If you are having troubles dealing with the terrible twos stage (and beyond!) then perhaps beginning or increasing the amount of reading you do to your child can help.
One of the biggest reasons that toddlers and other young children act up and misbehave is because they are craving attention and affection.
Reading to your terrible twos toddler will give them the special love and attention they are looking for as well as helping them with one of the most fundamental skills of life - reading! It might surprise you to find out just how much these little humans absolutely love being read to and also pretending to read themselves! Lets talk a little more about how to go about it! As reading is one of the most important life skills we ever develop, getting your toddler interested in and excited about reading will benefit them always, also making the transition to learning to read at school so much easier.
Most parents use the crucial time just before bed to read to their children.
It is a very symbolic routine that settles down your toddler and gets them ready for bed.
By being quiet and simply listening, your toddler (and yourself!) will begin to wind down from the big day they have just had.
Toddlers love the closeness and attention that being read to by their mummy or daddy provides.
Do not limit however, story book reading just to bedtime.
Although this is the norm, reading to your toddler at any time during the day especially if they have requested it is always good.
You can never overdo reading - fuel their fires! You can also take your child to the local library as they often have story telling sessions.
The interaction with other children combined with the extra prowess that these people often have when telling their stories will further interest your toddler in stories and reading.
It's also a great way to introduce them to the library.
You don't have to be a narrator and story teller of exceptional skill either! Just reading one on one to your toddler gives them what they need however I would really recommend having a crack at trying  different voices and characters as you read.
No one has to know or hear you and the sillier you might think you sound, more than likely the funnier your child thinks you are! You can also make reading more fun by letting them turn the pages for you or by getting them to point out things and objects on the pages.
A small diversion from the story to ask what animal that is and what sound does it make makes story time even better.
But my toddler won't sit still long enough for me to read them a book I hear you say.
Yes that may be true but the trick is to start off small and you will find that their interest will slowly increase.
Even if you just get through a couple of pages then that is just fine.
Keep trying and don't force them to sit still and listen.
The attention span of our little ones is often not very long so you will have to interest them enough to sit still longer and longer.
You may have struggles when first starting but always remember the quality time together that reading to your toddler gives the both of you.
Do your best to keep things interactive and fun to keep them involved and stick to a routine of trying to read at least a little every single day.
Not only will you and your toddler share wonderful times together but you will also be laying the foundations for a lifelong passion of reading!