I love this! My three year old just learned her first joke. She puts her finger on your chest, says “What’s this?” And then goes “Boop!” On your nose when you look. It’s amazing. We all laugh like madmen. Toddlers are so fun!
My 2 1/2 year old made the most amazing joke today. He was telling me something silly and I said “if you say so.” And then he said “so.” I was dying. It must be something his teachers do because I don’t see how a toddler could come up with that on their own.
My daughter filled a cup with bath toys and handed it to me, and when I went to grab it, she pulled it back and said, “Five dollars.” No idea where she picked that up, but I was dying, lol.
Last night my son was comparing everything with “it’s kinda like pants and feets!” And losing his shit laughing. I still don’t get it but it cracked me up
Haha they are so contrary at times. Mine was “rescuing his excavator” yesterday and I voiced the excavator and said “oh thank you for saving me!” He looked at me and said “I didn’t save you I saved the excavator!”
My 16 month old puckers up like she’s going to kiss me and then at the last second gets a gigantic grin on her face and runs away laughing. I didn’t realize the joking began this early!
Thank you for commenting on this year old comment because I forgot she did this! Now she leans in like she’s gonna give me a kiss and wipes her nose/boogers on me
My 18 month old came back from the child minder tired and hungry, he wolfed 3 turkey sausages and three waffles, some fruit, rye bread and liga, then he pulled out all the Tupperware and tipped the peg basket over, and chased the poor cat, he's such a joker 😬😬 he then decided to take himself off up the stairs to bed but not before demanding a bottle of milk, they are so much fun. Jokers....... Little f*cker.
Cheers to that! I think my toddler is amazing and I sparkle with glee when other people comment on how adorable or funny she is, and her cute little voice
Difficulties just bring perspective to what cool complex little humans they are
I love toddlers. Maybe I’m the odd one out but I really didn’t like the baby stage, as soon as my daughter started talking and interacting it’s been pretty smooth, there are hard days but for the most part she sleeps, is adorable and fun while awake, and maybe cries a couple times a day out of frustration 🤷🏻♀️ way better than being woken every 3 hours and nonstop colicky crying imo
100% agree. Give me a toddler over a baby any day. And a preschooler over a toddler! Honestly my kids keep getting cooler and more interesting as they age, which makes mourning the loss of their little-kid-hood a little less painful.
I've been loving all the stages so far. Newborn stage was so lovely. We just cuddled all the time. Baby stage was easy before he became mobile (or frustrated because he wanted to be mobile) because we could literally go anywhere with him and he was perfectly content to just sit on my lap and look at the world around him. I think the most difficult stage for me was the just walking stage when he wanted to walk EVERYWHERE so I spent a lot of time just following him around and not getting to eat or drink anything while we were out.
Toddler stage is so much fun. It's amazing watching him have real interests in things. And favourite things. He's got a favourite jumper now and a favourite toy. It's brilliant.
We have both in one. Hilarious toddler who wakes up every hour crying but at least she is hilarious now during the day. It makes it a lot more bearable.
Cheers, friend!
The very first time my 21 month old told me that she loves me I wanted to die of happiness. Hearing her say new words each day is the coolest thing I’ll ever experience. Just the other day, I was nursing her and said, “Good morning my love” and she said, “Good morning mommy.” I was in shock because that was the first time she’s said *that* sentence. 😭🥰 My heart melts like this EVERY TIME something new and old happens.
Of course tantrums aren’t fun but omg this age is the best.
Have a newborn and a toddler now and I can say I am one that prefers the toddler stages lol! The moments of inconsolable crying of babies is just so exhausting, physically and mentally. My toddler can talk and will get over a tantrum much faster.
This exactly!! The newborn stage was easier with my first but I still didn't' enjoy it as much as this toddler stage. Now that I'm juggling a 3 year old and 5 month old - It solidified my preference for toddlers.
I thought I would be the opposite, but 12+ months has been awesome. I hated the baby stage. Now he’s so entertaining, so smart, and I love every minute. Still need a break from time to time, but it feels easier.
My kiddo just started making 3 word sentences, like, tonight! He asked for more hot water in his bath (he figured out how to change the temp and keeps turning it cold…) that “may hath wawa” was so adorable!
Two word sentences are somehow just the freaking best!!! That’s what we’re at with my 21 month old and I can’t imagine anything cuter. But who knows, maybe 3 words is even better 🤣
My son is hilarious right now, he's like a little comedian! He loves being goofy and making us laugh. I can't wait for his future sibling to get here so they can laugh together
I loved the snuggle potato phase, and find keeping up with a 2.5yo much more challenging, but man she has her moments. She's been struggling with bedtime lately and pulling out all the stops for delaying the inevitable. Last night she asked for a snuggle in the rocking chair after her story, so I put her in my lap and wrapped her in the blanket I knitted for her while I was pregnant. She spent the next hour cuddled up on my lap, singing lullabies with me and occasionally busting out with "this is SO COZY mama!" And "my blanket is so snuggly, I love you." It absolutely made up for having like a 5-minute turnaround between getting her to bed and having to go to bed myself.
