Babies often enjoy the comfort of a dummy, but you need to make sure they kick the habit once they reach the age of 12 months. Here's why: Repeated dummy sucking opens the eustachian tubes, which link the nose and middle ear, allowing bacteria

:Your toddler has tantrums that last more than 25 minutesShe has more than 10 to 20 tantrums a monthShe can't calm herself without helpShe deliberately hurts herselfShe regularly damages objetcs or hurts you, or others, during a tantrum.'Don't panic if  your

an enormous strain on parents and their children.‘Weaning from 12 to 18 months is ideal, because dummies can cause real problems with older children. They can push the palate of the mouth upwards, forcing the teeth out of line. Speech and language therapists

's always been a good sleeper, he refused to settle. With the new baby in bed with me, Cory would come in at 2am and try to climb in with us. That and night feeds left me exhausted.‘Now Cory goes to nursery for two-and-a-half hours a day, four days a week

.‘Lorrine's advice has been invaluable - and with every week that we follow her tips, we see another change for the better. I'm enjoying Emily so much more now.'Best buys My First Baby Annabell, Zapf Creation, £14.99 (12m+) The perfect way to prepare a toddler for a

Sarah Morley, 31, lives in Lutterworth, Leicestershire, with her husband Fin, and sons Max, nearly 2, and Daniel, 4. Twice a month, they travel 100 miles to visit both sets of grandparents and Sarah dreads the journey.My mum and dad live