A baby's teeth start growing in the womb - while a mother is pregnant, the tooth buds appear in the gums and these are the foundations of milk teeth.  Between 4-6 months milk teeth begin to break through the gums although this differs between different children.  By age three, most should have a full set of teeth.

Teething pain

As each tooth develops, the gum above becomes very red and sore and swollen.  Baby's cheeks can look flushed and they may get restless and irritable for some time prior to the tooth appearing and indeed once it breaks through.  Eventually you'll see a tiny white bump on the gum.  This is the new tooth!

Help through teething

Offer lots of comfort during teething and lots of cooled boiled water to drink.  If your baby goes off food, try to offer more milk to keep them sustained and offer little meals more often, rather than trying to get them to eat if they don't want to.

Facts

• 1 in 2,000 babies are born with teeth already formed!
• Some babies don't cut their first tooth unti they are over a year old.
• Premature babies may get teeth later than full term babies.
• Most develop milk teeth when they are about to start eating solid foods.

Dealing with sore gums

• Rub baby's gums or show them how to bite on a teething ring.
• Keep any favourite chweing toys in the fridge as coolness will sooth the irritation. Try giving them cold things from the fridge to eat such as yogurt or cold apple.
• Offer teething gels or granules (available from a pharmacy) to sooth the pain.

Be aware

Teething does not result in fever, chestiness, rashes, diarhoea or convulsions so if you baby gets any of these symptoms, take them straight to the doctor.

Most adults need at least five hours of uninterrupted sleep every 24 hours in order to function properly and some need as much as eight hours, but new parents, research shows, get less than four hours sleep each night because of disturbances created by their children.  This major deficit in sleep required to function properly can lead to mood swings, depression, arguments and even break-ups.

As many as 12% of parents get less than 2.5 hours sleep per night.  1,000 parents were questioned to mark national Love Your Bed week.  It does seems unfair that a side effect of being a new parent renders you unfit to actually be a new parent by making you into a confused, exhausted person existing in a sleep-walking state.

Sleep Deprivation Symptoms

• Sleep derivation can leave you feeling disorientated, confused and irritable.
• It can effect your work and home life and indeed your feelings towards your baby because you blame them for your lack of sleep.
• It can be more difficult to handle stress or emotions and make you more clumsy and accident-prone.
• It can result in weight gain as the metabolism changes and appetite can be altered.
• Over time the immune system becomes less efficient making you prone to illness.

Coping with lack of sleep

Cat nap - take cat naps when ever you can during the day.  Ensure the baby is safe or get someone to come and look after baby while you take a rest.  Avoid napping in the evening as this may interrupt your sleep pattern.

Cure for lack of sleep

There is only one: get some sleep!

Swaddling a baby is a good way to help them sleep and you can even get some pre-wrapped swaddling blankets that are easy to fit and remain in place.

Why Swaddle?

• It's a good way to calm an unsettled baby.
• New babies are used to the closeness of being in the womb or being in their mother's arms. They are often unprepared for total freedom and it unnerves them. By swaddling, you recreate this closeness which makes them feel calm and secure.
• For many, swaddling is vital as its stops their limbs from flaying while they are trying to sleep.
• It's a way to calm the Moro Reflex, that startle reflex that all babies are born with. They have an innate fear of falling and so throw their arms out if they are startled. This reflex can be triggered even when parents place babies in their cot for sleeping.  Swaddling helps prevent this from happening.
• Studies have shown that swaddling can enhance the development of low weight babies.
• It may reduce the risk of cot death.
• It soothes overstimulated babies.
• It can help with colic.

Do you need any more excuses to give your baby a special cuddle?!

Parenting expert, Peneolope Leach, has said that leaving a baby to cry is potentially damaging - if a baby is left to cry on a regular basis it could be damaging to the developing baby.  These claims are made in her book, The Essential First Year, published earlier this year.  This is, of course, in total contrast to the work of Gina Ford, who claims that parents should leave a baby crying, so to teach them to settle themselves.

Leach has used saliva swabs to measure the level of the stress hormone cortisol in crying babies who get no comfort from their parents.  Leach claims that neurobiologists say these hormones are toxic to the developing brain and therefore maintains that it is fact, and not opinion, that it is damaging.

She admits that all babies cry, and agrees that some cry more than others.  However she maintains that in the first year, babies cry to get a response and by parents ignoring this effort to communicate, and elicit a response, they are risking long term consequences. She says babies cry for a reason, their lungs are not just needing exercise!  She also states that babies are not capable of fooling their parents or "blackmail" in the first 18 months so a cry is there for a reason.

Leach is an honorary senior researcher fellow at the Tavistock Clinic and the Institute for the Study of Children, Family and Social Issues. 

