Some facts to reassure you

Because there are so many viruses that cause the symptoms of the common cold, people may have multiple colds each year and dozens over a lifetime.

Children under six years get an average of six to eight colds per year (up to one per month, September through April). Symptoms last an average of 14 days. This means that a child could be ill with intermittent cold symptoms for nearly half of the days in this time period, without cause for concern.

Young children in daycare appear to suffer from more colds than children cared for at home. However, when day-care children enter primary school, they catch fewer colds, presumably because they are already immune to a larger number.

• Do not offer fruit juice to infants less than six months of age.
• After six months of age, you can offer limited amounts of juice each day.
• For babies older than six months, whole fruit offers nutritional benefits more than fruit juice. Whole fruits also provide fiber and other nutrients.
• Do not offer fruit juice to infants at bedtime.
• Do not rely on fruit juice as a treatment of dehydration or management of diarrhea.
• For children ages one to six years old, give a maximum of 180 ml fruit juice each day.

• Soy or ricemilk,
• Calcium-fortified orange juice
• Tofu
• Tahini
• Broccoli
• Almonds
• Okra
• Molasses, black strap
• Dark green leafy vegetables
• Lima, black beans, lentils, and split peas

This is a very normal child developmental stage called separation anxiety. Your child's learning to be independent but it agitates her to have you leave.

Before leaving, let her know ahead of time what to expect. Always let her know how much you miss her during the day and how you look forward to seeing her after work. Toddlers are very egocentric at this age, so it helps her to know that she's important to you even when you aren't with her.

When you say good-bye, try not to delay leaving. It's good to teach your child to become more comfortable with good-byes. Give her a hug, keep it short, and let her know when to expect you back. Come back when you say you will so she can trust in your word.

There are two reasons why your toddler is resisting getting some rest although he's clearly exhausted:

·        He/she has an entire world of new things to explore; he/she's afraid that naptime will let him miss out on those things. 

·        He/she's beginning to recognize himself as a separate entity so refusing to nap is just one of the ways he'll practice this independence.

You should try to stay calm if you face this condition because nap times will be less than the days your toddler was a baby. There is no magic solution that can force your toddler to sleep. Try creating conditions that allow sleep to overtake him. For example:

·        If possible, get him/her outside in an area where she can run, jump and roll around just before lunch.

·        Tell him/her it's quiet time and involve her in a relaxing activity to remove the power struggle over sleep

·        Establish a routine to get him on a predictable nap schedule

·        Make sure your toddler falls asleep on his own at night so he'll be able to do so during the day