Ellie Dixon

It's impossible to tell if a toddler's shyness is something that will remain with her through life, or if she's just behaving like a typical child of this age. So, instead of worrying about her shyness, or looking for a solution to it, try to find ways you can help her to have good feelings about herself and others, and to feel happy about interacting socially with other adults and children. With support even naturally shy children can grow into friendly, confident adults.

Birds do it, bees do it, and so do other animals of all kinds. In fact, just about every animal species does it. Play is universal throughout the animal kingdom, and is an essential part of growing up. Some parents however, consider play a waste of time and think that the time should be put to more constructive use. That's just not true, for a young child there's no more important or constructive activity than play.

Children need to learn how to stand up for their rights, but at the same time learn to consider and respect the feelings and rights of others too - in other words, they need to learn good manners. It is possible to teach children good manners without subjecting them to the repression of previous decades - who can remember being told "children should be seen, but not heard?" Start your toddler on the road to good manners now with the tips in this article

When you hear the word "toddler" what does it bring to mind? Certainly not neat, tidy and clean - toddlers and mess seem to go hand in hand! But there are ways of keeping the havoc a toddler can create under control, without tears from either of you.

Imagine ... a child who puts her dirty clothes in the linen basket instead of dropping them on the floor, who tidies her room without being nagged, who clears the dinner table without complaint and who happily gives up an afternoon to help out with the grocery shopping. Every parent's fantasy? Yes! Will it come true? Realistically, probably not. But it is possible to raise a responsible child, one who will do her fair share of the chores with only the occasional grumble - if you start early!

Stories are a part of our everyday lives. We all recount our daily experiences to our loved ones or friends - they are told and retold, embellished and held up for the listener to comment on. Any place and any time is a good opportunity for a story. Formal storytelling usually takes place in libraries, schools, care centres, anywhere a group can gather. Telling stories to larger groups requires care and preparation to ensure success.

For centuries storytelling has been a way of passing on society's traditions and beliefs to new generations as oral tales told by travelling poets or talented village storytellers. Today's storytellers are authors and teachers. They are often outgoing people who are passionate about storytelling and literature, and want to communicate their love of words to a new audience.

Reading is a fundamental skill in today's society. But many of today's TV and computer age children never learn is that reading is also fun. It's one thing to simply teach the skill of reading, but quite another to install a love of books and reading. This article suggests some ways to nurture such a love in a young child.

Even if it's her favorite sandwich or her most-loved dungarees, a control-hungry toddler is sure to rebel if it was chosen without express agreement. This means dressing your child can sometimes be a major challenge for parents of toddlers!

Kids love fast food, and it's an easy option when you're too stretched to cook for the family. But are you compromising their health? Follow these guidelines and enjoy a fast food treat without guilt.