Although English is the predominant language of the UK, there are several minority languages spoken in different regions and it's possible to find nurseries that teach those languages from an early age. The other native languages spoken in the UK are:-

• Welsh
• Scottish Gaelic
• Scots
• Irish
• Ulster Scots
• Cornish

These languages are recognised in UK law and recognised by the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.  In Wales, the Welsh National Assembly afford equal status to Welsh and English in official publications and signage.  Strangely enough, the English language isn't declared constitutionally as the language of the UK, it only enjoys its status on the grounds that that is what the majority of the population speak!

If you live in a region where a minority language is spoken and want your children to be learn it then you will be able to find local nurseries and other groups to join that promote these languages.  As with learning a foreign language at home, you should aim to speak the language to your children as well so that they gain wider exposure to it and can learn it more easily.  Indeed, you may choose only to use the minority language in the domestic setting and have them learn English outside of the home.

How do babies and toddlers learn to speak and acquire the knowledge to form sentences and become fluent communicators?  Is it a natural skill they acquire or do they need help?  Certainly children begin to learn to speak from the very day they are born.  However, it is up to parents, to make sure they provide the children with the very best opportunity to learn to speak and communicate well.

How do they learn?

• Talk To Them - A mother who chats to her baby from the very first day, while feeding or walking or changing the nappy, is doing a great job to encourage good spoken language.  Babies learn by hearing the spoken word and repeating and learning it for themselves.
• Show Them - Parents that discuss things in front of their children demonstrate the use of language and show the children how to discuss and communicate as adults.
• Play with Them - Have toy telephones to play with and set up pretend conversations.  Chat about all sorts of easy things and encourage chatter.
• Share with Them - Families that have discussions over a meal share in the joy of eating and talking.  Simply asking what happened at school or nursery today can be the simple question that leads to a great family chat!

Types of Language

By nine months, babies can understand simple words and commands ('stop', 'come here', etc.) even if they can't speak the words themselves. This is because there are 2 types of language knowledge: Receptive and Expressive language.  When we listen we use our receptive vocabulary, when we speak or write we use our expressive vocabulary.

A child's passive vocabulary is improved through continuous repetition of words and phrases.  Once repeated enough it becomes part of their passive vocabulary.  So, the active vocabulary can only be improved through use of the passive. A child has to hear a word 500 times before it becomes part of their active vocabulary, so a parent needs to speak as much as they can to their children and in front of their children.

The experts also noted that not only was an overdose a possibility, it also meant that some children were not getting enough medicine.  They recommend we never use teaspoons or tablespoons to administer medicine to children as the variation is too great.

By law, all children traveling in cars must use the correct child restraint until they are 12 years old or 135cm tall.  Once they reach this criteria they must use an adult restraint.  There are a couple of exceptions, but by and large these rules should not be broken and it is the drivers responsibility to make sure they are not.

Children Up To Age 3

• Young children can travel in the front of the car
• They must use the correct child restraint in the front or back
• It is illegal to carry a child in a rear facing child seat in the front which is protected by an active airbag
• If a child is traveling in a taxi or licensed car and a seat is not available the child must travel in the back.  This is the only exception for under threes and for practical reasons rather than for safety

Children aged 3 -12

Children aged 3 - 12 must wear the correct child restraint whether traveling in the front or rear of the car.  There are 3 exceptions for this age group.

1. In a licensed taxi or private hire car
2. If the child is traveling  a short distance for reasons of an emergency or unexpected necessity.
3. If other fitted car seats make the fitting of a third one impossible, or if there are no restraints available for a third seat

Children traveling in minibuses, coaches or  any other vehicle must wear a restraint or adult seat belt.

Car Seats

A properly fitted child restraint keeps the child in their seat, keeping them in one position.  It also absorbs some of the impact in the event of an accident.  It means your child is less likely to be injured or killed in an crash.  Car seats must be fitted correctly.  Here are a few pointers:

1. Don't have the car seat too loose
2. Make sure the car seat is properly rooted
3. Make sure handle is positioned properly if you have a baby car seat
4. Ensure your car seats are compatible with your car and correctly fitted
5. Keep the car seat in good condition and make sure it's not old or worn
6. Check that seat is correct according to the size (height nd weight) of your baby.

Booster Seat:

Once your chid is 15-25kg (between 4 and 6 years old) they can use a booster seat.  The adult seat belt will restrain them so this becomes the most important item to check.  Make sure that:

1. The belt is as tight as it can be
2. The belt is not twisted
3. The lap belt goes across the hips and not stomach which is higher
4. The diagonal strap should go over the shoulder and not the neck

Rear Facing Car Seats

Consider using rear facing car seats instead of forward facing ones - although less popular in the UK they are in fact considerably safer.