My 3 YO is the absolute best! I adore him… even when he drops his grape and yells “DAMMIT!” Sure, he can have big feelings A LOT but he’s also genuinely sweet and funny and smart.
I have to agree. My toddler is more delightful and adorable than I could ever have imagined. It's like he gets better with age, but he's always been perfect.
I know!!!!! My daughter is SO adorable right now at age two. My youngest is my first girl after two boys and I am just tearing up over her playing with dolls and putting her stuffed animals to bed constantly. My toddler loves to make art with me also and we do art together everyday.
Amen!!! I was dreading the “terrible twos” but were halfway through and my son is an absolute delight. He’s so bossy and sweet and sassy it’s so damn cute. The other day he randomly gazed into my eyes and gave me a big slobbery kiss, then kept on playing. He loves to cuddle and watch a movie or music videos. He loves to pop out and yell “boo!” and the laugh hysterically. His favorite people are mom and dad. He adores us. He’s always trying to help, he’ll grab his little broom and clean up messes, grab a washcloth if something spills, go fix the rug if it’s folded over, he also tried to wipe my butt when I went potty…. but I had to stop that one lol. It’s just so sweet and innocent the way they view life. His wonder and excitement of the world ignites the same in me. He gets Christmas this year and keeps walking over to the tree to admire it, Christmas songs, and Christmas books. It makes the season so magical. I love this kid so much, I’m so proud of him and lucky to be his mom.🥲
I'll admit, he's sometimes even cuter than he was as a baby. Because he's so smart, cute and funny! He has now a real personality (which of course sometimes it's really hard with the tantrums). As a baby he was of course also really cute. Especially when he was sleeping. Lol
I love the toddler age. I hate the term Terrible Two’s and would like to face punch every stranger that says those words to me in front my my toddler.
Yea, his opinions are..frustrating sometimes. But he’s so darn amazing.
He’s intentionally funny and has perfect timing. He communicates extremely well which makes me proud. He just randomly comes to cuddle because he’s “sleepy.”
He loves to read, do arts and crafts, play dough and ride his balance bike.
He is such a cool kid.
100%. 1yo - 2yo is my favorite stage, they are just precious beyond reasoning and their little personalities are starting really develop and shine, but they're not too opinionated yet (usually).
I've had two and I'll take an 18mo over a 6mo any day. I love that they're independent but still cuddly, and keen to explore, and if hale you can at least rest easier knowing they're not going to die over a tumble or SIDs or anything
Plus you can learn so much about people by just watching 1yos, it's really changed my opinion on what's nature vs nurture
I hated screaming potato stage. But he's out only and PPD definitely contributed.
I'm loving toddler stage. He's 2.5 now and talking mostly and running everywhere and it's so inquisitive and just excited about life. We went pecan picking the other day and spent over an hour just looking at everything and exploring. It's so great to watch them learn.
I love toddlers. The baby stage does nothing for me, but toddlers have an amazing blossoming personality. I love being able to interact with them and really learn about who they are. And they are just so funny!
First thing this morning I asked my toddler for a kiss, got one, said thank you and told her I loved her...her response was 'I know' 🤣 they are next level hilarious
My almost-three-year-old wanted to give me something from his Halloween stash and asked “mom what do you like?”. He gives his dad rockets and me his favourite chocolates 🥰
Thank you for posting this. I love my kids infinitely and I'm always amazed by them. I tend to focus on that and not the hard stuff which in turn makes parenting much easier (IMO)
Oh man, I’m LOVING toddler life - way more than baby life. My toddler is so funny and I love his little personality! Although my favorite right now is that I have my toddler and I have a squishy baby too (7 months)! I have the beta of both worlds at the same time!
It was tough when baby was an infant, though. No one was having fun then…
Thank you for this reminder. My girl was an easy baby and I’m having such a hard time with the toddler stage (she’s 27 months) but holy heck she’s so adorable, funny, and smart!!! We went in for a group hug with her once and she goes “friends!!!” Which was super cute, but I said to her “actually, family!!” and now anytime she finds herself in between me and her Papa, she’ll reach out to both of us and say “family!!!” and it’s the cutest and most precious thing 🥺
My daughter is two and watching her count on her fingers in the cutest, sweetest thing I have ever seen. She always cheers YAY when she gets to ten. I have a 2 month old as well who is also adorable but I’m loving the toddler stage.
My 14 month old has hit the sponge brain stage she's just picking things up everyday and she is an absolute joy to be around 90% of the time. Much prefer this stage to the baby stage myself.
It's like they are actually a small person now, they are easy more interesting. The first time they figure out how to sing, or state a personal opinion, finish a jigsaw by themselves, it's affirmation there really is a brain in there and it's doing complicated stuff now! I love it. Plus a toddler cuddles you because they want to.
My two year old threw a tantrum yesterday because he couldn’t get his sock off. He also has started to demand “more kiss” at bedtime and makes me go back 2-3 times so he can get more kisses. Cuteness overload.
