Terrific Twos!

I was all ready to write a little "this is my journey to mamahood" piece when I looked at D and had a total brainstorm: nature versus nurture.  

So, D will be two in August.  One weekend, I looked at him throwing a "Display of Greatness" (temper tantrum) because I wouldn't let him go outside again to draw with chalk and realized "Oh, my...I have a two year old!"

I have been preparing myself for this phase.  I was just talking to Daddyguy in the car about how I was so very careful not to use "no" or "mine" as a part of our daily vocabulary to prevent a crazy unleashed animal screaming "NO NO NO MINE MINE MINE!"  I've tried to instill how to share and be a friend in everything we do together--how to give cuddles and use gentle hands when he tries to smack my Bulldog Riley (who, by the way, is more patient than any dog I've ever seen, thank GOD!) D is awesome 98% of the time.  I really couldn't ask for anything more.

I believe we have tried to set up good habits for behavior the past 21 months and now we are reaping the rewards...but how much is nurture and how much is nature??  A friend complimented me on D and I couldn't help but say he was just born this way.  I hesitate to take too much credit.  In the same vein--when someone has a challenging child, I believe part of the issue is that the child is just wired a certain way.  Teaching has also reinforced this opinion...

Thoughts?  How much of our child is our nurturing and how much is just hard wired through nature??

<3 Jen