Parenting Guides

When to Move Your Child to a Toddler Bed

Most children move from a cot to a toddler bed between about 18 months and 3.5 years, with many around…

How Long After Stopping Birth Control Can You Get Pregnant?

For most types of birth control — the pill, IUDs, implants, patches, rings and condoms — fertility can return very…

How Much Does It Cost to Have a Baby?

The cost of having a baby varies enormously depending on where you live and your healthcare system. In countries with…

When Can You Find Out the Baby’s Sex?

You can usually find out your baby’s sex at the mid-pregnancy anatomy scan, around 18–22 weeks, if you choose to.…

When Can You Feel the Baby Move in Pregnancy?

Most people first feel their baby move — a sensation called “quickening” — between about 16 and 24 weeks of…

The Three Trimesters of Pregnancy: A Simple Overview

Pregnancy is divided into three trimesters: the first (weeks 1–12), when the baby’s major organs form and early symptoms like…

When Do Babies Start Walking?

Most babies take their first independent steps between about 9 and 15 months, with many walking well by around their…

Toddler Activities: 25 Easy Ideas for Play & Learning

The best toddler activities are simple, hands-on and open-ended: sensory bins, water and sand play, stacking and sorting, playdough, drawing,…

Toddler Dinner Ideas: 20 Quick Family-Friendly Meals

The easiest toddler dinners are family meals adapted for little ones — pasta with hidden-veg sauce, mild curry with rice,…

Toddler Snack Ideas: 25 Healthy, Easy Snacks

Good toddler snacks are small, nutritious and easy to eat: soft fruit, veg sticks with hummus, cheese, yoghurt, wholegrain crackers,…

Toddler Lunch Ideas: 20 Easy, Balanced Options

Easy toddler lunches combine a little protein, a carbohydrate and some fruit or veg in toddler-friendly pieces — for example,…

Toddler Shoe Sizes by Age: A Simple Guide & Chart

As a rough guide, most toddlers wear about a US size 4–5 at 12–18 months, 5–6 at 18–24 months, 6–7…

What Age Is a Toddler? Ages, Stages and Milestones

A toddler is generally a child between about 1 and 3 years old — roughly 12 to 36 months. The…

Baby Feeding by Age: A Simple 6–12 Month Guide

From around 6 months, babies start solids once a day alongside their usual milk, building to two then three meals…

Introducing Allergens to Your Baby: What to Know

Current guidance is to introduce common allergen foods — such as peanut, egg, dairy, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish, tree nuts…

How to Make Homemade Baby Food

To make homemade baby food, steam or boil soft vegetables and fruit until tender, then blend or mash to the…

First Foods for Baby: What to Start With

Great first foods are single-ingredient, iron-rich and soft: think puréed or soft-cooked vegetables (sweet potato, carrot, broccoli), soft fruit (banana,…

Baby-Led Weaning: A Simple Beginner’s Guide

Baby-led weaning (BLW) means skipping spoon-fed purées and offering your baby soft, graspable finger foods from around six months, letting…

When Can Babies Start Solid Foods? Signs of Readiness

Most babies are ready to start solid foods at around 6 months — and not before 4 months. Watch for…

Baby Won’t Sleep in the Crib: Gentle Tips That Help

If your baby will only sleep in your arms, try putting them down drowsy but awake, warming the cot sheet…

Why Does My Baby Cry in Their Sleep?

Babies often whimper, grunt or briefly cry in their sleep without waking, because they spend a lot of time in…

Baby Sleep Regressions: Ages, Signs and What Helps

A sleep regression is a temporary stretch — usually one to a few weeks — when a baby who was…

When Can a Baby Sleep With a Blanket?

Keep loose blankets, pillows and soft bedding out of your baby’s sleep space for at least the first 12 months,…

How to Dress Your Baby for Sleep

Dress your baby in light, comfortable layers suited to the room temperature — a vest and a sleepsuit, plus a…