In a typical childless house the owners tend to want to show off their prized possessions, their expensive vases, designer light shades and the urn containing Great Uncle Albert’s ashes. More often than not these esteemed items are placed unwittingly at toddler height, perfect for adventurous young people to knock over and destroy. So when all of a sudden a child is introduced into the house a major rethink is in order.

You may think that it won’t be like that for your little angel. We can teach her to be sensible. If we learn to divert her attention and say ‘no!’ enough she will eventually learn not to touch. Many experienced parents know that this is probably not worth the hassle.

Keeping valuable or tempting objects out of the way, reintroducing them slowly as the child grows older is often a far less stressful way of keeping your possessions and more importantly your child, safe. Without toddler proofing, parents need eyes in the back of their heads. Once you have your home toddler secure you can relax a little, so here is a guide to what you need to consider.

Latches, locks and prohibited areas:
Stow breakables in a child proof cupboard or up high on a shelf out of reach. If your house has a good room, with expensive furniture and a snow white carpet, it is probably best to declare this room out of bounds.

Some cupboards will need to be latched and out of bounds, while others are open to play in and explore. For example cupboards with vegetables and thick-skin fruit or large saucepans are always popular and much safer, whilst those with plates, glass, sharp knives, detergents and drain cleaners are an absolute no-no.

One way to prevent inquisitive little ones from getting into cupboards and drawers is to buy a roll of wide super sticky tradesman’s tape. A short length struck across a drawer, cupboard, or fridge, dissuades all but the most determined toddler, yet it can be easily peeled back for adult access.

Little people can be kept out of the refrigerator with a remarkably simple technique. Take a short piece of elastic cord, the bungee rope type used to hook articles onto the roof rack of a car. Clip the hooks around the back of the fridge and across the face of the door round to the other side. Now you have a spring-loaded door which only opens a short distance before the tension gets too great for toddlers young muscles.

Make-up, creams and indelible markers:
Many toddlers believe they have wonderful artistic talents, particularly when it comes to finger panting on work tops, the floor or mirrors. Make-up creams and indelible markers should be kept well out of reach.

Dangers, dogs and sharp toys:
Houses which have glass doors or windows that come down to floor level pose a danger to the child. If he falls through the glass he will suffer severe cuts and even greater injury if he rides his tricycle through an unprotected first floor window to the ground below. Block such dangers with furniture, fit temporary bars across the widow and use safety glass where possible.

Safety plugs should be fitted over power points. It is not a bad idea to have a commercial circuit-breaker fitted to your fuse box, and then at least you can rest safe in the knowledge that if a knife does get jammed into the toaster, junior will still be around to jam it in another day.

Toys with sharp edges that are likely to cut or damage either the child or something else are best removed altogether. It is imperative that all medicines are stored safely in a securely locked cupboard high up out of harm’s way. It is a common mistake for people who are very conscientious about storing medicines to leave even more dangerous products within easy reach in the kitchen or laundry. Bleach, rat poison, weed killer, drain cleaner and dishwashing detergent are the main offenders, and they must be locked well away.

Pets and toddlers generally mix quite well, but there is no place in the same house for a savage dog that bites when teased, however important his role as a guard dog may seem.

Fortify the garden:
Coping with an active toddler is always easier if you have access to a small piece of secure garden. They need the space, but you can never relax unless there are fences and gates to prevent escape onto the road. Where there is particular danger, some parents find chicken wire is a cheap form of fencing and although it’s not as safe as a brick wall, it is an affordable alternative.

Where fencing is inadequate and roads are busy, all doors leading from the house must be immobilised. The best methods are a high level latch, security chain or deadlock.

Babies’ nappies require careful laundering, but there are various ways of reducing the amount of washing. You can use a nappy-washing service, if there is one available in your area or you can buy disposable nappies which are used by themselves or with ordinary ones.

The actual washing becomes easier if you have a washing machine of the type which will heat the water and boil when necessary. It should have a capacity of about 6 lb dry weight, or be able to wash smaller loads than its maximum capacity.