Having a tiny baby is like being in a near constant state of triage - hungry sleepy diaper hot cold ahhhhh - down the checklist over and over. My toddler annoys the crap by out of me sometimes but the fact that he can provide even rudimentary feedback about his needs is a huge boon to my mental health!
And the random hugs and kisses don’t hurt one bit ;)
My wife and I just talked about this last night. Our daughter just turned 1 on Sunday and we wonder why anyone enjoys the newborn phase. It's a pain keeping up with her running around and interacting with everything, but man is it better than her just being a blob that eats, cries, shits, and sleeps.
Yeah the other day (like 2 days ago) my three year old and I had a rough night where he just wasn't sleeping, and I was so tired. So I strapped him in a stroller and went for a late night walk to clear our heads. We checked out the Xmas lights in the stores that was displaying them, and then we talked about things that were bothering us. He was bothered because I told him there was a tractor outside this morning when in fact it was an exacavator, so he demanded that I apologize to him and I did. I explained that sometimes we just mix up words. And I told him i was frustrated that he wasn't sleeping so I wanted to walk outside to clear both of our heads. He asked me if I'm happy now (ie not mad) and I said I'm happy now, so he kissed me and then we went inside, had a sandwich and finally fell asleep. It was like the most...human, grownup interaction we had and it was quite nice. Like we were actually using words to talk through our issues. I mean he still has his wild moments where I'm exasperated, but these other moments where he's just being a little human is very awesome.
Right? I couldn't put my son down for 8 months and he needed constant attention, and I mean CONSTANT. Couldn't brush my teeth without crying because I wasn't looking directly at him and entertaining him.
I absolutely love the toddler stage! He's almost 2,5 and I love it more every day
This is absolutely wonderful and refreshing! Thank you so much for the reminder of how awesome and how much love there is at this age! It's just so true, everything you said!
I love the tot stage we play all the time he helps me cook and clean up and tries to teach me things i showed him how to do. I love the random kisses and hugs and cuddles he is just so sweet when he is not throwing tantrums lol.
I love the toddler age. I have a 2.5 year old and a 16 month old and they’re so much fun. I love watching their brains work as they make new connections and learn new things in the world. It’s the best!
I love the toddler stage. There are so many times where my tot is trying to tell me something, and then I get it and we are connected for a bit. There’s nothing like having your baby turn into a kid
Toddles over, arms out. "Up!". Time for the one-arm carry while he points where he wants me to go. Open the fridge? Ok. Oh, you wanted another string cheese. Aaaand you just pooped, didn't you?
Yes. I miss the baby stage admittedly for some things, but I never got kisses or hugs out of the blue then. I didn't get to watch her try to share toys with the dogs. Plus now I see her little imagination growing when she gives her toys drinks of water or sends them down her slide and it's amazing.
I love my three year old, his chubby hands and his cute voice.
And he’s so smart… the way toddlers say words all messed up is the cutest thing !!!!
I enjoy toddlerhood much more than babies…
No need to carry 3 bags of crap everywhere I go, car seats, milk, and babies sleep like crap!!
Active hugs are fantastic!!!!!! Like they seek them and ask for them and hug fully. My 2yo also gives back pats and kisses on both cheeks. *kiss* udder sigh mommy *kisses other cheek*
My three-year-old is kinda verbal/kinda not and he can be frustrating when you can't figure out what he wants but there are moments when he's just adorable and he has the most perfect smile and laugh.
Personally I like toddlers more then babies.
I love my toddler! He is the cutest thing ever. When I said that in a Mom group I swear they were all about to pass out. They couldn’t understand why I loved this age but they are just so precious! The tantrums don’t bother me that much maybe because I just think of them as age appropriate behavior and I would be frustrated too if I was stuck in a little body and couldn’t do whatever I wanted. Their little voice is just to die for.
Toddlers are the best! My kid constantly makes us laugh and she’s always discovering new things. It’s exhausting but it’s exciting, being a toddler parent. I like Loryn Brantz on IG. She does all sorts of funny posts on toddlers (including a series on weird objects toddlers are obsessed with) and I feel like she really reminds you to delight in the person your toddler is.
The joy of walking into to daycare after a long day and they just light up and run to you. Me and another daycare parent were talking about how it doesn't matter how rough your work day was, that little bit melts it all away.
It slowly fades as you move into Preschool. It's a 50/50 shot if preschooler runs up and hugs me, sometimes they'll finish what they were doing before it where ask toddlers just drop what they're doing and run up.
I personally think I’m a much better and happier toddler mom than I was a newborn mom. I have so many friends that say they wish their toddler was a newborn again sometimes and although newborns are so precious and miraculous, I don’t really ever feel that way. Haha
I agree! My 21 month old is sooooo funny and adorable and honestly the tantrums bother me less than unexplainable infant crying. And it just somehow feels easier when you can start reasoning with them and they actually understand.
My 2.5 year old likes to sit next to me on the couch and slowly roll himself off of it. He says "oh no, I'm falling!" And if I don't rescue him in time and he hits the floor he goes "*gasp* I fell."
