Terrible Twos

I don't like the phrase "terrible twos." It sounds like such a negative thing to say about an innocent kid. I also don't like when someone asks if a newborn is a "good" baby. Aren't all babies inherently good? I totally understand what we mean when we say things like that. Admittedly, I've been guilty of saying both phrases. I know we don't really believe that a two year old is terrible or that there's such a thing as a bad baby. It's just what we say when a head-strong toddler yells "NO" at the top his lungs or a newborn cries all night long. With that being said, my little 16 month old has started to give me a healthy respect for the willpower of toddler hood. He has tested his limits with biting, hitting and the word "no." Last night I went to bed frustrated and discouraged. I was tempted to call my running buddy Erica and cancel so I could get an extra hour of sleep before I had my patience tested another day. Luckily, I set my alarm and made the commitment to get up and go. On the run I had a chance to express my concerns and get advice which was just what I needed. I also took a little time to run on my own which gave me a chance to decompress and organize my thoughts. By the time I got home, I was ready to start the day. My early morning run didn't change the fact that I have a toddler who's testing his limits but it changed my ability to deal with the frustration. Because of my run, I've felt confident and patient all day (so far). I know that when things get stressful we're quick to cross any "extra" things off the list. I hope that you look at exercise as a necessity and not an extra. If you do, I'm sure that you'll have added strength to meet the demands of the day. I two year old might not seem terrible and all babies will be good. I can't speak from experience about teenagers but I'd bet that the added patience would be beneficial in parenting them too.