If you have to wash by hand, wear rubber gloves so that the water can be really hot. The washing process should be started as soon as the nappies are removed. Put the wet ones to soak in a covered bucket of cold water to which has been added the correct proportion of antiseptic (see the manufacturer’s instructions for exact
amount). This reduces the need for boiling each time and helps the subsequent washing.

Flush soiled nappies in the lavatory pan (holding on to the ends before soaking them separately.

You need only boil nappies from time to time to keep them white (unless your baby suffers with nappy rash, when they should be boiled every time). Start by dissolving soapflakes or detergent thoroughly in warm water; add the nappies, bring to the boil and boil for 5-10 minutes. Then rinse in cold water.

When possible, dry nappies in the open air, as this helps to keep them soft and sweet. If you have little room for drying, a spin-dryer will reduce the drying time. A  tumble dryer will dry articles completely (the nappies must be wrung out or spundried first) and the tumbling process will soften the nappies. There are also inexpensive heated dryers, both cabinets and foldaway models, but these are not automatic, so the nappies will need turning and shaking to ensure even drying and softness.

Keep the nappies in a warm place after laundering, so that they are always aired and ready for use.

If you find yourself having to assist in childbirth without the presence of a qualified nurse or doctor, this is what to do: The mother needs confidence and encouragement, so take a deep breath and keep calm, reminding yourself that birth is a natural event and that a mother is able to deliver herself without assistance , especially if the process is quick.

Your job is to look after the baby immediately afterwards, and then the mother. lf the birth appears imminent get the mother onto a bed or the floor so that the baby cannot fall when it is born. Remove her clothes from the waist down, putting a covering over her stomach if it is cold.

After the baby has been born and is lying between the mother’s legs, look to see if the cord is wound round the neck. If it is, gently unwind it, trying not to pull on it, because it is attached to the afterbirth which is still inside the mother.

Remove any membrane which may be over the baby’s face and with a clean handkerchief wipe away any mucus which may be in his mouth. lf there is a lot of this and it is affecting the breathing, try to suck it out through a straw or a length of tubing, if handy. If there is nothing handy, tilt the baby’s head down, still doing your best not to pull on the cord, so that the mucus can drain out, and slap the baby’s back.

When the baby is breathing normally cover him up as he lies between his mother’s legs, and place a shallow bowl or baking tin to catch the bleeding from the mother and the afterbirth, which will soon be expelled (usually 20-30 minutes after the baby). Make the mother as comfortable as you can; and put on the kettle. Some of the water can be used in a saucepan to boil scissors and string to make them sterile and the rest to supply sterile water to clean up the mother afterwards. There is no great hurry to tie and cut the cord, but you will be able to wrap the baby and place him in a more comfortable position after the separation.

First scrub your hands very thoroughly. Fish out the string from the water and let it drip. Then tie the cord tightly twice, about 6 ins. and 8 ins. from the baby and carefully cut between these points with the sterile scissors. If you notice the slightest bleeding from the cord attached to the baby, tie it again nearer his body, otherwise he could bleed dangerously.

Once the baby is warmly wrapped and is breathing well, begin to clean up the mother, removing all sodden linen from under her. After the placenta (after- birth) has been expelled, clean up the opening, using sterile water, and apply a pad or folded towel. Then make her some tea, unless she is bleeding heavily.

If there is heavy bleeding, you can try one of two ways to stimulate the uterus (womb) to contract and ease off the bleeding. One is to feel for the uterus through the abdominal wall at about the level of the navel, or a little higher, then cup the top of it in your hands and rub it gently, at this point it should tighten up. The other way is to put the baby to the breast which often has a reflex action on the uterus.

If the birth is not so precipitate and you have time, spread a waterproof sheet or lots of newspaper over the bed and the surrounding floor, collect what clothes and coverings the mother has prepared for the baby (if it is a cold day put some to warm) and put on the kettle.

Encourage the mother as much as you can, letting her take up whatever position she feels like, even squatting on the bed if she wants to. But once the contractions get very strong, get her to lie on her back supported by pillows, and she will probably find it comforting to hold on to her bent-up knees, which are widely separated. Once the baby’s head is seen at the outlet, get her to stop her pushing efforts and pant gently instead. The slower the progress at this stage the less the likelihood of a tear at the outlet as the head is born, but don’t worry yourself or her unduly about this.

