Picky Eater? You’re Not Alone

If your baby is under 12 months old, they aren't ready for cow's milk. If they're over 12 months, you can begin to introduce it. 

If you thought feeding your baby had its challenges, then eating with a toddler is going to be even more amusing for you. By the time your baby becomes a toddler at the age of 12 months, they are well on the way to enjoying foods that the family eats.

There is a lot to consider when pulling together a healthy meal plan for your toddler. The following suggestions include most of what your toddler will need every day and will make the planning process easier. This is simply a guide - individual toddler needs will vary depending on their activity levels and age.

Eating is an essential human function. Every country and every civilisation has created its own eating habits and cuisine. Teaching children healthy eating habits can be difficult when everyone has different taste preferences, or your child refuses to eat certain foods. 

Mealtimes are a time to bring everyone together and for your toddler to learn how to eat at the table with you. Here are some tips to having a successful family meal with a toddler.

As your little one grows and becomes more independent, you may find they use food preferences as a way of exerting their authority! Making sure they have a healthy selection of foods to choose from is something you can control. 

As your baby grows and becomes a toddler at around 12 months of age, they are much more active. They may find it difficult to switch off and unwind. It is important to create a regular sleeping pattern.

Your toddler can be over stimulated or confused by too many toys offered all at once. If you have a lot of toys for toddlers out all the time, try packing half or a third away in containers and rotate the containers each week or every few days depending on how much time you spend at home.

You know they’re tired, but no matter how hard you try, they won’t go to sleep. Here are a few tips and tricks to help your toddlers sleep problems.

As your toddler matures, their social skills grow. They begin to recognise, exhibit and feel emotions. So far, for the most part, the only form of expression for all their feelings has been crying, but as a toddler they are now able to point or use words for what they want. As they begin to mingle with others their own age they may develop possessiveness of their loved ones and special toys.

Your baby’s first words are likely to happen around their first birthday. Here are some things you can do to encourage your baby to talk.  

Language milestones depend on your toddler’s genetic abilities and the environment in which they are exposed to. Some toddlers are happy to babble away, while others wait until they have mastered the words in their head and then feel confident enough to speak them.