The Toddler Years

Being a mum or dad to a toddler is a wonderful and totally unique experience. The whole period – from the time they first start not just crawling but walking around, to the time you pack them off to primary school as a ‘rising five’ – has a marvellous, magical quality to it. Toddlerhood is a thrilling voyage of discovery for both parent and child. And though every stage of a child’s development holds exciting treasures in store for any parent who makes it a priority to get involved, there’s nothing quite like these extraordinary first years.

But as well as being a fun-filled, fantastic experience, being a toddler’s mum or dad can be a bit … well, difficult. In fact, it’s a heart-thumping, blood-pumping, stomach-tightening, knuckle-whitening rollercoaster of a ride. It’s every bit as exciting as it is frightening. And vice versa. And nothing can adequately prepare you for its impact.

Top Tip: Being a parent to a toddler is an amazing, unparalleled experience – it just happens to be a rather exhausting one as well!

View features in this series