Finally, keep the placenta for inspection by the nurse or doctor later.

A child who constantly cries can be very worrying to new parents, but often the cause is much simpler than you think. Here are nine reasons why a baby cries, could one of them be the cause of your child’s tears?

1 – Hunger or thirst: Even if a baby has been fed recently, it may still want more. Or it may be thirsty. If the weather is hot or your house is warm try cool, boiled water.

2 – Heat or cold: Are the baby’s clothes right for the weather?

3 – Wet nappy: Check to see if it’s time for a change.

4 – Tiredness: Put the baby to bed or rock it to sleep in your arms.

5 – In need of comfort: Try breastfeeding or talking with eye contact.

6 – Irritable mood: Sing to your baby and rock it gently in your arms. Take it for a ride in the car, or out in the pram or baby sling. If it’s still fractious, try a gentle massage with baby lotion, or turn on a vacuum cleaner, radio or hairdryer; background noise can be soothing and can send a baby to sleep with minutes. Swaddling the baby in a shawl may also help.

7 – Colic: Regular evening crying could be a sign of colic, which is sometimes caused by wind. Burp the baby by placing it stomach down in your knee which stroking up the back towards the head. Give warm, boiled water in a bottle to help bring up wind. Keep a record of your diet if you are breastfeeding, or of food given to the baby if not. It may be that a particular ingredient is causing the trouble. If problems persist, see your doctor or health visitor. Colic nearly always disappears by the time the baby is three months old.

8 – Boredom: Play with your baby and give it plenty of stimulation; even tiny babies love simple games such as peek-a-boo.

9 – Teething: Buy a water filled teething ring and cool it down in the fridge before giving it to the baby to chew. Rubbing the baby’s gums with a clean finger may also be soothing, or giving chewable foods such as rusks. If the baby is still in pain, try applying a teething gel.

Sometime kids just can’t get to sleep, whether there’s a bothersome bogeyman hidden in the wardrobe or whether they just feel lonely, the result is lost sleep time for both parents and child. So what to do?

First of all, don’t despair, many babies and children don’t sleep through the night despite what some books may say.

When dealing with a sleepless child its important to be consistent, if you bring a wandering child back to it’s own bed instead of yours then do so every night or you’ll end up causing confusion. Stay with the child for a few minutes to help it feel more secure and put if you can put a spare bed in the room so that you can rest until it falls asleep.

If you allow your child to get into bed with you, consider putting pillows down on the floor beside the bed for safety; more than one sleepless child is likely to overcrowd the parental bed. Try letting non-sleepers share a room instead, so that they feel less lonely.

Don’t take a young baby into your bed after drinking alcohol or taking medication that could make you drowsy or sleep heavily; it’s possible that you could crush the baby or suffocate it without noticing. Let the baby sleep in a cot next to your bed instead.

Once children have gotten used to sharing the parental bed it can be hard to wean them away from it again. A small present from the ‘sleep fairy’ for several consecutive nights on their own can do wonders, or rewards such as staying up an extra ten minutes if they stop coming into you.

It is possible that sleeplessness is being caused by something simple. Perhaps the bedroom curtains let in too much light and the noise of a drip from the bathroom or the ticking from a clock may be disturbing your child’s sleep. Even your own checking up could be the problem, if so, consider installing an intercom so you can monitor your child from a different room.

Make sure that bedding and pyjamas are not too heavy or too light – both heat and cold can cause night time waking. Also perhaps leave a glass of water beside the bed in case of they wake up thirsty.

Never leave a child to scream in the night. Never lock its bedroom door or your own. You will make night-time fears worse and exacerbate the problem.

If the child has nightmares, turn over its pillow and explain that this is turning bad dreams away. The next morning, ask about any fears the child has and try to find out if something is wrong. Leave the room softly lit at night.

