terrible threes; threenager phase
A parenting term for the difficult, rebellious behavior often seen in three-year-olds, analogous to the 'terrible twos'. The literal gloss 'devilish threes' reflects the Japanese phrasing.
See also: 魔の２歳
My child is in the terrible threes right now, and every day is a battle.
I wonder when the threenager phase will end.
Refers to the 'terrible twos', the earlier developmental stage. 悪魔の３歳 is the follow-up phase at age three.
Common spelling using Arabic numeral ３.
Kanji numeral variant; less common but still seen.
A Japanese parenting phrase literally meaning 'devil's three-year-old', formed from 悪魔 (devil) + の + ３歳 (three years old). It is a colloquial counterpart to the English 'terrible threes'.