Some will argue that pacifiers help sooth their child and are therefore beneficial. Others will argue that pacifiers shouldn’t be used at all. In between, are those who argue that pacifiers shouldn’t be used beyond a certain age.

Children are not born with a knowledge of how to blow their noses.

Breathing in and out is an instinctive ability; blowing in and out, either through the mouth or nose, is a learned behaviour.

If someone says your child is shy, it’s rarely intended as a compliment and you probably don’t take it as one.

You should.

A few weeks ago, I looked out the kitchen window into our scruffy backyard, littered with toys and bicycles. And I saw my five-year-old son, deeply immersed in his endeavor, taping rectangles of cardboard to his feet with miles and miles of masking tape. (I long ago gave up on keeping him from the tape—and the scissors, despite more than one hair-cutting incident.)

Before a child can apologise, and mean it, they must realise they’ve done something wrong - a concept pre-schoolers don't generally grasp because they have a very underdeveloped theory of mind.

How much screentime is too much? Have a read of the findings produced by the American Academy of Paediatrics and set your family a Media Plan. 

Going travelling over summer? Make sure you most precious cargo is as safe as they can be while travelling...

We all know how hard it is to get children to eat enough vegetables. Here are some ways you can get more vegetables into their diet. 

Do you have a child who is reluctant to tell you about their day?

We know it can be frustrating when your child cries.

Toddlers explore with all their senses (including taste!) and they like to get messy doing so. It’s part of their natural learning process for discovering everything around them. Children who grab, feel and taste objects are constantly gathering information. And getting messy.

Insisting that chores get done can feel like a never-ending battle: a constant cycle of reminding, cajoling, nagging and threatening consequences!

Is it worth it?

It’s easy to feel like a good parent when our toddlers are smiling and at ease, but it’s a different story when they are lying on the floor kicking and screaming. It helps then, to remind ourselves that tantrums are an important part of a toddler’s emotional health.

Our newest staff member, Ashley Thompson, has settled so well in to our Kiwi Room that it's like she has always been here. 

Being able to cook gives a child the tools they need to become independent in the future – as well as supporting their good nutrition and health throughout life.

Toddlers need adequate sleep. They don’t know it of course, but sleep is vital to their development and growth, and for handling the many challenges and stresses they are confronted with in their daily lives.

Traditions are recurring things that a family does: a set or behaviours and routines that have special meanings within a household.

Children have to be ready, first. They have to be ready physically (they must have bladder and bowel capacity and muscle control), cognitively (they must be aware of what they are supposed to do), and emotionally (they must be willing to let go of their current arrangements).