If your child is waking early don’t worry, there’s no reason an early riser can’t amuse themselves without disturbing the rest of the household. Set up safe toys on the bars of the cot for babies, and encourage school-age children to play in their rooms. Give them an alarm clock set for the time you wake and tell them that they must entertain themselves until the bell rings.

Often the arrival of a new baby can disrupt the world of an older sibling, sometimes the attention that needs to be paid to a new born can seem unfair to a child who is more used to having their parents all to themselves. So what is the best way to handle jealousy over a new baby? And what about when they get older and start to bicker?

A certain amount of jealousy is normal when a new baby arrives. Make allowances for how other children feel and try to make time to give other children attention. Don’t leave a jealous older child alone with a new born.

Don’t tell children that there is a new member of the family on the way until you are obviously pregnant, or they’ll expect the baby to arrive immediately. Draw attention to books, television programmes or find a good website that shows animals or human babies being born. Point out other pregnant women and mothers with babies.

Make the older child feel part of it, let them stroke your tummy and feel the baby kicking. They will also enjoy being involved in preparations such as sticking up wall freezes in the nursery, and once the baby is born they can help with small tasks such as nappy changing and feeding.

Arrange for someone your children like to look after them while you’re having the baby, and when the baby is born give each child a small present ‘from the new baby’. Praise them generously and often to make up for the attention you’ll be giving the baby, and try saying things like, ‘look the baby is smiling just like you. Soon it’ll be as clever as you are too.’ Always refer to the new baby as ‘our’ baby.

So what about when they grow up a little and the quarrels and fights start happening? Well first things first, be fair, and don’t decide who’s in the wrong without hearing both sides first.

If two children want to play with the same toy make then let each have it for a short period. Time each one’s turn with and make sure each has it for exactly the same time to make it completely fair.

Squabbling children can often be united in an activity they both enjoy and can do together. Try reading to them or let them play games on their favourite kids’ websites.

One fun (for you) tactic is to record your children’s squabbles on your mobile phone and play it back to them, even little ones can be brought to see the funny side of the situation. Let them hear what they sound like.

Show them how to be reasonable, teach children to express themselves through words rather than physical violence. Try saying, ‘don’t hit your brother, people are not for hitting. Tell him you’re angry because he shouldn’t have torn up your painting.’

Show a bit of sympathy by telling a wronged child that you know exactly how it feels because you can remember feeling the same way when you were little. Being understood is often more important than exacting retribution.

If you find yourself struggling for dinner time inspiration, trying to not always cook the same thing over and over again then having a strategy to deal with family mealtime can mean less stress, better variety and happier families.

A balanced diet should consist of carbohydrate, protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals in the right amounts and should limit salt, fat and sugar intake. Here’s how to plan such a meal quickly.
- choose a high fibre carbohydrate food such as potatoes or bread.
- select a variety of vegetables or salads that will go well with the carbohydrate food you’ve chosen.
- add a protein rich food such as fish, chicken, or dried beans or lentils. Red meat is fine occasionally and in small quantities, but don’t make it the centrepiece of every meal or it will considerably up fat intake.

For a minimum of effort and to avoid last minute crises, draw up a rough outline of menus at the beginning of the week. Vary the meals to make the best use of the available time and ingredients and to keep them interesting. Don’t forget to take into account the various special meals you need to prepare. Take the list along with you and you’ll find it makes shopping easier too.

Deciding what’s for dinner can be a job for the whole family. Ask family members what their favourite meals are and try to incorporate that into your schedule. You may also find that their suggestions provide you with extra inspiration when you’ve run out of ideas yourself.

For fussy eaters, watch what they order the next time you’re all out at a restaurant. You may be surprised with the results and it’ll provide some more useful inspiration for home.

Food is one area where lower bills need not mean you cut corners on quality as long as you shop with care. Cheaper cuts of meat are often just as tasty and nutritious as their more expensive equivalent. Less expensive oily fish such as mackerel and herring are a bargain too; nutritionally they’re just as good as salmon.

For added variety you might consider replacing a potato or rice regime with some inventive alternatives. How about pasta, couscous, corn tortillas, pitta bread, dumplings, pastry, cracked wheat, noodles, bread rolls, oatcakes, chapattis or pancakes instead? Always use wholegrain products when available as this will increase fibre intake.

