We all want to know our children are happy, secure and successful, but how can you go about making sure you raise a child to be all these things?Children learn by example. Set them the right example and you are on the way to raising a child who

: which hand your child uses to hold a spoon when eating; which foot do they prefer to kick with; which hand do they use to hold a crayon or pencil; when standing on one leg which leg do they feel more secure on? Lefthanders may find it easier to stand

If you think you're rubbish at maths, make sure you don't pass on your lack of confidence to your child.A study of children's performances in maths tests at age 10 found that those who had a stimulating home environment in the early years scored 30

Got a child who’ll soon be starting nursery or pre-school?There's no need to worry if they can't recognise letters or numbers yet - that's what pre-school is for.But if you are looking for fun educational ways to give your child a little bit of a

By the time he turns 1, you'll have a good idea whether concentration is his strong point or not. Like adults, children vary tremendously in how long they can concentrate on something new. While some toddlers can watch something for hours, others

Want to do some art and craft work with your toddler but not sure how to go about it?Roz Streeten, the creator of Rosie Flo drawing and colouring books, offers her top five tips to encourage your child's creativity, through cheap creative games

be difficult, so make sure he knows that he is special.'Left-handed children's scissors cost £3.75, from www.anythingleft-handed.co.ukNow that your toddler's social skills a re developing quickly, encourage him to make friends with others.DO ask children

.Send in a throwaway cameraSend your child into nursery with a disposable camera, and ask her key worker to take pictures of her having fun throughout her day - painting, playing, building, dressing up. Once your pictures are developed, make a little book

. The fact is that we don’t all need the same amount of sleep, but babies do tend to need much more sleep than adults. It might be that you will just have to accept and adjust to how she is, and, for a while, you might just have to spend time with a child who

with the launch of BabyFirst, an advert-free educational channel for babies and toddlers on Sky TV’s Kids Mix.The shows have been put together with advice from experts in child development, education and psychology, and are designed to be watched by children