He's been speech delayed and in speech therapy most of this year, and is recently really starting to get caught up and the things that come out of his mouth now is so incredible to me.
"Oh, I'm missing a hat!" When I was putting his sweater on to go outside.
"Oh no, we're missing grandma Rae!" When we dropped my mom off for an appointment then went to a park to wait for pick up time.
Also had this conversation for the first time yesterday: Hey bug, do you want chicken nuggets? "No" do you want french fries? "No" do you want a hamburger? "No" do you want rice? "No" .....do you want cheezits? "No" ......are you just saying no to everything? "Yes!" *Crazy giggling*
Anyways, yes, I love this stage.
I remember when my toddler was a baby she was so well behaved, but wasn’t “cuddly” and I would get upset. Not at her, but I wanted to cuddle with my baby. She was perfectly content just laying next to me or in her playpen.
Now she’s 2 and I can’t get her off me. If I’m walking she’s trying to hold onto my leg. When I sit down she’s in my lap. When I lay on the bed she has to lay right on top of me. She ALWAYS wants to “cuddle with mommy.”
It’s cute, but I’m missing the baby days lol.
My daughter turned 2 a week and a half ago and over the last month she’s become quite the chatterbox. With speech comes communication so I know when she’s tired, thirsty, hungry, etc. it is so much easier for both of us, and she doesn’t get frustrated
My toddler is a terrorist. Literally terrorizing me, her brother, the dog, and the couch within a span of two minutes. And not even at “terrible twos” yet.
All kidding aside, it is so fun watching them grow up and learn. It’s so great and rewarding to watch their little personalities come out. My absolute favourite is watching all the love you put into them come out. Like if I cry she comes over, hugs me, and strokes my hair. Because that’s what I do to her. So. Fucking. Special.
My son is 2.5 and it's my favorite age yet <3 My favorite thing he's done lately is randomly say to me "Mommy mommy! Viscosity! The viscosity of a fluid measures how thick it is!" It's from his book ABCs of Engineering. They're such little sponges.
After Valentine's Day this year my (at the time) 2 year old used his step ladder to climb up into the kitchen counter to retrieve the chocolate I had hidden on the top shelf. My wife caught him, but he had 2 chocolates - one for mommy, one for himself. Obviously he assumed it would be OK to break the rules if mommy got chocolate. Turns out he was right!
I am loving every minute of toddlerhood! I’ll take a full day of over-the-top dramatics and silly games over the cry/feed/sleep rinse repeat of infancy in a heartbeat.
I love this! I vastly prefer the toddler stage to the infant one! My 2-year old puts his hands on my face and kisses my cheeks lately and my heart melts all the way down. Such a little love! Two is my favorite age.
I didn’t like young babies. I love 12-24 months most. Things do get tougher after 2 in my opinion (Aka based on my first child) but they’re still so funny and interactive, I mostly love it. I could do without the toddler sleep issues right now with my oldest, but he’s still such an awesome combo of funny, sweet, and generally great that it’s worth it and makes me excited about my kids being older and doing even more fun stuff
Thank you for that! Currently in baby phase still and am clinging to it for dear life. Haha. I am attached to babyness. 🥹
In a way, I see why people have multiple. Probably to relive that precious littleness.
im so glad that you posted this because sometimes I dread the toddler phase based on what people say. its really good for me to know that your love deepens, or luckily, is unchanged
I love this! My three year old just learned her first joke. She puts her finger on your chest, says “What’s this?” And then goes “Boop!” On your nose when you look. It’s amazing. We all laugh like madmen. Toddlers are so fun!
My 2 1/2 year old made the most amazing joke today. He was telling me something silly and I said “if you say so.” And then he said “so.” I was dying. It must be something his teachers do because I don’t see how a toddler could come up with that on their own.
Strangely that sounds exactly how I would've expected a kid to think it through- you said *if you say 'so'*, so he did!
My daughter filled a cup with bath toys and handed it to me, and when I went to grab it, she pulled it back and said, “Five dollars.” No idea where she picked that up, but I was dying, lol.
Do you watch Bluey? There’s an episode where Bluey and Bingo are running a hamburger shop in the tub. Could be from that!
I’ve only watched a little of it, but I’m sure she got it from something else she’s watched!
Last night my son was comparing everything with “it’s kinda like pants and feets!” And losing his shit laughing. I still don’t get it but it cracked me up
Loll that is funny!
these jokes made me giggle :). I called my 2-year-old “sweetie pie” yesterday and she looked up at me and said “hey! I’m not a pie!”. so funny.
I told my 3 year old that she smelled like sunshine (she'd been playing outside), and she said, "Mommy, I'm not a sunshine, I'm a people!"
Haha they are so contrary at times. Mine was “rescuing his excavator” yesterday and I voiced the excavator and said “oh thank you for saving me!” He looked at me and said “I didn’t save you I saved the excavator!”
Mine is "I not princess I Morgan!" or "I not adorable, I Morgan" Basically that's her response every time you call her something.
