How many nappies have you changed by now? A thousand? Fifteen hundred? And instead of getting easier, it’s more and more of a challenge. Depending on your child’s temperament, nappy changing can become a battleground. But before 12 months, it’s still too early to be thinking of potty training. Even if your child loves using a potty, any successes will be flukes. This is because he must first learn to control his bladder and sphincter muscles – something that is virtually impossible before his second year of life at the earliest.

Many children (mainly girls) reach this stage at 12 to 18 months, but for most it’s a bit later. When the time comes, your child will let you know in his own way that he's no longer comfortable in a nappy. He might screw up his face, walk with his legs apart, cry or even tell you in words. It's all his way of saying: “I want to be clean and dry now”.

How quickly and effectively this is achieved depends largely on you. For what your child needs now is a lot of praise and role models to copy when he goes to the toilet, who can help him pull his clothes up and down. There is no need for any special toilet training – letting your child take the initiative is what is important. All else will follow in time.

Read more...

• Your child’s development is progressing apace: she’s learning to walk! First, she carefully pulls herself up, then stands on her own feet - and before you've had a chance to draw breath, she's off. So watch out! Exactly when she braves that first step varies hugely from child to child.

• As soon as grown-ups start to recognize “Mummy” or “Daddy” amidst the general prattling, your child discovers the wonder of speech. She can make herself understood with the sounds she makes. From now on, she will make frequent use of this, and her vocabulary expands accordingly.

• Eating and drinking by herself requires a lot of dexterity. Once you take this on board you will find it amazing that children can manage this at one and a half years – and won’t mind a bit of food missing the target now and then.

• Once the first tooth appears, the remaining nineteen are swift to follow suit. Most children have nearly all of their milk teeth by the time they are three. As soon as you see that first little tip of white it’s time for daily tooth brushing. Ignore any protests – this is a must.

• Your child’s social behaviour will change fundamentally during her second year. She will see herself and others as discrete individuals and will begin to empathise with others, and to demand the same – sometimes at the top of her voice – from those around her.

• Her methods of play are also changing: she will look at books herself, fill and empty containers, build towers, and understand more and more the principle of cause and effect.

• There’s no way of rushing things, but your child might be able to control her bladder and sphincter muscles before she turns three. She might then decide that she wants to be out of nappies. But take things at her pace!

Read more...