Expert panel: Toddler

This could just be a matter of maturity and association. He has learnt how to avoid using the toilet at home, but to use it at other places. Most ...

Hi, If you have no reason to believe he should be frightened of his cot, he has always been safe in there and no harm has come to him, then this c...

Hi, This is difficult to stop, albeit impossible. Babies have always chewed on their cots and when lead was a component of paint, it was a real pr...

Hi, Although this can be an irritating stage, in some ways it is also very reassuring. She has learnt that you will provide her with what she needs...

Hi Sophie, Aren’t you a loving auntie? To be honest I’m not able to answer your question with any certainty, but you could contact our...

Hi, At 3.5 she is old enough to describe her feelings and use words which accurately convey how she is feeling. This is in some respects, a good th...

No, It’s not that “bad” but in terms of increasing the risk of tooth decay it is risky. Prolonged bottle use can also delay the d...

Hi, This is such a common concern for parents, but toddlers don’t seem to mind in the slightest. To be honest, I wouldn’t worry too mu...

Hi, At 11 months she is still too little and her brain too immature to change what she is doing because of your reaction. She sees something she wa...

Hi, Fibre, water and exercise all influence the consistency of bowel motions. The ideal consistency is pasty or semi solid, if her poos are dry an...

Hi, This is a fairly common and completely normal behaviour in toddlers. They experiment and play with lots of things and haven’t yet learned...

The first thing to check is if he is well and thriving, happy and active and tracking along his percentile (growth) charts. To do this you will nee...

Hi, Children of two need at least 3 serves of milk/dairy a day. Up until 2 years full cream milk is recommended but after this age, one of the red...

Hi, Speech and language are similar to many other forms of development and are under the influence of multiple factors. Environment, gender, indivi...

Hi, This is a common issue for parents but one which does pass. You are right when you say she is probably forgetting and busy, which is why you ma...

Hi, The general recommendation around transitioning from a cot to a bed is 2 years. Once the horizontal cot rail is at chest height or lower it be...

Hi Leonie, Just the fact that you are asking this question indicates that your boy will be fine. You are obviously a caring and devoted mother. Gi...

Hi, You don’t say how old she is but I’m guessing she’s still a little young to train. Toilet training is only successful if a ch...

Hi, It sounds like he has developed a close association not only with your presence, but your hair as well. He is unlikely to change his current be...

There are a few ways you can do this. Either cease all bottles both day and night and only offer him a cup. Deal with his protests by ignoring, dis...

Hi there, it can be a tricky thing when a toddler or preschooler gets stuck on milk or formula, it is a bit of a catch-22 in that you want them to ...

Hi, This must be very concerning for you. I assume you have spoken with his carers and sought their advice on how to manage this? For him to not ...

To be honest, you probably can’t. She is likely to be doing this in a deep sleep phase which is completely out of her control and she sinR...

Hi, Some toddlers are very active when they sleep and there is little, if anything you can do about this. Any device which limits a child’s m...

Hi Not that I’m aware of. The risk with covering it is that in an emergency, it needs to be clearly visible and accessible. Check with your s...

Hi, Oh dear, that certainly does pose a challenge for you (although I would see that as a wonderful excuse never to do dishes!!!). Since your so...

Hi Stacey, Thanks for raising this issue. Very young babies think that if they cannot see something, it no longer exists. As babies start getti...

Hi, thanks for your email. Please read the response for the previous question or go to my parenting website www.parentsonline.com.au for further...

Hi Sally, I appreciate your email. It sounds like you have a strong and determined young daughter who is trying to gain your attention. It is i...

Hi Hiria, Thanks for your email. Your daughter sounds like a high-spirited and determined young lady which is a terrific quality, but can be cha...