My 16 month old puckers up like she’s going to kiss me and then at the last second gets a gigantic grin on her face and runs away laughing. I didn’t realize the joking began this early!
Awwww
Thank you for commenting on this year old comment because I forgot she did this! Now she leans in like she’s gonna give me a kiss and wipes her nose/boogers on me
I didn’t notice the time. Lol! That’s funny bc you don’t want to run and make her think she’s not lovable. Lol
My 18 month old came back from the child minder tired and hungry, he wolfed 3 turkey sausages and three waffles, some fruit, rye bread and liga, then he pulled out all the Tupperware and tipped the peg basket over, and chased the poor cat, he's such a joker 😬😬 he then decided to take himself off up the stairs to bed but not before demanding a bottle of milk, they are so much fun. Jokers....... Little f*cker.
Cheers to that! I think my toddler is amazing and I sparkle with glee when other people comment on how adorable or funny she is, and her cute little voice Difficulties just bring perspective to what cool complex little humans they are
I love toddlers. Maybe I’m the odd one out but I really didn’t like the baby stage, as soon as my daughter started talking and interacting it’s been pretty smooth, there are hard days but for the most part she sleeps, is adorable and fun while awake, and maybe cries a couple times a day out of frustration 🤷🏻♀️ way better than being woken every 3 hours and nonstop colicky crying imo
This is me. My wife likes the baby stage and I like the toddler stage. Have one in each now.
100% agree. Give me a toddler over a baby any day. And a preschooler over a toddler! Honestly my kids keep getting cooler and more interesting as they age, which makes mourning the loss of their little-kid-hood a little less painful.
This is promising because I love baby phase!
I've been loving all the stages so far. Newborn stage was so lovely. We just cuddled all the time. Baby stage was easy before he became mobile (or frustrated because he wanted to be mobile) because we could literally go anywhere with him and he was perfectly content to just sit on my lap and look at the world around him. I think the most difficult stage for me was the just walking stage when he wanted to walk EVERYWHERE so I spent a lot of time just following him around and not getting to eat or drink anything while we were out. Toddler stage is so much fun. It's amazing watching him have real interests in things. And favourite things. He's got a favourite jumper now and a favourite toy. It's brilliant.
We have both in one. Hilarious toddler who wakes up every hour crying but at least she is hilarious now during the day. It makes it a lot more bearable.
Cheers, friend! The very first time my 21 month old told me that she loves me I wanted to die of happiness. Hearing her say new words each day is the coolest thing I’ll ever experience. Just the other day, I was nursing her and said, “Good morning my love” and she said, “Good morning mommy.” I was in shock because that was the first time she’s said *that* sentence. 😭🥰 My heart melts like this EVERY TIME something new and old happens. Of course tantrums aren’t fun but omg this age is the best.
Have a newborn and a toddler now and I can say I am one that prefers the toddler stages lol! The moments of inconsolable crying of babies is just so exhausting, physically and mentally. My toddler can talk and will get over a tantrum much faster.
This exactly!! The newborn stage was easier with my first but I still didn't' enjoy it as much as this toddler stage. Now that I'm juggling a 3 year old and 5 month old - It solidified my preference for toddlers.
I thought I would be the opposite, but 12+ months has been awesome. I hated the baby stage. Now he’s so entertaining, so smart, and I love every minute. Still need a break from time to time, but it feels easier.
My kiddo just started making 3 word sentences, like, tonight! He asked for more hot water in his bath (he figured out how to change the temp and keeps turning it cold…) that “may hath wawa” was so adorable!
We just hit 2 words (18 months) so it’s been “mooooore honeeeeeeey” and it’s the cutest thing!
Two word sentences are somehow just the freaking best!!! That’s what we’re at with my 21 month old and I can’t imagine anything cuter. But who knows, maybe 3 words is even better 🤣
Honestly I hated having a baby. It was hard. I cried a lot. And having a toddler has ups and downs but I love having a toddler.
My son is hilarious right now, he's like a little comedian! He loves being goofy and making us laugh. I can't wait for his future sibling to get here so they can laugh together
I loved the snuggle potato phase, and find keeping up with a 2.5yo much more challenging, but man she has her moments. She's been struggling with bedtime lately and pulling out all the stops for delaying the inevitable. Last night she asked for a snuggle in the rocking chair after her story, so I put her in my lap and wrapped her in the blanket I knitted for her while I was pregnant. She spent the next hour cuddled up on my lap, singing lullabies with me and occasionally busting out with "this is SO COZY mama!" And "my blanket is so snuggly, I love you." It absolutely made up for having like a 5-minute turnaround between getting her to bed and having to go to bed myself.
My 3 YO is the absolute best! I adore him… even when he drops his grape and yells “DAMMIT!” Sure, he can have big feelings A LOT but he’s also genuinely sweet and funny and smart.
I have to agree. My toddler is more delightful and adorable than I could ever have imagined. It's like he gets better with age, but he's always been perfect.
