Teachable Twos
BY : HANNAH HUTTON
Terrible twos.
The phrase used to describe a vulnerable and formative chapter in between being a little babe and becoming a kid.
I’m in this stage with my little guy right now, and I can’t help but wonder…what if we started calling it the teachable twos instead?
Not because some days aren’t just plain exhausting and might even feel terrible in the midst of them. Those are real, but I also think this little bit of time could be so rich if viewed through a lens of gratitude. And if I approach our day expecting my little one to be terrible, I’ll find anything to make that true. To a hammer everything is a nail, ya know?
But what if we fought for a perspective where emotional outbursts, messy mealtimes, and big alligator tears are moments to draw near? Moments that allow us to teach instead of react and roll our eyes – oh, what beauty might be hiding in those long days.
I bet it’s overwhelming for the twos, too.
It’s a whole big world and emotions are confusing. You need gracious help decoding what you’re experiencing, and even though dipping your blackberries in ranch might be gross, maybe you need to figure that out for yourself in order to learn a little bit more about taste buds.
And the tears? You need someone to teach you they aren’t anything to be ashamed of and help you figure out why they’re running down your cheeks before wiping them away.
I find myself loving this vulnerable and formative chapter in between my boy being a little babe and becoming a kid. I pray for a perspective that more often than not errs on the side of teachable over terrible, and that we will both feel the sweetness of this in between – before he’s too big for my lap and doesn’t want my help down the stairs anymore.
