• Development FAQ: 24+ months – Behaviour

    Thomas, who is 2yrs 7mths won’t let me wash his hair. Since our son Thomas was about 18 months old, it has been a real struggle to wash his hair. He has always moaned, but now it has developed into a battle where he will kick and scream, especially during the rinsing stage. I have bought different types of halos, but after a few sessions he still protests. He is now 2 years 7 months, but shows no sign of getting any better. Have you any ideas on how to make this time of the week less stressful? Toddlers and small children often find having their hair washed an uncomfortable…

  • Development FAQ: 24+ months – Behaviour

    My three year old rules the house. My daughter Emily-Jo is getting worse by the day. It’s getting to the point that my husband and I are arguing about her all the time. She is constantly demanding things she wants, and never stops until we give in to her. This behavior could go on and on for days. She never listens to us, and always manages to get her own way. I have tried to calm her down, but nothing works. She doesn’t sleep well so that does not help either. She is currently under hospital supervision as my health visitor thought that she might have signs of “ADHD”, but…

  • Development FAQ: 24+ months – Behaviour

    My 26-month-old daughter demands juice all day and has tantrums a lot. My daughter is, and always has been, very strong willed. She was a good eater up until the age of 13 months when she refused to be spoon fed. She was having 2 bottles of milk a day and slept all night and had 2 naps during the day. She ate a limited variety of finger foods for 6 months (e.g. organic baby bars, bread & butter, rusks, sausages and anything sweet). One day she started eating with a spoon and tucked in to fromage frais, porridge and fruit puree. Slowly she started eating toast, fish fingers, potato…

  • Development FAQ: 24+ months – Behaviour

    My son of 3yrs 4mths has started to bite at playschool. What should I do to stop this behavior and also his visits to me in the night? My son has really been a CLB from the word go. He had an excellent routine, ate and slept with no problems at all. He started playschool in August which he loves. At the beginning of term, there were two little kids there who were biting and my son seemed to be at the receiving end of these bites. However, now since October, my son has now started biting. It is clearly if another child tries to take something away from him…

  • Development FAQ: 24+ months – Behaviour

    I am concerned about my son of 26mths who has started head banging when settling himself to sleep. My little boy is now 26 months old and for the past 2 months on and off he has been head banging at night and occasionally to get himself off to sleep at his lunchtime nap. My health visitor says it is perfectly normal and to ignore him and he should grow out of it. I have done this until the last week when it has got so bad. Some nights he might only wake a couple of times and stop banging after a minute or so and go back to sleep…

  • Development FAQ: 24+ months – Behaviour

    My 2.5yr old is well behaved at nursery but once he is home he becomes very boisterous and wild. I returned to full time work when my son was 18mths old. We have found a lovely nursery for him which he enjoys going to every day. The staff there often comment how well behaved and co operative he is. But I never see this. I pick him up at 4.30pm and he is full of beans. As soon as we return home he seems to turn into a different child. He becomes very hyperactive, rushing around and demanding my attention but then not really listening to me. I need to…

  • Development FAQ: 24+ months – Behaviour

    My daughter of 2.5 years has invented an imaginary friend. Should I be worried? My daughter is a very articulate for her age, having talked early. Recently I have noticed the presence of an imaginary friend. She can be heard talking to him [?] at great length, usually when in the early morning and before she sleeps at night. I do realise that this is just a phase but over the past few weeks Bobo seems to have become a much bigger part of her life. She sets out plates and cups for him when playing with her tea set and insists that he must have room on the sofa…

  • Development FAQ: 24+ months – Behaviour

    Over the past two or three weeks I have noticed that my son of 3 years 2 months has started to tell fibs. I am concerned that this behaviour is escalating but am unsure how to tackle the problem. Over the past two or three weeks I have noticed my son of 3 years 2 months has started to fib. It usually occurs if I discover he has done something such as taking a toy off his little sister or spilling his milk. When I ask him “Did you spill your milk” his answer is always “No, I never did do it”. I have tried to explain to him that…

  • Development FAQ: 24+ months – Behaviour

    My little girl is just over 2 and half years old. Over the last few weeks or so, everything has become a battle, especially getting her dressed, bathing her and putting her to bed. She constantly asks for my partner to do this instead of me, partly I think because he is happy to take longer doing it when I really can’t spend 15 minutes trying to get a pair of trousers on her! It is really starting to exasperate me and I find that I am starting to lose my temper and shouting at her. Any suggestions? This is a very common problem at your daughter’s age and it…

  • Development FAQ: 24+ months – Behaviour

    My four-year-old daughter, Rosie, started school in September. She has a summer Birthday, and is one of the youngest in her year group. She has settled very happily into school, but I have noticed that she has begun to tell lies. Apparently she told another child in her class that if you told lies you would be hit with a bolt of lightening in the eye. Rosie told him she knew this because it had happened to her! The other child was understandably upset. Rosie appears to understand what a lie is, but I don’t know where she gets these ideas from or why she feels the need to make…