The terrible twos. Is it a myth or has your gorgeous baby developed into a fiend of mischief over night.

The change from baby to a young child can be quite painful for some parents but have you ever wondered why ?

The main problem is boredom, he or she has discovered that there is more to life than sitting playing with toys, the mind becomes active they want to be involved in what is going on around them.

Expecting your little treasure to sit contentedly while you get on with your daily tasks is now a thing of the past, he or she will want to take part in the running of the house and nothing is going to stop them.

As a baby life was almost routine, feeding times, bath time, nappy changing, bedtime, suddenly this has changed he now has more time on his hands as routines change with growing needs.

One way to avert this unsettling time is to cater for their every need which of course is an impossibility when you have a home to run.

Your little tot is on a learning curve and he is interested in all you do even to the point of wanting to copy so a visit to the Early Learning Centre is helpful.

At the age of two to three your Child does not know the difference between sexes, your son will happily play with a doll or a car and vice-versus so a few household type toys are useful.

A vacuum cleaner for a start so they can join in and do their bit, an iron and ironing board to keep them busy while you set about the ironing, a dustpan and brush so you can teach them to pick up the bits that are dropped.

A plastic painting or play mat is a good idea they are quite large and while you are washing the dishes you can sit them on the kitchen floor with a little bowl of water and a dolls tea set so they can copy what you are doing, any upsets that occur are easily cleaned up.

Give them a duster when you polish and when you empty the washing machine give them some small items to fold in their own way, or you can even buy two or three handkerchiefs and give them a wash each time so they have their own washing to deal with.

As you put your cleaning aids away try and get your child to do the same even storing them in the same place as yours. leaving them out for continuous play will spoil the enjoyment of doing the jobs and they will soon get bored with it, plus your child may learn the need to be tidy.

A daily walk to the shops or the park is a treat for any young child, point things out as you go and say the name it is surprising what they take in at this age.

If it hasn't already happened your child should now be ready for a nap so you can rest for a while or do whatever you want to do, the problem is that as your child gets older he will often fight against sleep and when that happens he can become irritable and appear naughty.

Instead of scolding try a bit of motherly love, nurse him for a while and if that fails a walk down the garden often works, he will either get over his tiredness or finally give way to the much needed nap.

A good practise is to start as you mean to go on by placing your child in the cot each day even when tiny, they will then be used to the daily ritual, this can continue until climbing becomes an obsession and the cot sides hold a challenge for him.

When they become bored with their toys a saucepan and wooden spoon will delight them and a cardboard box large enough for them to climb in will occupy them for an hour or more. Anything out of the ordinary that is safe will keep your child happy for varied lengths of time.

Each stage of your son or daughters life is a learning curve, as each year passes so your child will change and what he learns from you now will effect his future habits and behaviour.

Tantrums are not allowed and if this happens do not scream or shout at your child just let them get on with it, continue with what ever you are doing and ignore it, he or she will soon realise that you are not interested and they will get over the tantrum much quicker, they will eventually stop as they realise it does no good.

You are the person that will mould your child into the person you want him to be until he or she reaches the age where they can think and act for themselves.