Building blocks are a timeless toy and a set of soft blocks made from material, or even knitted from wool, will bring your baby loads of enjoyment in their first few years.  An early game to play with babies is to stack up toys near them and encourage your baby to knock them down.  Clap and cheer when your baby achieves this and they will quickly associate their actions with your praise and this will encourage them to knock down your towers.

Blocks usually come in bright colours and often have pictures, letters or numbers on their faces.  This early exposure to colours and patterns will help them to distinguish between colours and to recognise the different shapes later on.  When they are able to grasp blocks for themselves, your little one will delight in trying to build their own towers and knocking them down themselves.  All of this helps to refine their motor skills and to understand how objects interact with one another and how they act when knocked over.

As your children grow older, plain blocks can be change for construction blocks such as Duplo, Lego or Megablocks.  These appeal both to boys and girls and will last an entire childhood, teaching children how to construct models and giving them a great understanding of the physical world.

Children typically need 12 - 14 hours sleep in every 24 hours and if your toddlers are getting their quota overnight, they may not need a daytime nap.  Young children who aren't napping should be encouraged to take a 'quiet time' during the day as this rests them a little and let's them get through the day more easily.  To introduce a 'quiet time', put your little one in their bedroom and let them play with puzzles or toys on their own for a while - 30 minutes is long enough for most children.  If they require a nap then you may find that they fall asleep during this period on their own.

A 'quiet time' helps with the transition from taking daytime naps to doing away with them altogether.  Some children will continue napping even once that have started school, but most children will give up naps anywhere between 2 and 4 years old.  Sometimes children give up naps because they simply don't appear to need them, other times you will stop your children napping because it doesn't fit into your daily routine.  If you have older children and have to do a school run, or if you have other daytime commitments, then it's quite possible that this will interfere with nap time.

When babies are born almost all of their teeth are already formed and remain hidden in the gums.  They begin to cut through when the baby is about 6 months but this can be earlier or later in some children.  All children develop at their own pace.

The first to come through tend to be the bottom two front teeth.  Then come the top four front teeth and the rest of the mouth then gradually fills up.  Most children have all their baby teeth by the age of three.

Do not be alarmed if the teeth have spaces between them.  As there is a difference in the size of the baby and adult teeth, there may be gaps.  The spaces make it easier to brush the teeth too.

Although baby teeth eventually fall out, they are important because:

• They help the child eat and chew
• They help the child speak correctly
• They prepare for the adult teeth
• They guide the adult teeth into position

Caring for your baby's teeth:-

• Brush with a soft baby tooth brush twice a day
• Use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste specially designed for babies
• Start by brushing the teeth yourself and then allow the child the chance to brush on their own; get into the habit of brushing twice a day

Celebrate summer and being outdoors with a garden sing song, there are lot's of fun songs that you can sing with your babies to enjoy in the summer sun!

Garden Songs

Mary, Mary Quite Contrary

Mary, Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockle-shells,
And pretty maids all in a row.

Round and Round the Garden

Round and round the garden, like a Teddy Bear.
(trace your finger in a circle around your little one's palm)

One step, two step
(walk your fingers up their arm)

Tickle you under there!
(tickle them under their chin or arm)

Creepy Crawly Songs

There's a Worm at the Bottom of the Garden

There's a worm at the bottom of my garden,
And his name is 'Wiggly Woo'.
There's a worm at the bottom of my garden
And all that he can do
Is wiggle all day and wiggle all night,
The neighbors say what a terrible fright!
There's a worm at the bottom of my garden,
And his name is Wiggly Woo!

Incy Wincey Spider

Incy Wincy spider climbed up the spout,
Down came the rain and washed the spider out,
Out came the sun and dried up all the rain,
Now Incy Wincy spider went up the spout again!

Animal Songs

Five Little Speckled Frogs

Five little speckled frogs
Sat on a speckled log
Eating the most delicious grubs.
One jumped into the pool
Where it was nice and cool
Then there were four green speckled frogs.

...then repeat with 4, 3, 2, 1.

Old Macdonald had a Farm

Old Macdonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O
And on his farm he had a cow, E-I-E-I-O
With a moo-moo here and a moo-moo there
Here a moo there a moo
Everywhere a moo-moo
Old Macdonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O

...and repeat for different animals

Five Little Ducks

Five little ducks
Went out one day
Over the hill and far away
Mother duck said
"Quack, quack, quack, quack."
But only four little ducks came back.

...repeat until all of the ducks have flown and then...

Sad mother duck
Went out one day
Over the hill and far away
The sad mother duck said
"Quack, quack, quack."
And all of the five little ducks came back.