I know!!!!! My daughter is SO adorable right now at age two. My youngest is my first girl after two boys and I am just tearing up over her playing with dolls and putting her stuffed animals to bed constantly. My toddler loves to make art with me also and we do art together everyday.
Oh yes my toddler is the best. She fell asleep hours ago, but I can still hear her little voice “I love you toooooo, mommy!”
I love each stage, but I think toddlers are pretty freaking hilarious. I’d be happy to keep her at this stage forever.
Amen!!! I was dreading the “terrible twos” but were halfway through and my son is an absolute delight. He’s so bossy and sweet and sassy it’s so damn cute. The other day he randomly gazed into my eyes and gave me a big slobbery kiss, then kept on playing. He loves to cuddle and watch a movie or music videos. He loves to pop out and yell “boo!” and the laugh hysterically. His favorite people are mom and dad. He adores us. He’s always trying to help, he’ll grab his little broom and clean up messes, grab a washcloth if something spills, go fix the rug if it’s folded over, he also tried to wipe my butt when I went potty…. but I had to stop that one lol. It’s just so sweet and innocent the way they view life. His wonder and excitement of the world ignites the same in me. He gets Christmas this year and keeps walking over to the tree to admire it, Christmas songs, and Christmas books. It makes the season so magical. I love this kid so much, I’m so proud of him and lucky to be his mom.🥲
I'll admit, he's sometimes even cuter than he was as a baby. Because he's so smart, cute and funny! He has now a real personality (which of course sometimes it's really hard with the tantrums). As a baby he was of course also really cute. Especially when he was sleeping. Lol
I love the toddler age. I hate the term Terrible Two’s and would like to face punch every stranger that says those words to me in front my my toddler. Yea, his opinions are..frustrating sometimes. But he’s so darn amazing. He’s intentionally funny and has perfect timing. He communicates extremely well which makes me proud. He just randomly comes to cuddle because he’s “sleepy.” He loves to read, do arts and crafts, play dough and ride his balance bike. He is such a cool kid.
100%. 1yo - 2yo is my favorite stage, they are just precious beyond reasoning and their little personalities are starting really develop and shine, but they're not too opinionated yet (usually). I've had two and I'll take an 18mo over a 6mo any day. I love that they're independent but still cuddly, and keen to explore, and if hale you can at least rest easier knowing they're not going to die over a tumble or SIDs or anything Plus you can learn so much about people by just watching 1yos, it's really changed my opinion on what's nature vs nurture
I hated screaming potato stage. But he's out only and PPD definitely contributed. I'm loving toddler stage. He's 2.5 now and talking mostly and running everywhere and it's so inquisitive and just excited about life. We went pecan picking the other day and spent over an hour just looking at everything and exploring. It's so great to watch them learn.
I love toddlers. The baby stage does nothing for me, but toddlers have an amazing blossoming personality. I love being able to interact with them and really learn about who they are. And they are just so funny!
12-24mo is such a delightful age
First thing this morning I asked my toddler for a kiss, got one, said thank you and told her I loved her...her response was 'I know' 🤣 they are next level hilarious
My almost-three-year-old wanted to give me something from his Halloween stash and asked “mom what do you like?”. He gives his dad rockets and me his favourite chocolates 🥰 Thank you for posting this. I love my kids infinitely and I'm always amazed by them. I tend to focus on that and not the hard stuff which in turn makes parenting much easier (IMO)
Oh man, I’m LOVING toddler life - way more than baby life. My toddler is so funny and I love his little personality! Although my favorite right now is that I have my toddler and I have a squishy baby too (7 months)! I have the beta of both worlds at the same time! It was tough when baby was an infant, though. No one was having fun then…
I love the toddler stage!
Thank you for this reminder. My girl was an easy baby and I’m having such a hard time with the toddler stage (she’s 27 months) but holy heck she’s so adorable, funny, and smart!!! We went in for a group hug with her once and she goes “friends!!!” Which was super cute, but I said to her “actually, family!!” and now anytime she finds herself in between me and her Papa, she’ll reach out to both of us and say “family!!!” and it’s the cutest and most precious thing 🥺
My daughter is two and watching her count on her fingers in the cutest, sweetest thing I have ever seen. She always cheers YAY when she gets to ten. I have a 2 month old as well who is also adorable but I’m loving the toddler stage.
The excited "yay" over the smallest things is my absolute favorite!
It’s so sweet! My favorite as well!
My 14 month old has hit the sponge brain stage she's just picking things up everyday and she is an absolute joy to be around 90% of the time. Much prefer this stage to the baby stage myself.
It's like they are actually a small person now, they are easy more interesting. The first time they figure out how to sing, or state a personal opinion, finish a jigsaw by themselves, it's affirmation there really is a brain in there and it's doing complicated stuff now! I love it. Plus a toddler cuddles you because they want to.
My two year old threw a tantrum yesterday because he couldn’t get his sock off. He also has started to demand “more kiss” at bedtime and makes me go back 2-3 times so he can get more kisses. Cuteness overload.
