Welcome to the terrific two's! While this time in a child's life is delightful in many ways, it can also be quite challenging for parents. Toddlers are very curious, wanting to explore their world, and testing their independence. So simply telling them what to do (or not do) won't always work.

However, there are some suggestions you can try that may help:

• Make your home as child-friendly as possible so your child has fewer opportunities to get into trouble. For example, putting valuables out of reach reduces the number of times you need to tell her "not to touch".



• Ask your child to do things in ways that make the activity more appealing - like making a game of picking up toys.



• When you child does something he shouldn't, distract him - for example, by offering up a new activity he will enjoy. You may have to try several times, so be patient.



• Remember to praise your child when she does things right.



• Above all, maintain a sense of humour. Toddlers can be quite amusing when they're testing the limits.