Taking time to talk, by Maggie Redshaw2011 is the National Year of Speech, Language and Communication, in particular for young children in the early stages of learning to talk. It is important for parents to understand how toddlers begin

they know from you, so be careful what you do in front of them.' What amuses your child? And how does his sense of humour develop? 12 monthsEnjoys visual or slapstick humour. People making deliberate mistakes makes young children laugh. ‘Things

, University of London, who led the research.'For a very young child, that's simply talking and responding to her. Then when she starts to make words, add to those words, so if she  says 'teddy', you say, 'yes, look at teddy.''Read to her. Play with shapes like

A family baking session isn't just great fun - it's educational too.Reading recipes aloud, choosing, naming and weighing ingredients helps to develop reading and maths skills. Waiting for food to cook even helps little ones learn to tell the time

by month.She helps you understand all the areas of development: physical, mental, emotional and social, so that you can enjoy and maintain a long-term positive relationship with your toddler at this time of rapid growth and change.We asked our Babyexpert

As your toddler's language increases, so do the number of difficult questions and demands.Young children are very perceptive and are likely to pick up on any change in their environment, says Prima Baby's health visitor Dawn Chandler.‘Toddlers

.Reward with stickersYoung children love rewards and I find stickers at nursery are one of the best ways to encourage a toddler. Take stickers in and ask a staff member to give your child one when they have calmed down. Ask them to make a big deal of it. Also, you

him some undivided attention - sit down together and share a snack and chat about the day, without quizzing too much.Reward with stickers
: Young children love rewards and stickers can be one of the best ways to encourage a toddler. If they have had a

is the answer. As for the child who picks on others, remember they're very young and may not realise their behaviour is unacceptable. ‘Children aren't born knowing how to deal with anger,' Dr Boulton says. ‘We have to teach them. Around the age of two, children

was young and we even saw a specialist doctor in London. But now my son is about 6ft tall and wears size-12 shoes, and there’s no way I could have predicted that would happen. Sometimes children do have serious growth problems, but they won’t be noticeable