Whether it's eating from a favourite plate, insisting on a nightlight being kept on at bedtime, or cuddling his blanket, toddlers are sticklers for keeping to a routine. And love it or loath it, it's something every parent has to learn to live with

You can start a bedtime routine from day one - decide at what time you want your baby to go to bed and start putting her down at this time. Initially you might put her in her a Moses basket in a living area of the house, switching to the bedroom

At time when your toddler is going through so many changes a good routine is important for the both of you.Click on to find out why... Why routine is good for both you and your baby

From around 12 months your little one will start to push for greater independence, wanting to do things her way. This can lead to power struggles as you try to steer your strong-willed child in teh right direction. That's why a routine is so

needs to feed every so often but not too often.’Supernanny Jo, 37, has spent 20 years looking after babies. She's now written a book to share her wealth of experience with all new parents: Jo Frost's Confident Baby Care ( £12.99, Orion). Click here

time,' says Lucy Atkins, author of The First Time Parent (Collins, £17.99). ‘By about 3 months, the routine will probably be established.'Those first few weeks will help you get to know your baby and recognise the signs that she's tired. When you begin

thing that's ever happened to you and it's fascinating to see your baby develop. Let's face it, though, some aspects of motherhood are just dull. A study of 2,000 mums for homeopathic destresser Bach Rescue Remedy revealed they have just half an hour

Newborns sleep for about 16 hours out of every 24, split into periods of 2-4 hours and divided equally between day and night.Most can distinguish night from day by 10 weeks. By the end of the third month, the frequency of daytime naps drops from

this and have a successful bedtime routine where your baby can settle herself, then by the time she's 4 to 6 months, she could be sleeping for up to 10 or 11 hours a night.Restoring the peaceSometimes a sleep routine can go wrong, and this is when a sleep plan

sleep for a long time you may become disorientated and depressed because you haven't been able to deal with yesterday's events before facing the next day.Encourage a regular night-time routine‘Newborns don't have a day and night rhythm,' explains David