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Child Behavior (Expert Forum)
What is normal for a 2 year old.
Answered by
Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D. - Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy, Family Therapy, Crisis Intervention
Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates
This forum is for questions and support regarding child behavior issues such: Child Discipline (behavior management), Normal Child Development, Parent-Child Communications, Social Development
What is normal for a 2 year old.
by Laura Jones, Sep 25, 1999 12:00AM
I have a child in my day care who is 2 years old. When he is droped off in the AM he throwes horrable temper tantrams.This child will scream, jump all around, throw him self on the floor, or pound his head on the wall. He has been here since July and is still doing it. I now put him in a closed in room for two min. It seems to work. Time outs never did work on this child.
Also when this child gets frustrated he will kick one or both of the 1 year old babies in the head, push them down, and walk on them, sit on their heads, or the middle of their backs and they can't breath.
This child will push or hit or knock the other children down to get a toy from them if he wants it. Tells them to share. Takes the toy puts it with his pack of toys then no one can have the toy to play with , or so he thinks. It dosen't work that way.
This child will kick the other children if they dont move fast enough for him, or for no aparent reason.
He will pull the cat,s wiskers from his cheek. I have caught him strangeling the cat. By squeazing the cats throat and pushing it down so hard that the cat can't escape, pulling it's tail, squeezing it's paws till it crys out.
He has hit my dog so many times she now growls when she sees him. I now keep her locked out side.
The father's parenting class said this is normal behavore of a two year old. I am to keep all animls and babies away from him. The child has a 12 hour day here. So the babies who are learning to walk have to be kept in their cribs all day long.
Hi behavore is affecting all the other children in the day care.
This father thinks his son has normal behavore for a two year old. He feels I do not have enough experiene with two year olds. I have been doing child care for over 30 years, raised 3 children one of which was ADHD.
He feels he needs a new day care provider. In my 30 years I have only had to ask two othe parents to remove their children from my care as there was this same problem. One is getting state mentel helth. The other one no help and is worse than ever.
Also when this child gets frustrated he will kick one or both of the 1 year old babies in the head, push them down, and walk on them, sit on their heads, or the middle of their backs and they can't breath.
This child will push or hit or knock the other children down to get a toy from them if he wants it. Tells them to share. Takes the toy puts it with his pack of toys then no one can have the toy to play with , or so he thinks. It dosen't work that way.
This child will kick the other children if they dont move fast enough for him, or for no aparent reason.
He will pull the cat,s wiskers from his cheek. I have caught him strangeling the cat. By squeazing the cats throat and pushing it down so hard that the cat can't escape, pulling it's tail, squeezing it's paws till it crys out.
He has hit my dog so many times she now growls when she sees him. I now keep her locked out side.
The father's parenting class said this is normal behavore of a two year old. I am to keep all animls and babies away from him. The child has a 12 hour day here. So the babies who are learning to walk have to be kept in their cribs all day long.
Hi behavore is affecting all the other children in the day care.
This father thinks his son has normal behavore for a two year old. He feels I do not have enough experiene with two year olds. I have been doing child care for over 30 years, raised 3 children one of which was ADHD.
He feels he needs a new day care provider. In my 30 years I have only had to ask two othe parents to remove their children from my care as there was this same problem. One is getting state mentel helth. The other one no help and is worse than ever.
Doctor's Answer
by Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D., Sep 26, 1999 12:00AM
, Sep 26, 1999 12:00AM
Dear Ms. Jones,
Two-year-olds are prone to easy frustration and to disorganized behavior, such as tantrums, when they become overwhelmed with anger. They can have difficulty sharing items and playing cooperatively in an interactive way. Remember, they are primarily self-centered and pleasure seeking.
Having said that, the sort of unbridled aggression you describe is outside the norm by a considerable degree. The behavior you describe is well beyond the scope of an occasional tantrum of a non-destructive type.
It's also, as I'm sure you know, not unusual for toddlers to experience upset during their early days of day care as they separate from parents. But the protracted, severe upset this little boy displays is also beyond the norm.
Hopefully the boy's parents will seek some help for him (and them).
Two-year-olds are prone to easy frustration and to disorganized behavior, such as tantrums, when they become overwhelmed with anger. They can have difficulty sharing items and playing cooperatively in an interactive way. Remember, they are primarily self-centered and pleasure seeking.
Having said that, the sort of unbridled aggression you describe is outside the norm by a considerable degree. The behavior you describe is well beyond the scope of an occasional tantrum of a non-destructive type.
It's also, as I'm sure you know, not unusual for toddlers to experience upset during their early days of day care as they separate from parents. But the protracted, severe upset this little boy displays is also beyond the norm.
Hopefully the boy's parents will seek some help for him (and them).
