How do I keep all our toys tidy? By the end of the day, my two-and-a-half-year-olds toys are scattered all over the house. I have run out of space and usually end up pushing them all into large boxes. He makes no attempt to help me clear up at the end of the day. How can I make life easier for us both? Most children generally dislike disorder but need help in organizing their toys initially. Begin by emptying the large boxes and sorting everything out. As you find the scattered pieces put each toy together. There are many different storage boxes available now, often cheaply at “pound” stores. Buy…

How can I make my 25-month-old hurry up? How can I get my 25-month-old to hurry up? She often refuses to hear me when I tell her that her meal will be ready in five minutes, and then she takes ages to finish whatever she’s doing, so the meal is cold. It’s the same with bath time and going out to the supermarket – she will always dawdle, insisting that her bag must be with her or her doll put down a certain way. Is she doing this to deliberately annoy me, or is it just a stage she is passing through? Toddlers live in the here and now. They…

There are certain rules and standards I would like my son of 2.7mths to understand. What is the best way to teach him? My son who is 2 years and 7months loves to play jumping games with my husband but he now seems to think that he can jump around wildly on anybody’s sofa. Am I being unrealistic at this age to think he really understands why he shouldn’t? My husband is quite laid back about such things. I have tried to explain to my husband that we need to be consistent about some things, such as jumping on the furniture and holding hands to cross streets even if they…

My two-and-a-half-year-old toddler is getting too rough for comfort. My two-and-a-half-year-old toddler is getting too rough for comfort. He is a little boy, so I always expected him to be boisterous but my fear is that it’s getting dangerous for his baby sister, who is nearly one. He is hitting, pulling and pushing and has been immune to me getting cross. Do you have any tips? I’m afraid the baby is going to get hurt… This is a fairly common problem but you do need to nip it in the bud if you can. This type of behaviour is always more likely to happen when the toddler is hungry, tired…

My two-and-a-half-year-old son is very clingy. My two-and-a-half-year-old son is very clingy. I work at home and he’ll cry and protest when I try and go to my office. Five minutes later he is perfectly happy with the nanny, but I find these scenes distressing. He doesn’t like to leave me when we go to friends’ houses and I don’t like to force him to mix with other children if he doesn’t want to. I’m dreading when he starts nursery school. I’m also now expecting a second baby, and I’m sure we’re going to face more problems when the baby arrives. Is this kind of behaviour normal in a toddler?…

How much choice should I let my toddler of 2 years 7mths have? How much choice should I allow my daughter, Sarah, who is 2 years 7 months, to have? I have always believed that giving plenty of choice over what to wear or eat would help her to grow up confident and knowing her own mind. But this isn’t happening as she constantly changes her mind or refuses every option I put to her. Some days I feel as though we are locked in confrontation from morning until night. I have tried reasoning with her, but it makes no difference. Many two-and-a-half-year-olds have very definite opinions about what they…

My son of two and a half has suddenly become afraid of dogs. He will begin to panic and cling to me when one even walks past him. We only see dogs when we are out in the street or park.  No one close to us owns a dog so I am not sure where the fear has come from. Are there ways to help him overcome this fear or will he just grow out of it? It is not just children who are afraid of dogs.  Some adults can be wary if they have had little exposure or a bad experience.  Your son’s behaviour is entirely understandable. Dogs can…