-
Development FAQ: 18-24 months – Other Advice
Which type of reins should I get for my daughter of 18 mths who likes to walk? My 18-month-old daughter has not been walking for long, but likes to do so at every opportunity. We live in a city, so the streets are busy, and she dislikes holding a hand or the buggy. Our Nanny and I want to encourage her to walk, but daily trips to the shops take a long time and are becoming difficult, as she will wander off. I have looked at reins and wrist straps, but which would be the most suitable for her age? Wrist straps seem to be less restricting, but is she…
-
Development FAQ: 18-24 months – Other Advice
What steps should we take to make our garden safe for our 19 mth old daughter? We would love our 19-month-old daughter, Anna, to spend as much time outdoors as possible, but wonder what we should do to make the garden safe for her. Our back door from the kitchen links to a small patio, beyond which is grass, flower borders and a couple of apple trees. My husband enjoys DIY and would like to build a swing and sandbox at the far end of the garden, but I can’t think how much time she will spend there unless I am out with her too. How old does she need…
-
Development FAQ: 18-24 months – Other Advice
My 19 mth daughter will not take milk from a beaker, only a bottle. My daughter will not take milk from a beaker but will take water from a beaker (she doesn’t have juice). She is 20 months old and weighs 11 kilos. She has 3 regular meals a day, plus healthy snacks and has been having 7oz milk from a bottle in the morning and evening in a bottle with a teat. As she was born small for a full term baby at 5lb she always drank a lot of milk in the early days. We began breast feeding and then started bottle feeding at 6 weeks old. I…
-
Development FAQ: 18-24 months – Entertaining and Educating your Toddler
How do I persuade my 20-month-old son to wear sunscreen and a hat? I have a problem that I want to solve before we go off to Spain in July. Last summer when it was hot and sunny I managed to apply sunscreen to my little boy and also found a hat that stayed on. He was, however, only 9/10 months at the time and very easygoing. This year it is a different story as he is 20 months with a mind of his own. Last week we were preparing to go to the park, but he refused to wear his sunhat. As it was warm, I started to apply…
-
Development FAQ: 18-24 months – Entertaining and Educating your Toddler
How do I prepare my daughter of 23mths for an overnight hospital stay? My daughter, who is 23 months old, needs to go into hospital overnight for a small operation. I am able to stay with her all the time, but I was wondering how I might prepare her for this experience. At this age, your daughter will have no concept of what a hospital is, unless she has been there before as an outpatient. The most important thing is not to let any of your anxieties pass to your daughter; toddlers are perceptive and can pick up tensions in adults. Explain to your daughter in simple terms that you…
-
Development FAQ: 18-24 months – Tantrums
My 20-month-old doesn’t want a haircut. I have just spent the most embarrassing morning trying to get Harry’s hair cut. At 20 months, I felt he needed to have his hair cut in a “big boy” style, but Harry had different ideas. He refused to co-operate, wouldn’t sit in the chair and ended up having a tantrum on the floor of the shop. I abandoned the idea, apologised and crept out. How will I ever get him to co-operate enough to try again? Put yourself in your child’s shoes when it comes to the hairdressers – you may never have been there before, it’s a new experience and you would…
-
Development FAQ: 18-24 months – Behaviour
My son of 22 mths constantly wants attention all afternoon. Despite eating a good lunch and having a solid nap afterwards I find my 22-month-old son’s behaviour every afternoon very wearing. Didier also has a twin brother and a sister who is 3.5 years old, so life is quite busy for me. Didier is a very active, and entertaining little boy. He is also very sensitive, sweet and caring to his brother and sister. He is quite hilarious, wearing silly hats, jumping around and putting on funny voices to make everyone laugh. The flip-side to his character is that he is very demanding, and voices his discontent (about anything in…
-
Development FAQ: 18-24 months – Behaviour
My 21mth son has started to need his comforter with him at all times. My 21 month old son has become increasingly attached to his Winnie Pooh comforter. He continuously sucks the hands of the Winnie – even playing with it hanging out of his mouth. It was restricted to bed times only but the last few weeks he demands it through the day. I have tried to resist but he can cry longer than I can be strong. As he wants to suck it through meals it can be very stressful withholding it and still getting him to have enough food. I can not pinpoint any emotional upset to…
-
Development FAQ: 18-24 months – Behaviour
Over the past few weeks it has become a daily battle to get my 20-month-old daughter out of the bath. We have resorted to just lifting her out and getting her dried and dressed as quickly as we can, over the screams and kicking. We have tried to reason with her, telling her that story time is coming next, but nothing seems to work. Have you any ideas on how to make this time of day more pleasurable? Toddlers of this age live in the present with little concept of the future. Although story time is probably enjoyed by her once she is dressed and calmed down, while she is…
-
Development FAQ: 18-24 months – Learning
My daughter of 23 months is very headstrong and determined to do things her way. Every morning she wants to get dressed all by herself, which I know should be encouraged, but she is not yet able to cope without some help. This usually ends in her getting very frustrated and having a tantrum as I finish getting her ready for the day. How can I make getting dressed easier for her so she is able to manage it on her own? Learning to dress herself and to manage simple tasks is essential to your daughter’s development. Skills such as undressing, putting on shoes and clothes and brushing teeth are…