Settling techniques: 12 months to toddlers

Tresillian Tips Sleep problems are quite common in this age range with sleep habits changing as the child develops.

Daily routines: 0-6 months from Tresillian

Tresillian Tips Babies are all very different but they are strongly influenced by the environment, daily activities and routines.

Daily routines: 6-14 months from Tresillian

Tresillian Tips Babies are all very different but they are strongly influenced by the environment, daily activities and routines.

My first swim: safety in the water

KIDSAFE With the summer months approaching parents need to remember the importance of keeping children safe around water.

Stamp out bad behaviour in public places

Laura Kiln Children seem to have an in-built radar when it comes to behaving badly in public and tantrums can become an expected and feared event.

Should children obey their parents?

Carole Disseldorp There is much emphasis placed in our society on children obeying their parents, but is this a healthy expectation for parents to have?

Toilet training tips

Richie Young How to make the big transition.

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.

What's for dinner?

Catherine Saxelby Feeding kids is a challenge. As they grow, their nutrition requirements change, with the greatest leaps from birth to toddler to pre-primary age. So how do parents make sure children get the nutrients they need in the transition from milk to meals?

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.

Try fish, not carrots for optimal eyesight

Amber Robinson We’ve been told since we were children that eating carrots will improve eyesight and help us see in the dark. The truth is, it’s a myth. In fact, too much may even be damaging to your health.

Modern parents just potty about toilet training

Lissa Christopher The growing number of parents who delay potty training until their children are three or older may be doing them and the environment a serious disservice, an Australian study says.

Should I hire a nanny or a 'manny'?

Justine Davies My issue is that out of the potential nannies that I’ve interviewed, the one that I like the most is a male! I don’t know whether having a “Manny” is a good idea?

Finding the right babysitter or nanny

Gill South The first time we leave our babies with someone other than close family, is always a big step. So how do you go about finding the right babysitter?

Nannies can be a super option

Lisa Wachsmuth The nanny is not just limited to the wealthy anymore. With many families having both the mother and father working, hiring a nanny is becoming a more popular option, writes Lisa Wachsmuth.

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 rejuvenated from the many experiences and stresses we have each day. We all need differing amounts of sleep and have differing temperaments.

Curse of a certain surfer

Simon Webster With a three-year-old boy who makes it to the toilet for one poo in 10 and as such believes he is too grown up for nappies, we live in a constant state of anxiety, bordering on terror.

Preparing for a babysitter

When you hire a new babysitter, you'll want to make sure you give them all the information they need to care for your children. The more prepared you are, the more at ease you'll feel about going out.

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.

Opportunities for babies and toddlers in a time poor society

Kathy Walker It was predicted in the late 70’s that Australia would, as it entered the 21st century, be a nation that had high level of recreation time, less working hours than many other OECD countries and a high level of well being and happiness.

Blind eye to driveway danger

Rachel Browne About a dozen children are killed in Australian driveways each year and hundreds more are severely injured, child safety experts say.

Fuss-free toilet training tips

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

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.

Extreme mothering

Alison Cameron A preschooler feeding from his or her mother's breast can raise an eyebrow or two. But those who adopt attachment-parenting techniques, such as extended breastfeeding, communal sleeping and "wearing" their babies, are adamant there are benefits for the whole family.

Space Invaders

Mia Freedman I reckon I've been alone for 10 minutes this entire week," I huffed to a girlfriend recently. I heard a sharp intake of breath before she went quiet. "And that includes bathroom time!"

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.

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.

Over-nannying tots far from super

Louise Hall Infants subjected to Supernanny-style parenting end up behaving just as badly at two years old as other children, Australian researchers say.

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).

Anticipating challenges with our children

Carole Disseldorp If we can anticipate problems and take active preparatory steps we will feel much more satisfied with our parenting and our children’s behaviour.