Sometimes you won’t have the time to prepare meals and on these occasions there is nothing wrong with pre-prepared meals from supermarkets - they can be just as nourishing and tasty. Do check the ingredients though to make sure there isn’t too much salt, sugar or saturated fats. Serve with a salad or baked beans and round off with fresh fruit to increase vitamin intake.

If you’re short on time you might also want to consider investing in a slower cooker and making curries casseroles and pot roasts which can be left to cook during the day while you’re out at work. Prepare the ingredients the night before and keep them in the fridge overnight, putting them on to cook before you head off to work in the morning. Alternatively choose food which can be microwaved grilled or stir fried as they can be cooked quickly when you get home from work.

For added inspiration why not check out some cookery books or magazines or search online. It can be great fun trying out new flavours and ingredients and you will help expand the palate of your kids. Try to include a new dish once a week if you can. You’ll soon find you will be able to mix and match and create your very own recipes.

You can also cook with leftovers, but in this case you’re better turning the leftovers into something else, it will be a lot more appealing than a reheated version of last nights meal. Turn a casserole into a pie or savoury crumble or dice it into cubes for a curry.

Most babies start to say words such as mum and dad by their first birthday. By 18 months or two years they will have quite a large vocabulary of words such as ‘ball’ and ‘more’.

New speakers often have trouble saying word endings clearly, so you may hear ‘bor’ for ‘ball’, for example, or ‘da’ for ‘dad’. Repeat the word back to your child clearly so that it can hear the right ending. Smile while you speak to increase confidence. Don’t reprimand fuzzy speech or you could make it worse.

Increasing your child’s vocabulary: Talk slowly and clearly, and don’t speak against background noise from a radio or television set, which may obscure what you’re saying. Look directly at the child as you speak and put emphasis and tone into your voice. Any child will be eager to copy if you sound interesting enough.

Let your child hear new words all the time by explaining what you’re doing as you go about ordinary daily tasks. Use clear, simple sentences such as, ‘Let’s go to the shops now’ and ‘here is your teddy bear’.

Buy books: Even small babies of about six months or older can enjoy brightly coloured plastic books. Start off with books which have a single clear picture on each page, so that you can point to and name the object for the child.

Use gestures: Body language will reinforce a verbal message in a child’s mind, so make appropriate gestures whenever possible and encourage your child to copy them. Waving when you say goodbye to visitors, for example.

Turn it into a game: Point to your own nose, eyes, hair, mouth or other parts of your body and say each word clearly, getting the child to repeat it back to you. Or line up two or three favourite toys behind your back and bring them out one at a time, naming each.

Avoid baby talk, it’s no easier to learn and it means nothing.

Build on your child’s speech, expand on what your child says and use the opportunity to introduce new words. For example, if she points to her feet and says, ‘shoes’, you could reply, ‘yes they are brown/pink/blue shoes’.

When does a child need help? Ask a doctor or health visitors advice if a child has not spoken, cannot put two words together or still speaks unclearly by the age of two. Problems such as poor hearing or fluid behind the eardrum may require treatment, and whatever the cause of the difficulty, the earlier help is given the better.

If your child passes the tests given by the doctor but you are still unhappy about its speech, ask to be referred to a speech therapist or audiologist for more detailed testing.

Sometime there can be simple explanations for why a child is quiet. Is an older sibling too talkative or maybe the TVs always on? Does your toddler need more one to one attention from you? These are sometimes the poor speakers’ only problems.

Stuttering: Don’t panic if your child’s a stutterer, many children go through this phase and it may just be that there’s too much to say and it can’t all come out at the same time. Never interrupt or supply a difficult word. Give the child the satisfaction of saying it, even if it takes a long time. Don’t make an issue of the stuttering, this can make the child nervous and make the stuttering worse.

If the problem continues for more than two months, ask your doctor about referring you to a speech therapist.

