The path to independence is often not a smooth one, as parents of toddlers know all too well. Parents of tweens know this, too.\u00a0 Behaviors that you thought were in the past suddenly resurface. Turns out that sometimes parenting the older kids sometimes feels like d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu <\/em>given the large number of similarities between toddlers and tweens.<\/p>\n

1. Teething<\/strong><\/p>\n

This surprised me. Maybe other parents are just much better than I am at remembering the teething schedule. I knew there were 2-year molars, but I completely forgot about 12-year molars. While there isn’t the wailing that comes from poor teething toddlers, it can be a little ouchy. Also, it appears that molars, regardless of what year they are, can take forever to come in. The orthodontist has been waiting for months for my tween’s daughter’s last two molars to appear. This week the dentist said another three months minimum. Teething really does take forever.<\/p>\n

\u00a02. Inappropriate Winter Clothing Selection
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

One very cold day, my toddler put on boots and announced she was ready to play in the snow. The problem: the boots were all she was wearing. Fast forward nine years and at junior high pick up, I’m amazed at the number of kids who wear shorts when the temperature is 0.<\/p>\n

3. Selective Listening <\/a>
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you are saying something they like, toddlers and tweens don’t miss a single word. Not One. When you are asking them to do something they’d rather not do, the ears are off. It’s possible this is true of most ages.<\/p>\n

4. Napping<\/strong><\/p>\n

Earlier this week, my tween asked if she could take a nap after school before dinner. I really thought she was just looking to avoid me, but the kid went up, crawled into bed and napped. I was shocked. When I checked on her, she was sleeping that good, hard sleep of toddlerhood.<\/p>\n

5. Growth Spurts<\/strong><\/p>\n

Given the napping, I shouldn’t be shocked at the fact that my tween is in a growth spurt, but holy height, Batman, the kid’s getting tall. Taller than I am.<\/p>\n

6. Running Right Up to the Line, Then Tiptoeing Back<\/strong><\/p>\n

They can drive you absolutely crazy with stubborn attitude, but they sense when they’re on thin ice and then turn on the charm.<\/p>\n

Both toddlers and tweens can drive a parent to the edge. They also can turn on a dime and be the sweetest creatures on Earth. They can make you fold like a cheap tent. And they do it in such a precious way that you really don’t mind.<\/p>\n

7. Crying. A lot.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This one was actually first suggested to me by a mom of two tween boys, proving that hormones have an established relationship with tear ducts, regardless of gender. I looked forward to being done with the tears as my toddler grew into a preschooler. Hahaha. Now, I realize I should have bought stock in Kimberly Clark, makers of Kleenex.<\/p>\n

8. Gimmes
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Both toddlers and tweens have a more than healthy dose of entitlement, or what my family calls “Me with a circle around it” syndrome.\u00a0Both ages particularly want shiny, sparkly things. They see it and want it. Immediately. Okay, tweens aren’t that bad, but still, the need for material items seems to kick back in when they cross the junior high threshold, especially if there’s an “i” in front of it.<\/p>\n

9. Excited by Books<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lest you think I’m a Negative Nelly, I can catch glimpses of some of my favorite parts of the toddler years in my tween today. A fabulous similarity between the age groups: my daughter has been excited by books as both a toddler and a tween. My girl used to love her books when she was little. Reading became a bit of chore with elementary school, and I’ve really missed that spark I used to see in her when we sat down with a good book or headed to story time. Recently, though, she’s become more excited about reading. Once again she can be really captivated by a book. A few books she’s read recently have really sucked her in and elicited pretty visceral reactions, just like she used to bounce when she was excited about getting to the good part of a toddler book.<\/p>\n

You may also like: <\/strong>Showing kids that words and kindness matter <\/a><\/p>\n

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