10 ways my toddler is driving me crazy in 2023

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Every parent feels a mixture of terror and uncertainty when their child is approaching their second birthday. Is my sweet angel going to turn into a moody little monster hell-bent on destruction? Um, yeah, they are. Here are 10 ways my toddler is driving me crazy which if you have a toddler in the house you will most probably relate to.

10 ways my toddler is driving me crazy

1. Bathroom Intruder

Toddlers are notorious bathroom intruders. They’re cute and cuddly most of the time. But the second you lock the door to do your business (or just to spend some quality time with your phone), it’s like the Huns are attacking.

My toddler starts by banging on the bathroom door, screaming to let her in.

If she actually manages to get through my line of defenses (door lock), she’ll stand right next to me making direct eye contact, or try to get on my lap.

When will the lambs stop screaming?

2. No!

“No” is the toddler’s word of choice.

My 2-year old says “No!” 50 thousand times a day. It’s actually “nyet” because we speak Russian at home so that’s the word I hear the most.

Do you want to go for a walk? Nyet! 

Come brush your teeth. Nyet! 

Is “nyet” your favorite word? Nyet!

3. Arm Hog

My toddler is obsessed with my arm. Specifically, she insists on using my arm as a pillow.

Everyone knows that babies need skin-to-skin contact. But toddlers can crave it too, especially when they’re going through a developmental leap.

My daughter has to sleep on my arm, and it has to be the left arm. We co-sleep so I’m forced to sleep on my left side all night so little miss bossy pants can have her favorite “pillow.”

4. Lipstick Junkie

If I’m putting the lipstick on, she has to have some too.

OK, this one is more cute than annoying but try explaining to a 2-year old that she can’t have lipstick! Meltdown guaranteed.

5. I’ll do it!

Toddlerhood is the time when a child starts asserting their independence. This can be a particularly frustrating time for a parent when familiar and simple routines (like meal times or getting dressed) become snail-paced disasters.

My toddler is driving me crazy with this! Like any other toddler, my daughter insists on doing everything herself, to the point of absurd. For example, if I open the door for her, she will close it and open it again herself.

She wants to feed, dress and groom herself, and these are important skills to learn. But boy, do you need patience! Because everything she does I have to re-do or clean up a massive mess after.

6. Game Non-Changer

Toddlers like repetition. It gives them a sense of safety and control.

For example, if my toddler likes a game, she’ll make me play it 100 times in a row.

And if it’s hide-and-seek, she’ll hide in the same spot and expect me to look for her with enthusiasm and suspense every single time.

7. Breakfast Switcheroo

Toddlers are flip-floppers. Their desires change a million times a day.

Say, my 2-year old asks for oatmeal for breakfast. When it’s all ready and I’m about to serve it, she inevitably throws a tantrum screaming that she doesn’t want oatmeal, she wants omelet.

Naturally, if I happen to make her an omelet, it’s tear-mageddon because she wants oatmeal.

8. Play-Doh Terrorist

One word: Play-Doh. Or is it two words?

I hate Play-Doh with a passion. And ever since I became a toddler’s mum, I curse the day I introduced her to it. My toddler is driving me crazy with the sticky mess it creates!

Here’s what usually happens: she plays with it for a while, demolishes it into crumbs, and then abandons it with sociopathic finality.

THIS KID LEAVES THE PLAY-DOH PIECES EVERYWHERE.

I know the drill, it’s the same every time. Yet I still buy her the dreaded thing because it keeps her entertained.

9. Eating Out Buzzkill

If you’re at a restaurant with your toddler hoping for a nice relaxing meal, you’ll soon learn that that dish comes with a delightful side of grabbing your drink, forks, knives, salt shaker — and throwing it on the ground.

Before throwing themselves on the ground that is, overcome with a sudden inability to sit.

My toddler also has to be all over me at a restaurant. She won’t sit in her own chair, or next to daddy, or any other place but my lap!

Or the opposite, like today: she threw a tantrum because she didn’t want to sit next to me.

10. Bedtime Battle Cries

Bedtime can be a real challenge when you’re dealing with a toddler. My toddler is driving me crazy with bedtime battles. It’s as if they can sense that you’re exhausted and want to get through the sleepy time routine as quickly as humanely possible.

My daughter hates going to bed, she does. And she will fight sleep with every fibre of her being.

Each night our nighttime routine starts with her yelling: “I don’t want to go to bed!” She will cry, beg, kick, complain of pain and hunger, and even ask for kisses and hugs to postpone the inevitable.

Then she will pass out in 5 minutes because she was exhausted.

Final Thoughts

Although toddlerhood can be a challenging stage of development (hence the label “terrible twos”), it is also an exciting time of rapid growth and self-discovery.

Your little one is becoming an individual! They’re realizing that they’re not extensions of their parents. They’re separate people with their own thoughts and desires. And they’d like to let you know about it!

Even as I write about the ways my toddler is driving me crazy, I know it’s important to embrace this stage with as much patience and understanding as I can muster. After all, your toddler isn’t trying to irritate you on purpose. They’re just testing their environment and looking to assert their burgeoning independence.

And when you feel like the patience is wearing thin and you’re about to snap, step away. Breathe. Give yourself a break. Call on the reinforcements. Is there a grandma that offered her help before? Or maybe your spouse can come home early today.

Toddlers can drive you absolutely insane. But there’s more to this stage than tantrums and power struggles. Appreciate and encourage your child’s assertiveness while setting limits when needed. And before you know it, your little 2-year old will turn into a threenager.

Now that I’ve shared the ways my toddler is driving me crazy, let me know what your toddler do to drive you mad.

Author bio

Lana Adler, M.A. is the founder of ToxicTies.com – a blog that offers support, education and empowerment to people in difficult familial or romantic relationships. She is the author of “The Toxic Grandparent Handbook” and co-author of “Disabled Literature.” When she’s not working on her blogs or completing her doctorate in psychology, Lana enjoys crime mysteries, travel, and, regrettably, reality TV.

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