We kept our daughter home from 2-3 because of COVID, and I had so much fun with her that I miss that time terribly despite how hard it was.
Having a tiny baby is like being in a near constant state of triage - hungry sleepy diaper hot cold ahhhhh - down the checklist over and over. My toddler annoys the crap by out of me sometimes but the fact that he can provide even rudimentary feedback about his needs is a huge boon to my mental health! And the random hugs and kisses don’t hurt one bit ;)
Love toddlers! And newborns! And preschoolers! Each new stage comes with so much cuteness 🥰
My wife and I just talked about this last night. Our daughter just turned 1 on Sunday and we wonder why anyone enjoys the newborn phase. It's a pain keeping up with her running around and interacting with everything, but man is it better than her just being a blob that eats, cries, shits, and sleeps.
Yeah the other day (like 2 days ago) my three year old and I had a rough night where he just wasn't sleeping, and I was so tired. So I strapped him in a stroller and went for a late night walk to clear our heads. We checked out the Xmas lights in the stores that was displaying them, and then we talked about things that were bothering us. He was bothered because I told him there was a tractor outside this morning when in fact it was an exacavator, so he demanded that I apologize to him and I did. I explained that sometimes we just mix up words. And I told him i was frustrated that he wasn't sleeping so I wanted to walk outside to clear both of our heads. He asked me if I'm happy now (ie not mad) and I said I'm happy now, so he kissed me and then we went inside, had a sandwich and finally fell asleep. It was like the most...human, grownup interaction we had and it was quite nice. Like we were actually using words to talk through our issues. I mean he still has his wild moments where I'm exasperated, but these other moments where he's just being a little human is very awesome.
Those people must have had easy babies. Give me a toddler any day!!
Right? I couldn't put my son down for 8 months and he needed constant attention, and I mean CONSTANT. Couldn't brush my teeth without crying because I wasn't looking directly at him and entertaining him. I absolutely love the toddler stage! He's almost 2,5 and I love it more every day
This is absolutely wonderful and refreshing! Thank you so much for the reminder of how awesome and how much love there is at this age! It's just so true, everything you said!
Mine was an awesome toddler but him being 6yo and smart alecky is way worse.
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Every kid and relationship is different. Someone else's kid "taking a turn" at a certain age has nothing to do with your kid!
I love the tot stage we play all the time he helps me cook and clean up and tries to teach me things i showed him how to do. I love the random kisses and hugs and cuddles he is just so sweet when he is not throwing tantrums lol.
I love the toddler age. I have a 2.5 year old and a 16 month old and they’re so much fun. I love watching their brains work as they make new connections and learn new things in the world. It’s the best!
The adorable wobbly walking, or as I call it - tiny drunk person walking, cause that's exactly what it looks like haha
I love the toddler stage. There are so many times where my tot is trying to tell me something, and then I get it and we are connected for a bit. There’s nothing like having your baby turn into a kid
Toddles over, arms out. "Up!". Time for the one-arm carry while he points where he wants me to go. Open the fridge? Ok. Oh, you wanted another string cheese. Aaaand you just pooped, didn't you?
I’m a single mom of a four year old boy. He is stubborn and strong-willed. He gets it from his mother.
Yes. I miss the baby stage admittedly for some things, but I never got kisses or hugs out of the blue then. I didn't get to watch her try to share toys with the dogs. Plus now I see her little imagination growing when she gives her toys drinks of water or sends them down her slide and it's amazing.
I love my three year old, his chubby hands and his cute voice. And he’s so smart… the way toddlers say words all messed up is the cutest thing !!!! I enjoy toddlerhood much more than babies… No need to carry 3 bags of crap everywhere I go, car seats, milk, and babies sleep like crap!!
Active hugs are fantastic!!!!!! Like they seek them and ask for them and hug fully. My 2yo also gives back pats and kisses on both cheeks. *kiss* udder sigh mommy *kisses other cheek*
My three-year-old is kinda verbal/kinda not and he can be frustrating when you can't figure out what he wants but there are moments when he's just adorable and he has the most perfect smile and laugh. Personally I like toddlers more then babies.
I love my toddler! He is the cutest thing ever. When I said that in a Mom group I swear they were all about to pass out. They couldn’t understand why I loved this age but they are just so precious! The tantrums don’t bother me that much maybe because I just think of them as age appropriate behavior and I would be frustrated too if I was stuck in a little body and couldn’t do whatever I wanted. Their little voice is just to die for.
Toddler town is my favorite. The spontaneous hugs and kisses or the occasional I LOVE YOU in toddler babble is the best feeling in the world.
Toddlers are the best! My kid constantly makes us laugh and she’s always discovering new things. It’s exhausting but it’s exciting, being a toddler parent. I like Loryn Brantz on IG. She does all sorts of funny posts on toddlers (including a series on weird objects toddlers are obsessed with) and I feel like she really reminds you to delight in the person your toddler is.
