Stowey writes: "I don't know of any kid who went through a phase that included kicking an old man in the nuts."

Stowey must not be the parent of a toddler.

I guess if you never let an old man hold your kid, the kid will never kick one in the nuts. But pick up an upset toddler, and you're going to get kicked in the midsection. Could be in the nuts or in the pregnant belly. Those feet don't give a sh*t what gets in their way!!

Funny piece.

I heard about a small child who had a lot of tantrums. The parents were advised by their pediatrician to administer fish oil capsules. It worked.

My daughter was aggressive and difficult at 2--and it lasted until about 4. It was frustrating and exhausting. She delighted in pulling our chains. And we parents began to feel like Nazis prison guards all the time--completely not the sort of people we wanted to be.

Here is the thing: Those people who say that a negative consequence must ensue for bad behavior are 100% right. Do not tolerate this stuff. Be very explicit about what is not tolerable: "Rocky, pooping on people is WRONG." Then act right away--deliver that negative consequence.

Be consistent 100% of the time. No matter what the excuse, unacceptable is unacceptable, every single time. Yes, you'll feel like a Nazi prison guard. But it's temporary.

I don't think spanking is a great idea; I don't like to teach violence as a solution. But withdrawal of favorite toys and foods, cancelling of fun activities, immediate removal from the scene, time-outs in places with zero pleasure objects--try these things to see what works. A kid who is social will change behavior to avoid time-outs. (Note, however, that an introverted kid may like timeouts!) When they are older, removal from activities such as team sports will become a potent threat--but you have to be willing to deliver on it.

Change some environmental things too. Kids need food and water more often--bad behavior can be low blood sugar or dehydration. Maybe he needs time alone every day. Maybe he needs less stimulation in the environment. Maybe he's the kind of person who thrives on a routine. Many kids need LOTS of exercise. I used to take my kid to the track with me, even when she was really little. At 2, she could run for miles! (You just put them in the middle if they are really small.) It's fun to enlist other parents in this sort of track outing; everybody gets exercise, and you have more watchful eyes. Teach him to swim and take him swimming often. Exercise that little guy until he's limp.

Eliminating TV is also a great idea. Give him stuff to draw with or make things instead.

As they get older, you can start in with the reasoning part and I think once they're school age, they are plenty old enough to understand about respect, consideration, and the Golden Rule. But a 2 year old? No, he's moving too fast to catch that explanation.

Later when he is a teenager, he will know that when you say "No" you actually mean it. This will save you so much trouble and serious grief later on. Consider this time as an investment in all your futures.

My daughter was a delightful (though still hyper) kid by age 5, and I've seen my neices and nephews go through same and turn out great. You're not alone.

They may get easier to deal with as they get older. My oldest was a tough cookie until she was about 6. Since then she has been pretty easy to get along with, unless someone at school has been mean to her, or she's tired, or the starts are out of alignment, etc. There were times when she was a toddler that we gave in to her unreasonable demands b/c we just had run out of energy. So my parents thought she was out of control when they would come for a visit and we would take steps to placate her to keep her from spoiling everyone's dinner. However, either my husband or I would always intervene when she was being a big nuisance to other people. Running through a restaraunt is not ok. Responsible parents who dine together can learn to eat in shifts while the other takes junior to the parking lot or something if their progeny are pulling crap like that.

Gives renewed meaning to the phrase "You're acting like a Two-Year Old".

With all the overparenting we're seeing these days, this is so refreshing. Especially since if the parent indulges the kid thinking it's some exotic phenomenon, the kid will only grow to be an even bigger brat with no coping mechanisms other than tantrums and rudeness.

your kid sounds like a total terror and there's no one to blame except you and his cow mother [did she not get the memo that women are good for more than just breeding?]. let any kid punch me anywhere on my body and watch how fast i hit him back - no warning either. i figure any parent taking their child into public should have already taught him/her that they should keep their hands to themselves or be ready to face the consequences, so it's not my job to warn or teach.

the world would be a better place if more women had abortions....

This kid is just modeling the behavior of the same-sex parent's dick-headedness. Ha

As a dad, are you constantly looking for ways to leave the kid alone to do his own thing. That's a no no. In a way you should be so in this kid's life that one day he will say,"back off ,dad.I need my space". Seriously,be with them when they are this young and they will be more able and willing to cope for themselves later on.( What you don't want is a clingy 7 or 8 year old boy.) No tv this young.Never alone. Short 15 min videos. Afterwhich some physical game play is needed.

I am not from the 'big deal'school of thought. If jr. says something horrible, ignore it.No eye contact no response.Nada.Just carry on as if he wasn't there.Hear him say or see him do something correct give him a 'that's a clever fella'.(none of this good boy/bad boy stuff).Give a thumbs up. Something to let him know you are seeing everything. If physical abuse of other's is involved,pick him up and remove him from the room. If he makes some kind of mess -hand him a cloth to help clean it up .No words just action. He'll catch on quickly.

More than anything on earth he wants the unconditional love & approval of his parents. If you do it right, when he is grown, he will return both in unlimited quantities.Plus he'll be a good dad to his own little ones.