Comparing Teenagers with Toddlers: A Moody Analysis

Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde
Teens would most likely roll their eyes at being compared to toddlers. However, besides their size and age, there is really not much of a difference between terrible toddlers and hormonal high schoolers. Not a believer? Watch the metamorphosis of a fifteen year old go from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde in about five seconds flat when his parent confiscates his phone. The yelling, crying, and/or stomping to his room and the slamming of his bedroom door that follows is a pretty Emmy-worthy performance. This is first-hand evidence of the likeness between teens and toddlers. Still not sure? Go take a favorite toy from a two year old! Although one may not typically associate toddlers with teenagers, they are similar in many ways.

During the toddler and teen years, there are massive leaps in both physical and neurological growth. The rapid amount of growth in toddlers can especially be seen in the development of their strength and coordination. Their gross and fine motor skills become extremely finely tuned. Toddlers can now kick, jump, and run, can hold crayons and spoons, as well as being able to use one hand more than the other. Toddlers are growing and learning a lot about themselves in a short amount of time. Like toddlers, teenagers also go through many physical developments in a short amount of time, especially between the ages of twelve and sixteen. Puberty hits and so do the growing pains. Although girls usually start maturing before boys do, boys shoot up in height quicker. With height comes weight change, bone growth, and the cardiovascular system and lungs mature as well. Crucial to this development in both toddlers and teens is sleep. Both groups need a minimum of ten hours of sleep per night. Without the necessary amount of sleep, teens and toddlers will demonstrate emotional and moody behaviors making them even more difficult to be around.
These behavioral issues make up the largest category of similarities between toddlers and teens.

Toddlers are finding out that they are their own individual person apart from their parents. They will start to communicate their likes, dislikes, and act as independently as they can, but are not quite capable of expressing their frustrations adequately. These toddlers who express themselves more than others are known as big reactors. These big reactors are not as in control of their emotions as the easy-going children. Big reactors rely more on actions than words to express themselves; this is why toddlers throw so many temper tantrums and show so much defiant behavior. Similar behavioral aspects are true for teenagers as well. Teens try to act as independently as possible, wanting absolute freedom from parents. They push the limits and become even bigger big reactors as their tantrums become fights. This inability to effectively express their feelings will lead many teens to completely withdraw or find friends that are negatively handling the same

issues.
When toddlers or teens handle things negatively, it can lead to risky behavior. A toddler’s risky behavior comes from a desire to explore and a failure to perceive dangers in his new environment. For example, most boy and girl toddlers love to climb on anything and everything. Stairs, counters, and furniture can quickly become their playground equipment causing them to potentially hurt themselves and others. Also, toddlers enjoy running away from their parents making this especially dangerous when near a busy road or in a crowded area. Likewise, teens exhibit risky behavior, but theirs is due to stresses and peer pressure. All too often, teens may experiment with alcohol, drugs, and sex. Some more major dangers are driving recklessly or with others who do so, especially when driving is paired with texting, drugs, and/or alcohol use. Perhaps one of the newest dangers today’s teens face is not properly keeping themselves safe while using social media.
Another behavioral issue is that both toddlers and teens think that the world revolves around them and what they want. Toddlers are ‘me-centered’ since they have not been introduced greatly to society and how others think and feel. Therefore, their perspective is very limited. This is also due to neurological under development; simply put, their brain still has very much growing left to do. Teens behave in a similar fashion, but they do not do it for the same reasons. While teens’ perspectives have broadened over time and their thinking and reasoning have further developed, they continue to mostly think about only themselves. This thought process begins the formation of their own identity. This identity will continue to be a selfish one if teens are not taught and given opportunities to serve others through things such as community service.
In addition to these physical and behavioral similarities, both teens and toddlers have major social issues to overcome.

For toddlers, this usually involves learning how to share and cooperate. Toddlers bite, spit, and hit when they are mad, which makes for a poor playmate. This is usually why a toddler will make up imaginary friends. It is easier to play with imaginary friends than actual playmates because the toddler makes up the rules; he no longer needs to conform to the wants of the other toddlers or the adults supervising him. The toddler is simply concerned with having his own needs met. Teens have a strong desire to have their needs satisfied as well, but are now overly preoccupied with what their fellow peers think about them. This new preoccupation causes teens to socialize in ways that are different to their original personality which ultimately results in the loss of good

friends.
At first glance, toddlers and teens may seem like they are entirely different; however, teens are basically just bigger versions of toddlers in many ways. Teens are in an in-between stage where they are not children, but they are also not adults yet. Nevertheless, they want to be treated like an adult even though they are still at times acting like a child. Toddlers also want to be like adults by practicing what they see adults do like walking and talking. Both teens and toddlers are simply learning and trying to figure out things in their environment. These similar behaviors are actually quite normal and healthy when coupled with the nurture and guidance from loving parents. To these parents, it may seem like the toddler and teen years will never come to an end, especially while experiencing a large range of emotional highs and lows. However, they can actually be enjoyed, instead of simply endured, with a little bit of knowledge and understanding of the similarities and what to expect through these two stages.