Our oldest son, Tony, is two years and four months old. He has been showing signs of moving into the ‘terrible twos’ for quite some time now. There will be days when nothing can go right for him and then there are days where he is the sweetest boy on Earth. Understandably so, especially since he had to welcome a baby brother into the house this week.
Well, one of the most frustrating things he has started to do lately is respond to almost everything we ask him to do with the following:
“No, I can’t do that anymore.”
This has become his trademark response for everything, and we mean everything. When you tell Tony it is time to eat a meal, you better be prepared to hear his trademark response.
“No, I can’t do it anymore.”
He even changes things up here and there with his response. For example, when it is time to take a nap, we might hear the following:
“No, I don’t take a nap anymore.”
As a parent of such a young child, with no other older children, this can be a very challenging issue. How do you respond to such a comment when it is the only thing out of his mouth most of the time?
For starters, we stay calm, and ask him why he cannot do it anymore. The answer to that question is even better; “I just can’t.”
Well Tony, you can and you absolutely should eat lunch and take a nap. It helps you grow big and strong. As frustrating as hearing this response can be, we tend to laugh at it most of the time because of how pathetic he sounds when saying it. If there was an Academy Award for Best Performance by a Toddler in a Home Environment, Tony would win it hands down.
So, where do we go from here?
Our response needs to remain calm each time Tony uses this response to counter a statement or a request made by myself or mommy. Even when we become frustrated with his answer, we cannot show negative emotion because it will only upset him further. In most cases, we will laugh at his response, which somewhat calms the situation.
We also know that we cannot force him into anything because he eventually will give in on his own and sit down at the table for a meal or pass out on the couch for a nap.
All in all, for being 28 months old, Tony has not been the little terror that most people say a two-year-old will be at this age. The bottom line here is that we should count our blessings and wait for the day when nothing we say or do can please our little monkey. When that day arrives, watch out, because no one likes to deal with a stubborn Italian, no matter their age.
