'Please don't put your toes in my spaghetti': A Glorious Thread of Anecdotes from Tired Toddler Moms That Perfectly Sum Up the Terrible Twos

Author image for Ely Bulnes
Ely Bulnes • Writer and Editor
Aug 14, 2025 3:00 PM EDT

I'm not a mom yet, but I witnessed the terrible twos firsthand while babysitting. I used to babysit the loveliest one-year-old. He was cheerful, would eat just about anything, and was really easy to put to sleep at nap time. Honestly, hanging out with him was the easiest money I've ever made in my life. I ended up moving cities, but I kept in touch with his mother. A year later, she called me asking if I'd be down to sit for her because her new sitter bailed; I didn't have anything going on, so I agreed. 

To my surprise, he had totally changed – and not just physically! He was still cheerful, but he no longer found joy in eating the food on his plate. Instead, he found it in flinging pasta everywhere until he was served chicken nuggets and got a real hoot out of my frustration. Naptime had turned into a step-by-step, hour-long operation with black-out curtains, a noise machine, and aggressively calm piano music. If anything was out of place, Mr. Mister was not going to sleep. 

Being a mom to a toddler comes with its pros and cons. You're mostly sleeping through the whole night now, but nap time is a daily battle. Your little one can talk now but can't always deal with the big, new emotions. If you're in the midst of the terrible twos (and threes, honestly) take solace in these hilarously relatable anecdotes from real moms going through it.

Add as a preferred
source on Google
Advertisement
  • 01

    What has your toddler done today?

    Cheezburger Image 10542498560
    via Rachaphak from Getty Images

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 02
    -spilled a weeks worth of cut of fruit on the floor after smacking the container from my hand because he didn't want the kiwis today
    via u/crazycat6267
  • 03
    -hid the crackers I gave him for a snack in his diaper and started pulling them out to eat
    via u/crazycat6267
  • 04
    -while I cooked lunch he wanted to take a sink bath beside me, so I put him in the sink with the water running, he then grabbed the spray thing and started spraying me with water
    via u/crazycat6267
  • 05
    Cheezburger Image 10542440192
    via ipekata from Getty Images

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 06
    now it's noon and he just gave me hugs, kisses and is snuggling against my chest resting.
    via u/crazycat6267
  • 07
    noe3uq It's evening where I'm at. The line "it is now noon" got me. Make sure to update us with the rest of the day.
    via u/noe3uq
  • 08
    noe3uq I remembered. Today my toddler put a large seashell in my brand new washing machine, so I quickly had to learn how to stop and drain it.
    via u/noe3uq
  • 09
    Fantastic-Pause-5791 I just had to say "please don't put your toes in my spaghetti".
    via u/Fantastic-Pause-5791

  • I would love to see a collection of things moms have found themselves saying to their toddlers (with zero context, too, for maximum funny). 

  • 10
    RemarkableFact3732 You know maybe I'm not having such a rough day after all mine just fed me a cheezit (from god knows where)
    via u/RemarkableFact3732
  • 11
    Caira_Ru Probably found it in the couch cushions or toy box... my kids are well past the toddler stage, but more than once I was offered "a snack for you!" that came from the back container part of a toy dump truck.
    via u/Caira_Ru
  • 12
    Agrimny Screamed at me when I got her up because she prefers her dad and smeared yogurt on her shirt. That's it. On any other day it would be 10x worse as it's past noon here, but-
    via u/Agrimny
  • 13
    My best friend offered to take her for the day. It's been 4 hours. Soaking in a bath right now after cleaning the
    via u/Agrimny
  • 14
    entire house. I have another 3 hours before they get back. I love my life and am very grateful for my support system.
    via u/Agrimny

  • Having a support system so you can get even just an hour to yourself is so important. It takes a village!

  • 15
    duskydaffodil Blown out his diaper, dumped his juice out on himself and the couch, colored on my toes with a marker, fed the
    via u/duskydaffodil
  • 16
    dogs his breakfast, interrupted my work meeting (thankfully I work from home for the family business, it's a
    via u/duskydaffodil
  • 17
    welcome interruption). It's now 1pm and he passed out in my arms for his nap as I type this. Love this boy to pieces
    via u/duskydaffodil
  • 18
    Cheezburger Image 10542440448
    via onebluelight from Getty Images Signature

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 19
    Turbulent-Average179 My toddler took my wallet out of my purse and I can't find it
    via u/Turbulent-Average179
  • 20
    clockjobber Check all their containers...the cabinets of the toy kitchen, the block boxes, the bins, any bags or purses they have access to. Found my id in the toy cash register once
    via u/clockjobber
  • 21
    pagesandcream I had to tell mine, "We don't drill the Bear Lord." (The drill is a toy and the bear is a cat.)
    via u/pagesandcream
  • 22
    B Custard Tried to have splash pad puddle water and a pinecone for lunch at the park.
    via u/B**Custard
  • 23
    Oons33 Threw broccoli at my head
    via u/Oons33
  • 24
    N1ck1McSpears We're in the "throwing things at mom's head" era. We're working on it but also I know she's going to
    via u/N1ck1McSpears
  • 25
    Cheezburger Image 10542440704
    via Robert Kneschke

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 26
    grow out of it. Over time, there's been many of these little eras and they just end and I forget they ever happened. Like pinching me. She
    via u/N1ck1McSpears
  • 27
    would do it to comfort herself when falling asleep. I had countless little purple bruises on both my biceps for 2 months.
    via u/N1ck1McSpears
  • 28
    chamaedaphne82 Ooooooo gurl, u in the trenches. We salute you.
    via u/chamaedaphne82

Tags

Babies hilarious toddler married with children mother motherhood reddit story parenting anecdotes Reddit raising kids funny Parenting Fail parents
Scroll Down For The Next Article