- Try to be calm and consistent - speak slowly and quietly, don't worry about what other people may think if you are in public and don't give in to the tantrum as your child may then see this as a way of getting what they want.
- Ignore the tantrum - ensure that your child is safe and explain that you will be there for them when they have calmed down, then carry on with what you were doing.
- Reassure - after the tantrum, reassure your child, talk to them about their emotions and if they are old enough, talk about how they might deal with those emotions differently ("use your words if you are angry").
- Positive reinforcement - try to make a point of noticing and commenting on good behaviours (such as "you are playing very nicely with your brother") so that your child gets attention for acting in the way you would like them to.
Fussy eating, sleep, tantrums and more!
- Practice separation - try leaving your child for short periods of time, let them know what is happening and when you will be back.
- Say goodbye and go - have a short and predictable goodbye routine, make sure you leave after you have said goodbye.
- Use a comforter - some children like to have a familiar item (cuddly toy or blanket) when they are apart from their main caregiver.
For more information click here.
- Sleep association (something or someone your child needs to fall asleep e.g. needing to be fed to sleep or held/rocked)
- Separation anxiety
- Being overtired
- Bedtime fears (being scared of the dark)
- Nightmares
- Night terrors
- Try to understand and address the underlying problem.
- Having a bedtime routine - a warm bath, dim lights and a story can all be relaxing and help to signal sleeping times.
- Have a consistent bedtime and wake time, adapting this to your child's sleep needs as they get older.
- A comforter may help a young child settle at bedtime and if they wake during the night.
- Avoid screen time in the hour before bed.
- Make sure your child has a cool, quiet, dark and comfortable place to sleep.
What can I do to help?
- Try not to worry or focus too much on food - if there are no problems with your child's growth and development it's best to wait for your child to outgrow this phase.
- Eat together as a family and eat the same meal, ensuring that your child has an appropriately sized portion and that their food does not have any added salt.
- Keep trying with new foods and offer them in different ways (e.g. offering carrot cooked, uncooked, grated, mixed in a sauce etc.).
- Get your child involved in preparing and cooking meals.
- Praise your child when they try something new.
- Aim for no more than two snacks a day.
- Don't cook to order, if food is uneaten at the end of the meal, just take it away without comment.
- set clear but kind boundaries around food: e.g. not offering alternatives if not eating what is given to the child
- have reward charts and offer non-food rewards for helping with food preparation, cleaning up after, and trying new foods or sitting together at the table
- Sensory Play the fun way to help avoidant, picky or fussy eaters Toolkit
- most importantly – BE CONSISTENT and POSITIVE in your approach
Up to the age of 5 years, wetting the bed is normal. It usually stops happening as your child gets older without the need for any treatment:
- up to 1 in 5 5-year-olds wet the bed
- 1 in 20 10-year-olds wet the bed
- about 1 in 50 teenagers wet the bed
- about 1 in 100 teenagers continue to wet the bed into adulthood
Bedwetting happens when your child makes more pee at night
than their bladder can hold; unfortunately, young children often don't wake to
the feeling of a full bladder, which means that they wet their bed whilst they
are sleeping. It can run in families, and boys are more likely to wet the bed
than girls.
The good news is you don't need to wait until children grow
out of bedwetting - treatment is now available and recommended from the age of
5 years.
What should you do?
If your child is under 5, you don't need to see your GP about their bedwetting unless:
- it happens a lot and is upsetting them
- they're constipated despite you changing their diet
- they have also started wetting themselves during the day, but had been dry most days for a while
- they go to the toilet a lot during the day (for example, every hour), they can't hold on for even a few seconds or minutes, peeing is painful, or they're peeing less than 4 times a day
Other practical tips include giving them their last drink of
the day no later than 90 minutes before they go to sleep and encouraging them encourage
them to pee as the last thing they do before they go to sleep. Ask you health
visitor or school nurse for advice if you are worried.
For commonly asked questions and excellent practical information about the treatment of bedwetting, click here.
When to start?
Most children are ready to start potty-training between ages of 18 months and 3 years. However, every child is different and it is important to wait until your child is ready. You might feel they are ready when your child:
- can get on and off the potty
- can pull their clothes and underwear down
- can follow instructions
- knows when they have a wet or dirty nappy and tells you
- can stay dry for an hour or so
- knows when they are doing a wee and tell you this
- knows when they need a wee or a poo and may tell you this in advance
How to start?
- pick a time when there are no big disruptions, such as house move or siblings arriving
- some people find it easier to start in the summer as it is easier to manage laundry
- keep a potty in the bathroom and another one downstairs if the bathroom is upstairs
- once you are set to start swap nappier or pull-ups for pants
- encourage your child to sit on the potty regularly, especially after meals and at times you know they would do a poo
- don’t make a fuss if they have an accident but praise them when they succeed
Night-time potty training
This may take longer than daytime potty training. This is because children become dry at night later than they do being dry during the day and they don’t often wake up when their bladder is full at night. If your child’s nappy is dry or almost dry in the morning, it might be a good time to start. Make sure your child uses the potty just before bed and have it nearby at night in case they wake up. Use a waterproof sheet if you can or prepare for a lot of laundry! If it is not going well, go back to nappies/pull-ups and try again a few months later. Sometimes it just takes time.
What should I do if there are problems?
If you started potty training and your child is not quite ready yet, go back to using nappies and wait a little longer. Try again in a few weeks. If you have any concerns about potty training, talk to your health visitor and/or GP.
Further information: