As I kneel on the kitchen floor, mopping up the puddles of water spilled by my energetic 2 and 3-year-olds, who seem to find great delight in tipping their cups repeatedly, a single thought flashes through my mind: What is wrong with you?
This isn’t the first time I’ve pondered this today, and it certainly won’t be the last. Each day, I bite my tongue to prevent those words from escaping my lips, knowing that my talkative 3-year-old might one day echo them in her preschool class. I can only imagine the reaction from her teacher, sending my name soaring to the top of the prayer list for “Parents in Need of Guidance and Grace.”
But seriously, what is it about toddlers?
As my 2-year-old throws his body back and shrieks as if I were inflicting some terrible pain while buckling him into his car seat, I can’t help but think, what is going on with you?
Then there are the moments when I walk in to find my diaper-free toddler using a hand covered in poop to create his own version of a “feces masterpiece” on my pristine white wall. My eyes widen in disbelief, and I feel like my mind might just explode, but all I can think is, what is wrong with you?
When my 3-year-old cheerfully calls me from the bathroom, declaring her triumph in using the toilet “all by herself,” I walk in to discover her squatting in a puddle of pee beside the toilet. I grip my hair in frustration (no wonder it’s thinning) and suppress the urge to shout, “What is wrong with you?!”
I truly don’t understand these small beings who seem to zoom through my home like miniature tornadoes, leaving chaos in their wake. My jeans are starting to show wear at the knees from all the time I spend cleaning up after them—day after day, it feels relentless.
Initially, I thought it was just my kids, perhaps due to some genetic quirk or maybe the result of too much coffee during my pregnancy. However, after spending time with enough toddlers, I’ve realized they all have their own “What is wrong?” moments. We all find ourselves wondering, sometimes even voicing, that very question.
As a medical professional and a mother, I consider myself fairly adept at navigating life’s challenges. Surviving the trials of raising two under two while dealing with postpartum depression has made me feel like a seasoned veteran. Yet, despite managing to keep these tiny humans alive and finding moments of self-care, the mystery of what exactly is going on with toddlers still eludes me. Perhaps this is just one of those life enigmas that remain unsolved. Maybe one day, a researcher will shed light on this puzzling behavior. Until then, I’ll continue to wonder—what is wrong with toddlers?
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In summary, toddlers present a unique set of challenges that often leave parents scratching their heads in confusion. Their unpredictable behavior can be both amusing and exasperating, prompting many to wonder about the mysteries of their actions. Despite attempts to understand, these little ones continue to keep us on our toes, making parenting a truly unpredictable adventure.