My daughter is now three! Transitioning from a two year old to a three year old can come with a lot of big changes and lessons. My daughter has taught me plenty this year. Below are 4 lessons my 3 year old has taught me:
1. Healthy coping and emotional regulation matters
I can understand why people say “terrible twos” and “tantrum twos”. My daughter seemed to have a lot more meltdown moments than I anticipated. Teaching her how to cope and regulate her emotions are important life lessons. Equally important is using health coping and emotional regulation tools myself.
2. Don’t dwell on the negative
My daughter can have a tantrum one minute and within thirty seconds be happily playing again. If she spills a cup of water or drops her snack she usually tries to corrects the issue herself and move forward. Toddlers have this amazing ability to move forward without looking back. Toddlers don’t let the negative outshine the positive. I’m pretty sure they don’t even know how “sweat the small stuff”. I am trying to follow my daughter’s example and do the same.
3. You don’t have to explain your boundaries
I’ve taught my daughter that if she doesn’t want someone within her personal space all she has to do is say “no”. She doesn’t have to explain why and at her age I don’t expect her to explain. She owes no one an explanation. “No” simply means “no”. As an adult, I’ve gotten better at establishing boundaries but have definitely struggled with not explaining them. Sometimes I feel the need to justify to others’s my why when in reality I don’t have to. “No” should just simply mean “no”.
4. Be the person you want to see in this world
My daughter mirrors my words and actions. I didn’t realize just how much she mirrors me until I overheard once tell her stuffed animals rather sternly to “Be quiet, don’t get up, and go to sleep.”. Our words, the way in which we speak, and what we do all mold who are child becomes. While perfection is not the goal, being the best person we can be should be something to strive for.
