Research-supported; mum-of-three observations — not medical advice. Toddlers don’t play “just for fun. ”They play because it’s how they understand the world. Every tower they build, every cup they bang, every puddle they jump in, every drawer they empty… it all has a purpose. Play is the foundation of learning in the first three years — shaping language, confidence, emotional regulation, motor skills, and social skills long before anything remotely “educational” enters the ch

Research-supported; mum-of-three observations — not medical advice. If feeding a baby felt like a full-time job, feeding a toddler might feel like an emotional negotiation. One day they love broccoli. The next they treat it like a personal insult. One day they eat three full meals. The next their entire calorie intake is… raisins. Welcome to toddler feeding — where “picky” is normal, mess is guaranteed, and pressure only makes everything harder. Here’s the calm, compassionate

Research-supported; mum-of-three observations — not medical advice. If newborn sleep was unpredictable, toddler sleep is… strategic. One moment they’re snoozing peacefully, the next they’ve staged a full-scale protest because you dared to suggest it’s bedtime. Welcome to toddler sleep: the era of opinions, regressions, bedtime negotiations, and unexpected 2am philosophical discussions about whether Peppa lives in a house or a castle. Here’s the evidence-based, real-life guide

Research-supported; mum-of-three observations — not medical advice. If there’s one area that makes parents quietly panic (and Google obsessively), it’s speech and language. You hear one toddler reciting farm animals and suddenly wonder if your own child should be narrating their entire day like a tiny David Attenborough. Let me reassure you: speech development is a huge range , not a race. Some toddlers speak early. Some wait until closer to 3.Some talk nonstop. Some observe

Research-supported; mum-of-three observations — not medical advice. Toddlers are incredible little people — brave, curious, hilarious, opinionated, and completely incapable of hiding how they feel. One minute they’re hugging you with the love of a thousand suns. The next they’re face-down on the floor because you peeled their banana “wrong.” If you’ve ever thought, “Are they ok?”  followed by, “Am I ok?”  — welcome to toddlerhood. This phase isn’t about “bad behaviour.” It’s