When I first saw this I found it so funny. Every parent I show it to finds it funny.

The toddler rules of possession

1. If I like it – it’s mine.
2. If it’s in my hand – it’s mine.
3. If I can take it from you – it’s mine.
4. If I had it a little while ago – it’s mine.
5. If it’s mine, it must never appear to be yours in ANY way.
6. If I am doing or building something ALL the pieces are mine.
7. If it looks just like mine it is mine.
8. If I saw it first – it’s mine.
9. If you are playing with something and you put it down, it automatically becomes mine.
10. If it’s broken, it’s yours.
11. If it’s broken, but you are having fun playing with the pieces, it’s mine again.
12. If there is ANY doubt, it’s mine.
    (Kevin McHugh)

Are all toddlers this predictable? Do they all find it almost impossible to share? Um yes, I think so.

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There is a game in our house which has truly stood the test of time. I played it as a child, hubby played it as a child – I think everyone has (well everyone who has parents that let children climb all over the furniture!).

Get your child to help you make an obstacle course out of chairs, tables, towels, cushions to name but a few.

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With the post Christmas weather being so windy, you might be looking for indoor activities, and here is a good one to try out. Making a jigsaw out of a colourful picture taken from a magazine.

Here’s what you do:

You will need:

• scissors
• colouring pens (if the picture needs colouring in),
• cardboard (an empty cereal packet, or cardboard from a Christmas present is ideal)
• glue
• a colourful picture from a magazine Read more »

They say you can never start reading to your child too early. I have to agree with this. As soon as our baby was born, we gathered all the old Ladybird books from charity shops. All the traditional fairy tales I remember from when I was young.

It was great for me, reading stories I had half forgotten, half remembered. I think some had changed though, become more PC. I remember in the Gingerbread Man, the fox was much more violent and hungry! Maybe that was the way I remember it. Read more »

This is a good fun activity for you and your toddler.

Sit with her and look through old magazines for numbers. Ask her to point out numbers when she sees them, the bigger the number the better (I don’t mean high numbers, but numbers that take up a lot of room!)

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