New Year is the perfect time to make a few toddler resolutions that will help your family stay happy and healthy. If you've been putting off tackling tricky toddler habits, read on for advice that will help your child reach that next milestone...Have a happy new year with your to...

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 in and causing middle ear infections...

to the shops. We've agreed to no dummy, so we'll take a toy instead.' If she throws a tantrum in the supermarket, stay calm and remind her of the deal. Once she's used to not using a dummy outside the house, you can start to limit it at other times, too

Toddlers and tantrums go together - you're lucky if your child doesn't go through that terrible twos stage.But long or aggressive temper tantrums are not necessarily normal - and may be a sign that your child is at risk of depression or a

overzealous with discipline?Parenting expert Clive Dorman is founder of The Children's Project and co-author of The Social Toddler (CP Publishing, £15.99), a book promoting positive behaviour in the under-4s. Clive says, ‘There's a very strong domination

.Parenting expert Clive Dorman is a director of The Children's Project, a group that supports preschool families. He believes that by showing parents why children behave the way they do, they will help them to respond appropriately.‘Tantrums are brought on by anger

to learn I have to spend time with Katie. She's convinced she gets less attention, but obviously Katie is younger and needs more help. Emily is just being demanding. Help me cope!'Our expert says...Lorrine Marer, 52, is a child behavioural specialist

is throwing a wobbly. A more general ‘time out’ approach (see T) might be more helpful.OBEDIENCE An old-fashioned word, but according to many experts, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t expect it from our toddlers. How will your little one know what behaviour

them.Our expert saysSharon Charlton-Thomson, 38, is a former nanny who set up the Parent Coaching Company in Bath, Somerset, two years ago. Trained in family therapy and psychotherapy, she helps parents solve their children's emotional and behavioural

should only take around two hours, but because we have to keep stopping to let the boys run around, it now takes up to five hours. By the time we get there, Fin and I are absolutely exhausted with frayed tempers.Our expert says...SARAH TUCKER, 42