A-Z of home safety

When it comes to children and safety there is a lot to think about and it can be easy to overlook a potential hazard for your baby or toddler. Read our article and see if you've got everything covered from A-Z.

Childproofing your home

Childproofing your home can be a big task, so we’ve provided these easy-to-read home safety tips. We’ve listed necessary information for helping safeguard against hidden hazards. Our room-by-room reference guide helps you to keep safe what’s most important to you – your children.

Child water safety at home

ANNI TAYLOR Children drown silently, in mere minutes. Despite the best efforts of parents and caregivers to keep their children safe, drowning remains one of major causes of child death in Australia.

Poisons and kids: the story in Australia

KIDSAFE Each year, almost 3000 children present to hospital emergency departments around the country as a result of unintentional poisoning, and the Poisons Information Centre receives 140,000 calls from concerned parents around Australia.

Tips for choosing a family-friendly car

You've agonised over the stroller, now it's time to figure out which car is going to fit you, your new baby, other children and stroller with ease, style and safety.

A child's right to be safe: teaching self-protection

FAMILY PLANNING QUEENSLAND Self protection skills are one way to help children to be safe or know how to find safety.

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Communicating about sexuality with children

FAMILY PLANNING QUEENSLAND It is important that children receive positive messages about sexuality. Parents, carers and schools can work together to promote healthy attitudes.

behaviour

Navigating the toddler minefield

DR EMMA LITTLE Many of us can't wait to get through that first year of our baby's life so that they are sleeping through the night, have predictable routines and can be a little bit more independent. And then they turn two!

Bribes, rewards and praise

PINKY MCKAY What is the difference between a bribe and a reward? A bribe is something offered before the task in order to get your child to do what you want him to do and a reward (the second example) is something that happens after the event.

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Stamp out bad behaviour in public places

LAURA KILN With Christmas approaching fast, many parents are working out strategies to do all the festive shopping and cope with a bored toddler at the same time.

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Toilet training: time to take a seat

LISA WACHSMUTH Toilet training can be frustrating for many parents, particularly those with little boys, says Illawarra GP Dr Margaret Perrott. Boys make up 90 per cent of the clients at her Figtree clinic where she assists parents with their children's toilet training, bedwetting and soiling control.

Fuss-free toilet training tips

LISA WACHSMUTH Toilet training can be frustrating for parents and toddlers alike. Read Essential Baby's fuss free tips.

Getting rid of the dummy

RICHIE YOUNG Choosing the right time to stop your child using dummies may be easier than you think.

Baby steps: Shoes for babies and toddlers

A guide to buying your baby and toddler's first shoes and what the experts recommend.

Your second baby: tips for surviving

Advice on caring for babies is often geared towards first-time parents. When you have a toddler zooming about, that old ‘Sleep when the baby sleeps’ line may have you throwing your hands up in despair.

Preparing a sibling for the new arrival

GILL SOUTH When my mother was seven, her baby sister was born, to her absolute shock and horror. She had been having a perfectly nice time getting full attention from both her parents and this new arrival was there to spoil the party as far as she was concerned.

Family foods

PINKY MCKAY A lot of confusion arises around feeding as your chubby baby becomes a toddler: although he is now very active, the rapid growth of your toddler’s first year will slow down and his appetite may decrease accordingly.

Toddler snack ideas

The little engine of a toddler is constantly burning fuel, and your toddler will benefit from small meals spaced out during the day. Healthy, fun snacks will provide toddlers with energy to burn.

Allergies and your child

As a parent, your child’s health and wellbeing is your number one priority.

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Allergy essentials

DR ANNA PHAM There seems to be an increasingly level of public awareness around children and allergies, yet not everyone understands the basics, nor how vital allergies can be. Read the basics here.

Food allergy and food intolerances: the difference

DR ANNA PHAM When my son was 6 months of age, in order to return to work, we weaned him off the breast and introduced him onto formula milk. Fortunately, he did not suffer from “nipple confusion” and gladly accepted the bottle containing formula milk.

Australians and asthma

DR ANNA PHAM Asthma is a significant health problem in Australia, affects one in four children and one in ten adults. What is asthma and what can be done to help asthmatic children and adults in the home?

Your toddler's playtime

When you look back on your children's toddler years, you'll know that this wonder-filled time is over in the blink of an eye. Armed with some ideas for toddler play, you can make the most of each precious day.

Your toddler’s turning two!

This year you might want to give your toddler a real birthday party, but be realistic. The biggest trap birthday parents can fall into is expecting too much.

Party games for toddlers and children

Increasingly, we’re spending more time planning our children’s parties. Something often agonised over is the type of games to provide. Here are some suggestions to keep your little party animals happy!

Nursery Rhymes

A nursery rhyme is a traditional song or poem taught to young children, originally in the nursery. Learning such a verse assists in the development of vocabulary, and several examples deal with rudimentary counting skills.

Nursery Rhymes continued

Nursery rhymes encourage children to enjoy music. In addition, specific actions, motions, or dances are often associated with particular songs.

The value of reading

CAROLE DISSELDORP By reading to our children, we are fostering curiosity, imagination and creativity and increasing the chance of academic success and positive life experiences.

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Great books for kids under five

FIONA KYLE-RUSSELL Hit the library or bookshop and stock up on Essential Baby's list of great books for kids under five.

Encouraging your pre-schooler to rest and sleep

CAROLE It is to every family member’s advantage if we can encourage sound resting and sleeping habits in our youngsters. We all need to be calmed and rejeuvenated from the many experiences and stresses we have each day. We all need differing amounts of sleep and have differing temperaments.

Top toddler settling tips

PINKY MCKAY Your toddler’s delaying tactics at bedtime – needing a drink, one more kiss, a lost toy – are her way of saying, ‘I really want you to stay with me.’ From a toddler’s perspective, it may be difficult to relax and fall asleep if she feels stressed about being left in her room alone, especially if she can hear adults having fun (talking, watching television) in another part of the house.

Sleeping

Night time tips for toddlers

RICHIE YOUNG A sleeping routine for your toddler doesn't need to be treated as a military-precise regimen, but can be a positive cornerstone for a healthy lifestyle.

Fact sheets

Transitioning your toddler to a big bed

RICHIE YOUNG As your baby gets bigger and older, you’ll notice changes creeping into their sleep patterns and this will be your signal to help them begin their transition into a bigger bed. This is a crucial time that will help them avoid any future sleep problems.

Toddlers and night terrors

RICHIE YOUNG Night terrors for your toddler can be traumatic for you both. Here are some guidelines to help get through the experience together.

How to beat night terrors

ALLISON TAIT Night terrors and nightmares - while both presenting as similarly noisy and sleep-depriving - are two different things. Night terrors tend to occur in the early part of the night when the child is in a deep sleep phase - much like a sleep walker. The child may appear awake but is really asleep (and hence difficult to settle).