everyday it is really quite extraordinary. If I had to learn the fundamentals of movement, coordination and speech as well as social patterns and etiquette in that short a period of time I am quite sure I would fail the final exam! These little people do it all. It is amazing! What I love the most is that if they fail at doing something they will keep trying whether that be riding a scooter, putting on a coat or using a potty. They might throw the odd wobbly or two, but they keep going until they crack it. We could all learn a thing or two from them in that respect.

So that’s it 8 reasons why I love toddlers and will very shortly be having a bit of a weep as my littles will shortly no longer be toddlers. They will become proper little girls with full on opinions and will need me a bit less. The thought makes me a little broken hearted. But since I also find my 4 and 6 year old hilarious and infinitely lovable I do know that there is still more to look forward to.