Hi there,

1.  Go for walks outside of the house (and don't forget the stroller if toddler might not might it back)

2.  Get them to feel useful, ie, please pass me that stake for the tomatoes, please put your shoes back in your room - it's

amazine how much self-esteem comes from them thinking that they are being useful to you.

3.  Spend as much time as possible with them - they love the attention and you're going to lose them to some sort of childcare/school system soon enough !!!

4.  Socialise them whenever and wherever possible, especially with trusted friends and neighbours. My neighbours are in a 20km surrounding area and yet my daughter already knows the words 'playgroup' mean the best fun of the fortnight.

5.  Don't worry too much about food intake - dairy, bread, fruit juice and vegies are more than adequate if you can get them to eat that much. Remember, after the first year, toddlers probably won't gain too much, if any, weight. Don't make food a fight, enjoy the mess and relax about the whole things.

6.  Lastly, with reference to the above, it takes the average person approx 60 days to starve to death. If you little is going through a 'not eating' stage, it will probably only last a few days and there have been no recorded cases of a toddler deliberately starving themselves to death.

Enjoy life, get involved to the best of your ability with others and, above all else, enjoy the kids - they'll be gone soon enuf!!!

Kelly