Not the Terrible Twos, but the Wonderful Twos

I'm in the midst of parent-teacher conferences for my 2 year old classes and I've begun to cringe every time a well meaning parent calls this time in their child's development "the terrible twos".  I'm sure the parents now all think I have a weird affect or something because they all say it and it makes me cringe every time.

I've spend a year working closely with 18 two year olds and they are anything but terrible.

They are curious; tiny scientists eagerly trying to figure out their world.

They are brave; every experience is new and frightening and exciting.

They are problem solvers; they think of solutions that get the job done.

They are loving; they are so interested in people around them.

They are joyful; the littlest and the biggest events are causes for celebration.

They are kind; taking care of babies and serving tea to teachers tops their list each day.

They are silly; playful in a way that older children forget.

They are collaborative; even in their parallel play they can work towards a common goal.

The 2 year old years are anything but terrible.  They are a wonderful, engaging time of development in which the tiny humans are figuring out what it is to be social, what it means to be a member of this world.  Yes, it is a year often filled with defiance, with tears, with misunderstandings, but it is within these trials that the 2 year olds learn about themselves and others.  

So, please, let's stop calling it the "terrible twos".  Let's instead embrace the amazing journey that is this age, remembering that behind all the tears and acts of childhood anarchism are little people learning how to be.