On a hot day, the children will enjoy nothing more than a lovely refreshing ice lolly but rather than spending a fortune on shop bought ones throughout the summer, why not make your own at home?  At least you know what's gone into them and can make sure that they are healthy!  Start by buying some lolly sticks and moulds from a supermarket or other store.  Here are some recipe ideas:-

• Fruit juice lollies: for the most simple lollies, just pour fruit juice into the mould and insert a stick. Beware that pineapple juice doesn't freeze on its own but you can mix it with other juices. Make multi-coloured lollies by pouring in a little orange juice, let that freeze for a few hours, then add a red juice (blackcurrant, raspberry, cranberry etc).
• Make traffic light lollies by layering pureed strawberry, pureed peach and pureed kiwi on top of one another, freezing for about 2 hours between each layer.  If you find they need sweetening, add a little honey to each puree.
• Yoghurts and fromage frais freeze into delicious creamy lollies - pour the contents into your moulds or, for the little fromage frais pots, simply take off the lid, place a lolly stick in and freeze them in their own pots!
• Fruit smoothies also make for a delicious frozen feast, if you have your own juicer then juice a variety of fruits and banana to create your own fruit smoothie and freeze to make lovely lollies!
• Make milk lollies by using a milk base and flavouring with fruit puree or even cocoa.  Semi-skimmed milk freezes better than full fat milk, just make up a milk drink and pour into your moulds.
• Frozen bananas make a novel change from lollies, just peel a bananana, wrap it loosely in foil and place in the freezer.  Either enjoy them as they are or use them as toppings on yoghurt or other puddings - frozen bananas have a lovely creamy texture to them, almost like ice-cream!

Once you're in the habit of making your own lollies, you'll start experimenting by freezing all sorts of drink, fruit and yoghurt combinations!  Be creative and give the children a summer treat!

Research has demonstrated that fathers who spend time and involve themselves with their children do better in school than those children who's dads don't.  The children are better at academic subjects and they are better social learners.  Clearly this does not suggest that the father's influence is a guarantee of success at school, or indeed that a father's influence is absolutely necessary.  However, the research tells us that it is more likely to be a factor.

With the increase in the number of fathers looking after the children on a full or part time basis, much research is being done to find out if this has any long term effect on the children.  There is no clear evidence at the moment for any long term influences, but researches are willing to say that having a Dad in the children's lives - or a figure who acts like a Dad - is a good thing!

Creating a relationship with fathers is something that is innate in babies.  As early as six weeks old the babies are able to respond differently to Dad and will coo and gurgle to get their attention.  They use different techniques when communicating with mothers.

The Dad's role will never be that of mother - nor will the mother's role ever be that of Dad - but the father can wash, feed and comfort just as well as a mother.  And, the babies love it!

Eczema is a condition found in about 15-20% of children where dry, itchy patches of skin become uncomfortable, irritated and sore.  There is much discussion about the reason why eczema is so common but scientists do not know definitively why or how it occurs.

There is also much talk about how we can prevent eczema or make it less severe even before a child is born.  It  appears to run in families, suggesting a genetic predisposition, and scientists are researching whether anything can be done to prevent or reduce it: should we avoid certain foods, or are there ways to adapt our lifestyles to reduce the impact?

Here are a few tips:

Breastfeeding exclusively for the first four months of a baby's life may help to protect against eczema.  Research has shown that this is the case and that longer term breastfeeding protects against other allergies too.  The Government recommends breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months of a baby's life.

Cow's milk can have an allergic reaction and cause eczema in children.  However, if you fear this may be the case, you need to discuss it with your doctor as cows milk shouldn't be removed from a child's diet without careful consultation.  Even formulas that contain cow's milk could induce an allergic reaction, but again consult your doctor.  Soya based formula and goat's milk formula are not recommended but again, the doctor can advise.

Certain foods you eat while breast-feeding may result in a flare-up and if you suspect certain foods to be a trigger, you should consult your doctor.  There is no conclusive evidence to support this, but it may be the case.  Don't change your diet unless you have first discussed it with your doctor.

Probiotics as a supplement or in food such as yoghurt has been shown to reduce the chance of your child developing eczema.  Research continues in this area.

What can be done to help the situation?

Keep a diary - to help identify if food or other activities or environments trigger a bad reaction or flare up.

House mites are believed to trigger eczema although the evidence is inconclusive.  Try to reduce dust in the home by using a damp cloth rather than a dry one when cleaning.  Use cotton sheets and wash them at a high temperature each week.  Vacuum the mattress weekly and air the room frequently.

Wear cotton clothing as synthetic fibres may make things worse.

Keep cool and avoid overheating as this can make eczema more severe.  Keep homes warm but not hot.

Keep nails short to prevent children scratching too much.

Eczema can be a very difficult condition to live with, at best it's uncomfortable whilst severe eczema may have a severe impact on your child's ability to develop normally as they will be constantly distracted by the pain.  Whilst there is no final cure, follow the advice above and you may be able to relieve the symptoms.  Can you tell us any other tips that have helped relieve symptoms in your own children?