the terrible twos

the terrible twos

A developmental stage of children, generally at or around the age of two, marked by increased rebelliousness and frequent tantrums. Becca's been having really bad temper tantrums lately and just keeps saying "no" to everything we say to her. I guess she's going into the terrible twos.
See also: terrible, two
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • Have I got (something) for you!
  • Have I got for you!
  • have I got news for you
  • there is a black sheep in every flock
  • the black sheep
  • a/the black sheep
  • black sheep
  • sow (one's) wild oats
  • sow one's wild oats
  • sow wild oats
References in periodicals archive
The problem with the Terrible Twos is that once you get to $2 million in revenues, owners have to reinvest a higher percentage of their profits than ever before.
Guess the terrible twos turn into the troublesome threes!
Nature's Miracle Orphans BBC1 5.35pm NATURE It's not just humans who hit the terrible twos. Meet Moyo, the 14-month-old elephant who leaves a trail of shattered crockery, broken furniture and very big puddles of wee in his wake.
It's not just humans who hit the terrible twos. Meet Moyo, a 14-month-old elephant who leaves a trail of shattered crockery, broken furniture and very big puddles of wee in his wake.
THE terrible twos can be a tough time for families - but it doesn't have to be battleground, says Dr Rebecca Chicot.
From the terrible twos through the tweens and beyond, age-appropriate behaviors and needs are highlighted, equipping parents with the proper tools to determine when and what variety of extra guidance is recommended.
anyone who's had children go through the terrible twos will know only too well that anything can make a toddler go "harrumph".
In a previous column, I wrote (with some confidence, due to my experience with our now 3 1/2-year-old son) that the entire concept of The Terrible Twos was a farce.
This stage of development is often known as the terrible twos, however if it is allowed to go on it will continue into adult life.
Not ready to go home, Amadeus proved he was still passing through the terrible twos stage, when he threw a strop as his mother, Lilly, carried him out of the pool to dry him off.
"So much for the terrible twos. In our second full year in operation, the traffic to our site - measured by unique visitors, visits and page views - was pretty terrific." - T-Squared: The 2011 Stats
The terrible twos: a parent's guide by Shanta Everington ISBN:9781861440945 Need2Know (2010) 9.99 [pounds sterling]
The Terrible Twos will be a doddle - at least one of them is an expert at dealing with hysterical tantrums.
The first year with a baby is very nice but then you have the terrible twos.
A brief overview of Reed and an introduction to the text are followed by analyses of The Free-Lance Pallbearers (1967), Yellow Back Radio Broke-Down (1969), Mumbo Jumbo (1972), The Last Days of Louisiana Red (1974), Flight to Canada (1976), The Terrible Twos (1982), The Terrible Threes (1989), Reckless Eyeballing (1986), and Japanese by Spring (1993).