development and behaviour, Julia Manning-Morton looks at why
practitioners should be aware of the emotional roots behind children's
actions.
![](/media/5r2py3eu/prbehaviour1.jpg?width=1002&height=668&bgcolor=White&v=1da4d80bfad9df0)
Two-year-olds are often labelled as 'terrible twos' who need 'taming'. They are stereotyped as egocentric people who flit from one thing to another wreaking havoc in their wake, are arbitrarily defiant and bite and have tantrums. So, their behaviour is often termed 'challenging', and parents and practitioners alike veer between digging in their heels in a determined effort to be in control or throwing in the towel and giving up.
Two-year-olds experience their feelings with great intensity, which often prompts passionate expressions of excitement, sadness, anger or joy that easily overpower their self-control and lead to impulsive behaviours and emotional collapses.
To understand what gives rise to these behaviours, we have to consider that two-year-olds are frequently meeting new, challenging and often hard-to-understand experiences that are outside their control, particularly when they start attending an early years setting for the first time. If we compare the number of new situations that two-year-olds encounter regularly with our own, we can appreciate that such an ever-changing, out-of-my-control life will inevitably lead to mood and behaviour swings.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here