Avoiding the ‘terrible twos’ during lockdown

This is good news for the majority of parents who face being at home in lockdown with their toddlers for an indefinite period of time.

Speaking about her recent study, which looked at how parenting style makes a difference to children’s behaviour in the early stages of life, professor Claire Hughes, deputy director of the Centre for Family Research at the University of Cambridge, said, ‘If you’re blessed with a happy baby, then you can get them through the “terrible twos” without things getting too bad or lasting too long, by being flexible about the way you play with your child between the ages of 14 and 24 months.’

However, she warned that those born with a ‘more irritable temperaments’ are still more likely to be ‘difficult’ toddlers.

‘Parents who don’t remember their baby having an easy temperament should let go of the idea of achieving specific goals during play and allow their children to develop at their own pace, particularly during lockdown’ she said.

More than 400 first-time parents from England, New York State and the Netherlands took part in the study and were filmed carrying out a range of specific tasks with their babies at four months, 14 months and 24 months old. This particular strand of the report focused on mothers interacting with their children using a puzzle; a picture book and a bag of toys.