I am sitting here sipping on my second coffee and thinking I need something stronger to keep me going today.

Lack of sleep, days at work, a sick and demanding toddler…recipe for disaster. No matter how adorable my daughter can be, dealing with her lately turns out to be a challenge.

When she decided to cut her afternoon nap I felt so tired and it took me a while to get used to having her around at all times and giving up on my “me time”. As hard as it seemed I can say that it actually proved to be quite good as I didn’t have to plan all outdoors activities according to her routine. We just started going out whenever and coming back just as well and also helped with going to bed from eight pm to seven am.

It all seemed a dream and I always wondered why everyone is talking about the terrible twos like they would talk about the plague.

THERE ARE NO TERRIBLE TWOS

This is an amazing time when your child discovers so many things, starts to understand emotions, starts talking and reacting to everything around.

A two year old know how to say I love you, gives the best kisses and cuddles and their laugh is infectious. They dance like there’s no tomorrow and they know what they want.

In less than three months this cheeky monkey will turn three and I can tell you that her attitude shifted. From the cuddly, cute and adorable she is turning into the bossy and demanding three year old. She understands everything I ask of her but somehow she’ll just smile at me and do the opposite of everything. She is naughty and her favourite word is “NO”

Everything is about “I don’t want” I don’t like” and so on. I see crocodile tears all day long and she is whining from the smallest things ever. She is asking for something and the second she gets she don’t want it anymore. She is so picky with food that drives me mad sometimes (ok…she is good with fruit and veggies so can’t complain here) and her attitude is just something else.

I thought it’s me failing at parenting as she ignores me with such talent at times. I got frustrated and started to check for mum mistakes but speaking with other toddler mums I realised it’s not me. All girls started to behave like this just around the same age. I guess it’s just a heads up for what’s coming next.

I take a look at her cheeky face now while she is finally having some lunch (she asked for peanut butter so she can refuse it; we moved on to couscous and peas – she obviously refused and I ended up eating it; we settled for chips now) and I realise that all she done earlier just vanished. She smiles at me and tells me she loves me and I forgot that I haven’t slept in two days, I forgot how she drove me mad with eating now and all about her bossy attitude towards me when she pointed her finger and said: “Right now mummy”.

She still gives the best cuddles and kisses and her laugh is still infectious but I am pretty sure that I need to up my coffee and wine intake so I won’t lose my mind during the terrible threes.