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…

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…

My 14-month-old wants to play with pens and pencils. Is it safe to let my 14-month-old have pencils to draw with? My husband gave her one and now she screams every time she sees either of us using a pen. She still puts lots of things in her mouth, so what would be the best thing to give her? Now that your toddler has discovered how to make marks on paper, she will enjoy drawing sessions. Sit with her at a table and provide a large sheet of paper. This can be taped to the table to keep the scribbles on the paper and also prevent frustration if it moves.…

We want our son to grow up to be bilingual. We wish our son to grow up to be bilingual. He is now 15 months and beginning to speak. My husband is Italian but also speaks excellent English. From Louis’ birth, we have each tried to speak our own language to him, but as my husband is away from home all day, often not returning until late, Louis hears far more English than Italian. Will this affect his learning of two languages? We visit Italy once or twice a year and my aim is for Louis to be able to communicate easily with his grandparents, who speak no English. Growing…

It is hard to get my son interested in books. I am aware of how important it is to read books to my son Sam, who is 16mths. The problem is that, after the first page or two, he shows no interest, wriggles off my lap and starts to play with something else. We have plenty of board books around, but I rarely see him pick one up. I would love books to be part of our day, but am I expecting too much too soon? Sharing books with small children is a habit to be encouraged, but all too often toddlers will have different ideas. Learning that books are…