Start with building up a routine. Children of all ages need a regular bedtime routine so put a stop to active play after dinner and encourage quieter activities. After their baths, wind children down for bed by reading them stories. If your partner comes home at this time, involve them in the reading but discourage starting up exciting new games.

There’s no harm in letting children stay up at night, provided that they have opportunities to sleep during the day, and on the Continent this is quite usual. However, if you want time on your own in the evenings, its best to establish and stick to a definite bedtime once youngsters are old enough to sleep through the night. Most under fives should be in bed by 7pm and school age children under ten between 7pm and 8.30pm. Older children could have the same bedtime, but read in bed till around 9.30pm.

Small babies need a more flexible approach, however, and can’t be expected to follow regular bedtimes. Most sleep through the night by five months, but not all.

If your baby’s still bright eyed when you’re ready for bed yourself, the problem could be too much rest too early in the evening. Try keeping the baby awake and active for around three hours before you go to bed.

Keep toddlers’ daytime naps short, and, if necessary, wake them by softly turning on the radio after about 1-2 hours. Make naps early in the afternoon, so that the child will be sleepy again by bedtime.

Help children look forward to bed by singing them to sleep and having favourite toys or comfort rags to cuddle.

Don’t make bedrooms and passages so dark at night that your child can’t find its way around if it needs to. Install a safety light in the bedroom or a low wattage bulb on the landing, or give older children their own torches to use at night.

Read non-frightening stories at bedtime to help your child relax. Children of about a year can also be left with cloth or board books to look at on their own if they don’t fall asleep immediately.

Watch out for toddlers who suddenly lean to climb out of their cots. Either lower the mattress to prevent escape or let them sleep in a single bed. Some starter beds have raised sides for safety, or you can attach bed guards. Always check that guards do not have bars which could trap a small head, and attach them so that there is not room for your child to get its head caught between the headboard and the guard. Alternatively, let the child sleep in an ordinary bed and leave a pillow or padded quilt on the floor to soften landings.

Teaching a small child to use the lavatory can be a daunting task, but all children get there eventually, so adopt a relaxed approach and be patient – turning it into an issue will only make things harder. Of course, you may be lucky: some children, often girls, succeed sooner than others.

Think ahead, buy a large, comfortable, easy to clean potty well before the baby is old enough to use one. That way when the time comes the potty will be a recognisable part of life.

The correct time to begin potty training is when your child can understand the basic instructions and is able to stay dry for a few hours at a time, which shows they have some bladder control. This is usually at the age of about two years, although parents who wait until a child is nearly three often find that training works faster.

Begin by putting the youngster on the potty after eating or drinking. Don’t worry or nag your child is nothing happens, but give lots of praise and attention when it does.

When a child is well used to a potty, it’s ready to stop wearing nappies. Choose a time when you don’t have to go out much and, if possible, when the weather is warm enough to spend time in the garden, where accidents will be less messy. Dress the child in lined trainer pants without a nappy and put him on the potty every hour. Don’t fuss if the pants get wet, but give lavish praise when the potty is used.

Be prepared for toilet training to take time: getting upset will only make things worse. Be unstinting with encouragement, and make the child proud of his progress by putting up a calendar chart where you can stick a star each time he uses the potty successfully. Being allowed to watch parents or other children using the lavatory can also help, or hearing a running tap while sitting on the lavatory. You may even be able to find books with pictures of children using the potty.

If a child who is dry during the day still cannot get through the night, leave a potty next to the bed and suggest using it on waking during the night. Alternatively, gently wake the child and put it on the potty just before you go to bed yourself. Protect the mattress with a plastic covering under the sheet.

When your child is more than two years old, buy a trainer seat to fit your lavatory and a toddler step to help reach it. Teach children how to wipe themselves; it’s particularly important for girls to wipe from front to back so that they don’t spread bowel bacteria.

Toilet trained children may start to wet their beds again if something upsets them – the arrival of a new baby, or starting at a new school, for example. Go back to using a plastic sheet over the mattress and talk kindly to the child about the problem and what may be causing it, but don’t fuss. Stick stars on a special calendar chart for every dry night. See the doctor if the problem persists: there may be a urinary infection.