Why turning a page in a book is not as simple as it looks
Your toddler might already be a master page turner – but sometimes toddlers, in their enthusiasm to turn the page, can be a bit rough. If you’re wondering why your toddler can’t just turn the page carefully it might be interesting to know the skills that go into getting to the next page.
Turning a page in a book or magazine is not something we think about unless we come across a couple of pages that are stuck together or we’re looking at a particularly delicate or precious book.
“Yucky!” Tips for fussy eaters from The Children’s Dietitian
Has your toddler suddenly decided they no longer like peas, having eaten them happily since they were weaned? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. We’ve asked paediatric dietitian and food therapist, Lucy Upton, to give us her tips on fussy eating.
What is fussy eating?
Wait, you liked it last week! Why your toddler might become a fussy eater
Your toddler’s been experiencing new tastes and textures since they started weaning, but now their teeth, tongue and other mouth muscles have had time to develop, their experience of eating food will be changing, too. This can make mealtimes feel like a whole new challenge, so we’ve asked Paediatric Dietician and Food Therapist, Lucy Upton, to tell us more about why you might suddenly find yourself coping with a newly fussy eater.
Why do children refuse food?
We don’t have three brains – find out more about your toddler’s brain
If you’ve ever googled brain development you might have come across articles that refer to the triune model of the brain, or that describe us as having a lizard brain which takes over when we feel scared or threatened. As neuroscientists learn more about our brains, this way of understanding the brain has been questioned – read on to find out more.
We don’t have a lizard brain
Do you want to help your child start writing? Here are some things to think about
When your child masters writing the first letter or their name, they’ll feel extremely proud to have made (and left) their mark. And rightly so. It’s not a process that can be hurried. Writing recognisable letters is a very complex skill to master – one that involves many streams of development, including language, cognitive, emotional and gross and fine motor skills.
At first, when we are learning to write, forming each letter can take great concentration and effort, as we plan and carry out the combination of movements. Over time, with practice, writing can be performed almost automatically and without thought.
Space, secret hideaways, science and your toddler!
The world is an exploration wonderland, especially for toddlers. They love seeking out spaces to crawl into, or places where they can cover themselves and hide... just a special place for them and no one else. As your toddler's body awareness grows, they might enjoy finding a space to squeeze into.
Your toddler is becoming increasingly aware of their position in the environment
How repeated movements help your toddler learn, and stay safe
While your toddler’s brain is still growing, creating repetitive movements, or patterns of movement, helps them to make connections about their world. These connections support them to predict what might happen during movement and understand how their body can respond, which in turn helps create a feeling of safety.
Patterns of movement can be seen in everyday play; you probably created some when you rocked and swayed your toddler when they were a baby.
That’s not my name – why we sometimes misname friends and relatives
Do you have a relative who works their way through all your siblings’ and cousins’ names (maybe even the dog’s name) before calling you by your own? You might even have found yourself calling your own toddler the wrong name – so, why does this happen and what does it tell us about memory and learning words?
We know that using categories is one of the ways our toddlers (and all of us) learn about the world. When your toddler learns a new word, it will be remembered as part of a category. Remembering something involves a process of encoding the memory – and this is where it is linked to a category.
Nightmares and night terrors – what’s the difference and how can you help?
Screams or cries in the middle of the night can be scary for everyone. We asked Lauren from Little Sleep Stars to tell us more about nightmares and night terrors.
The terms ‘nightmare’ and ‘night-terror’ are often used interchangeably but they are actually very different occurrences.
All I want to be when I grow up is... like YOU!
Although your toddler doesn't need to ponder their future profession just yet, they're coming to understand that familiar adults carry out daily activities, like cooking, or feeding a pet; and they have an ever-growing ability and desire to help with them.
Many studies have found that toddlers are typically eager to help others achieve their goals and are motivated to do so.[3,4,5]
