Have you ever told your toddler to do something and he or she just refused to do what you said? Does your child scream to the top of their lungs, fall out, hit or bite you? If the answer is yes to any of these questions then your child may be going through the Terrible Two’s or Trying 3’s stage. Even if your child has not exactly turned two they still can go through this phase.

Understand that all kids go through different phases. While some are good and others are not so good you should cherish every moment. What may not be so funny now will bring laughter to you and your child years from now, so capture every moment with pictures and videos. When your child is going through the not so good phase just be patient and understand that this soon will pass. It is very hard sometimes for a toddler to communicate with adults. So when a toddler finds that the adult does not understand he or she may act out of character.  Here are a few steps to follow when your toddler acts up.

Remain calm.  Give you and your toddler a few minutes apart. You can even put your toddler in the crib for a few minutes.

Get down eye level to your child.  Explain that what he or she is doing is not acceptable.

Choose an age appropriate punishment for your child.  Explain to your child why he or she is getting the punishment.

Ignore the tantrum and let it pass.

When your child does listen to you, praise your child.

Hug your child and tell them that you love them often.

Find one-on-one time with your child. Include games, sing songs and read books.

Talk to your friends and coworkers to find out what works well with them when correcting their children.

It is a great idea to get your child involved in other activities outside of the home, i.e. storytimes, swimming, music class, kids gym class.

You may think that your toddler does not understand you but they do.