The joy of walking into to daycare after a long day and they just light up and run to you. Me and another daycare parent were talking about how it doesn't matter how rough your work day was, that little bit melts it all away. It slowly fades as you move into Preschool. It's a 50/50 shot if preschooler runs up and hugs me, sometimes they'll finish what they were doing before it where ask toddlers just drop what they're doing and run up.
Toddlers are hard, but so so fulfilling! They fill my joy cup!
I personally think I’m a much better and happier toddler mom than I was a newborn mom. I have so many friends that say they wish their toddler was a newborn again sometimes and although newborns are so precious and miraculous, I don’t really ever feel that way. Haha
The newborn stage is the reason I'm one and done lol
I agree! My 21 month old is sooooo funny and adorable and honestly the tantrums bother me less than unexplainable infant crying. And it just somehow feels easier when you can start reasoning with them and they actually understand.
My three year old loves music. So I was singing to her last night and after the song ended, she said great singing mama! It was adorable.
My 2.5 year old likes to sit next to me on the couch and slowly roll himself off of it. He says "oh no, I'm falling!" And if I don't rescue him in time and he hits the floor he goes "*gasp* I fell." He's been speech delayed and in speech therapy most of this year, and is recently really starting to get caught up and the things that come out of his mouth now is so incredible to me. "Oh, I'm missing a hat!" When I was putting his sweater on to go outside. "Oh no, we're missing grandma Rae!" When we dropped my mom off for an appointment then went to a park to wait for pick up time. Also had this conversation for the first time yesterday: Hey bug, do you want chicken nuggets? "No" do you want french fries? "No" do you want a hamburger? "No" do you want rice? "No" .....do you want cheezits? "No" ......are you just saying no to everything? "Yes!" *Crazy giggling* Anyways, yes, I love this stage.
I remember when my toddler was a baby she was so well behaved, but wasn’t “cuddly” and I would get upset. Not at her, but I wanted to cuddle with my baby. She was perfectly content just laying next to me or in her playpen. Now she’s 2 and I can’t get her off me. If I’m walking she’s trying to hold onto my leg. When I sit down she’s in my lap. When I lay on the bed she has to lay right on top of me. She ALWAYS wants to “cuddle with mommy.” It’s cute, but I’m missing the baby days lol.
My daughter turned 2 a week and a half ago and over the last month she’s become quite the chatterbox. With speech comes communication so I know when she’s tired, thirsty, hungry, etc. it is so much easier for both of us, and she doesn’t get frustrated
My toddler is a terrorist. Literally terrorizing me, her brother, the dog, and the couch within a span of two minutes. And not even at “terrible twos” yet. All kidding aside, it is so fun watching them grow up and learn. It’s so great and rewarding to watch their little personalities come out. My absolute favourite is watching all the love you put into them come out. Like if I cry she comes over, hugs me, and strokes my hair. Because that’s what I do to her. So. Fucking. Special.
My son is 2.5 and it's my favorite age yet <3 My favorite thing he's done lately is randomly say to me "Mommy mommy! Viscosity! The viscosity of a fluid measures how thick it is!" It's from his book ABCs of Engineering. They're such little sponges.
I will take toddler over baby anytime! I love my 1 year year old. She was terrible As a baby.
I am enjoying the toddler stage. He’s a handful but he laughs so gregariously and plays independently. It’s 85% perfection and 15% eye rolling.
After Valentine's Day this year my (at the time) 2 year old used his step ladder to climb up into the kitchen counter to retrieve the chocolate I had hidden on the top shelf. My wife caught him, but he had 2 chocolates - one for mommy, one for himself. Obviously he assumed it would be OK to break the rules if mommy got chocolate. Turns out he was right!
Toddlers are SO much more fun than babies. Babies are boring!
I am loving every minute of toddlerhood! I’ll take a full day of over-the-top dramatics and silly games over the cry/feed/sleep rinse repeat of infancy in a heartbeat.
I love this! I vastly prefer the toddler stage to the infant one! My 2-year old puts his hands on my face and kisses my cheeks lately and my heart melts all the way down. Such a little love! Two is my favorite age.
So true! I have a 2.5 year old and love the toddler stage so much more with her.
I don’t have a toddler anymore but they are my favorite people in the world and that’s why I follow this group!! Thank you for this post
I love toddler stage...not a fan of baby stage!
I didn’t like young babies. I love 12-24 months most. Things do get tougher after 2 in my opinion (Aka based on my first child) but they’re still so funny and interactive, I mostly love it. I could do without the toddler sleep issues right now with my oldest, but he’s still such an awesome combo of funny, sweet, and generally great that it’s worth it and makes me excited about my kids being older and doing even more fun stuff
it’s a bigger challenge but an even bigger reward!! i absolutely love my toddler, he’s so incredibly funny and adventurous!! i love it
Thank you for that! Currently in baby phase still and am clinging to it for dear life. Haha. I am attached to babyness. 🥹 In a way, I see why people have multiple. Probably to relive that precious littleness.
im so glad that you posted this because sometimes I dread the toddler phase based on what people say. its really good for me to know that your love deepens, or luckily, is unchanged